Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 10:12:49 -0700
Reply-To: Mike O'Mara <omaramik@GTE.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Mike O'Mara <omaramik@GTE.NET>
Organization: Carmichael Services
Subject: Re: Michelin MXT Tires for my '87 VANAGON GL
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Always lot of talk here about tires!
Wanted all to know that I just placed the much talked about Michelin MXT
205-70R14 tires on my Vanagon GL Wolfsburg. I had been using the
Yokohama's as replacements for my original Michelins due to the cost
difference. ($50 each versus $80). However, Yokohama no longer
manufacturers the correct Load Range tire in this size.
FWIW: I think you should NEVER take a chance on the NON-reinforced
tires. If a salesman gives you a song-and-dance about the H or V or ??
rating - WALK, no run, elsewhere. One hears stories about the tires
going BOOM! in the worst places - "for no apparent reason" like a road
hazard. Seems to me that the tires were stressed and just gave way!
After 200K miles (+/-), I have never even had a flat tire on my
Vanagon.....and I drive hard! (Knock wood - and buy good tires!)
HAD A TOUGH TIME FINDING the Michelins here in Seattle area. Several
tire dealers couldn't or wouldn't order them - often trying to sell me
higher speed rated tires rather than the reinforced, or Load Range C
products. (I keep a file of who gives me BAD service - no more of my
business!) Big retailer here, Les Schwab, wouldn't order them.
Discount Tire would - but for $110 each plus mounting. At first this
seemed to be the only way to go. To spend over $500 total for new
rubber, just put me on a mission. Also, I considered the LT route but
was concerned about the ride.
Good News! I would try COSTCO! The people at any store could not
order them (I tried 5 different stores - some multiple times each), it
was not in there "book" and had no special odering information for this
tire in the "special" book. I decided to TRY to get COSTCO to order
them. Persistence paid off! I called Michelin and they told me COSTCO
could order them. I was provided the Michelin order number. Went back
to the COSTCO store(s), still no luck. E-mailed the COSTCO Corp from
their own website and was given the good news - the store could order
them. I got COSTCO (local store - Kirkland) to order them from Michelin
after being informed by the tire buyer how to do so. They arrived in a
week, got 'em mounted and they are keeping me on the road as we speak.
Icing on the cake - $78.99 each plus tax. Cherry on top - Costco had a
special "$28 off " 4 tires deal that week so the mounting and balancing
was free! COOL, HUH???!?!?!
For any of you who want to press your COSTCO tire salesman into service,
the COSTCO item number on the tire and on my receipt is #66044. Maybe
if we buy these often enough, they will realize they have a market
besides Dodge Caravans and Toyotas . Let 'em know you are out there!
As me dear, saintly departed Mother always said, "Better to be lucky
than good!"
Good luck to ya'!
Michael O'Mara
'87 Vanagon
'98 Jetta GLX - (Ms Carol, my wife, let's me drive it occasionally, if
escorted)
We have a lurid VW past: Karmann Ghia(1), Bugs(4), Super Bug(1), another
Vanagon, Cabriolet(1), Audi 5000(1)
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