Firestone tires

[HandOverFist]

Anyone have experience with the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires? http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....Qty=2&i1_Qty=2

[Rocker75]

They came with my '75 /'78 TA when I got it a year ago. They seem fine although I haven't really pushed the car e.g. drag racing or autocross. I have a fully upgraded to the max suspension (except for large brakes) and they seem to handle and grip pretty well. I don't think these tires are made anymore. I have actually been trying to find someone who can tell me exactly when mine were made because the DOT date code on them is 503. All my research says that these are before year 2000 and maybe even the 1980s but they look almost new. Are there any tire pros out there who can help?

[HandOverFist]

TireRack quotes those tires will be available 04/08/2016.

[MonzaRacer]

Shoot the full DOT number. Looks like you have the middle numberof the DOT.
The date code looks like it had screws or rivets holding the date code on the mold and a 4 digit code. Any tire made before 2000 will be 3 digit. I dont believe the Indy was made before 2000 But Ill need to check.
They date them by week number and year.

[MonzaRacer]

If you pan down in the second pic you most likely see the actual date code.
Ill try to get a good pic of a DOT date code and post it up.

[Rocker75]

Here is the entire DOT line DOT HYUU 503 The 503 is surrounded by a raised "oval" so I don't think it's incomplete. On one of the tires, there is a small 1/8" chip out of the raised white "Firestone" and another small "chip" out of the sidewall right next to it. Hope this clears it up for anyone who really knows this stuff (far better than me)

[Rocker75]

A Firestone guy climbed under with a light, the whole number was on the back side (non raised white letter side) told me they're from 2004. Guess they sat a long time before they were put on this car to sell it to me.

[vintageracer]

I've got a set of "Indy's" that have been on my 70 Chevelle Convertible for years. They are at least 10 years old. They still ride and drive fine. The car is always garaged so they still look good with no weather cracking or dry rot. I certainly would not consider them to be a "Performance Tire" in the modern sense of the term.

If you were looking for decent looking "Old School White Letter Name Brand" muscle car tire 10 years ago they were are good choice. The tire in the link you posted looks nothing like the Firestone Indy 500 tires of old on my car. Firestone has stepped up their game and has made some good tires lately. This "new" Firehawk Indy 500 may also be great tire.

Basically the old "Indy 500" tires I have are Firestone's version of the "Radial T/A"!

[badazz81z28]

Anyone have experience with the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires? http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....Qty=2&i1_Qty=2

I had them on my 78 camaro years ago. Looks like the tread pattern has changed, but they were DD tires. Nothing special

[BonzoHansen]

Fwiw the tire linked in post one are entirely different than those really old ones in post two. Those need to be replaced. And nearly every post in this thread is about those old ass tire, not the OPs tires. Also firestone has used the indy moniker on many different tire, like goodyear uses the term eagle.

OP the past z rated firehawks were decent street tires for the price. But i dont know that model. I just checked the fs site but i dont see that tread pattern and i dont think its the same tire. It might be a new model

http://www.firestonetire.com/tires/f...-40r18?ql=true

[HandOverFist]

Fwiw the tire linked in post one are entirely different than those really old ones in post two. Those need to be replaced. And nearly every post in this thread is about those old ass tire, not the OPs tires. Also firestone has used the indy moniker on many different tire, like goodyear uses the term eagle.

OP the past z rated firehawks were decent street tires for the price. But i dont know that model. I just checked the fs site but i dont see that tread pattern and i dont think its the same tire. It might be a new model

http://www.firestonetire.com/tires/f...-40r18?ql=true

With the hijack of the thread I was just letting it run it's course lol. I rather hoped for some input on the Firestone's, but apparently they get little attention. I purchased some BF Goodrich yesterday evening which should do nicely this go around.

[iadr]

Not that they don't get attention, it's that they aren't shipping for another month (most sizes, a few came out months ago).

They are essentially a Bridgestone for better or worse, ...probably for the better. (Bridgestone bought Firestone around 10 years ago when their...ahem, market capitalization was low... ;) )

[BonzoHansen]

Not that they don't get attention, it's that they aren't shipping for another month (most sizes, a few came out months ago).

They are essentially a Bridgestone for better or worse, ...probably for the better. (Bridgestone bought Firestone around 10 years ago when their...ahem, market capitalization was low... ;) )

i thiink it is was more than 20 years ago.

[iadr]

Yeah, I was wrong, I thought they sniped them when the worst of the Ford Explorer thing was going on (2001 or so). It actually was 1988!

http://www.tirebusiness.com/article/...restone-merger

(High lights of the link- As of summer/fall 2013 they were celebrating the 25 anniversary of the merger/buyout and were the largest selling volume tire manufacturer, and had just bought out the Bandag retread company).