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TIRES:
One of the reasons Project Silvia’s Girlfriend runs 17×8.5 wheels is that 225/45-17 and 235/45-17 performance tires are abundant and relatively cheap. The car started out running cast-off Yokohamas from an EVO IX, and when those were too far gone, we switched to cast-off Bridgestones from an STI. Both those cars come with impressively sticky rubber from the factory, but both were kind of poorly behaved. At the limit, they were great, but the car never really wanted to go straight with those tires. The car followed ruts and pavement seams like crazy.
About a year ago, BF Goodrich offered to let us try their g-Force Sport Comp-2 tires. Since they’re pitched as a comfortable, well-balanced everyday performance tire, I wasn’t really expecting much in the way of ultimate grip, but they turned out much better than I expected.First of all, it wasn’t clear until we put the Comp-2s on the car that the EVO and STI tires were responsible for the car’s rut following. I spent a lot of time looking for an alignment error or something loose, but as soon as the BFGs went on, the car started going straight. Problem solved!
I haven’t driven them in at the limit in the dry that much, but whenever I ride with Sarah, I always think she’s entering corners way too fast for these tires, and then she rips around the corner without even a peep from the tires. Obviously they have a lot more grip than their civilized nature would suggest.
When we did try to take them to the track, the sky opened up and we ended up testing wet performance instead. That’s where the Comp-2s really seem to show their stuff. In rain heavy enough to make rivers across the track, the car was grippy, predictable, and easy to slide around. Sure, you could get it to hydroplane crossing standing water at 90 mph, but was never a surprise, and regaining grip on the other side was as drama free as can be expected.
As a match for this civilized adult version of an S13, its hard to imagine a better tire choice.
Oh yeah, Project Silvia's Girlfriend is for sale. It's hard to sell a project car after this much relationship-building blood and sweat is invested, but the fleet is getting too big and something has to go. Act now before we change our minds!
One more update next week, if I can keep this frantic pace up…
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Trying to do this same GC coilover setup on my S13 with rear z32 knuckles for that OEM+ type ride all these years later. I have already had to step up from the original 7” 250lbs rear springs to 8” 250lbs which are still at the top of the threaded collar on the yellow KONI with not enough clearance between fender & tire. Currently about 1.8” of clearance between the rear fender & tire which still doesn’t seem close to the early pics of this project car. Do you recall if you had to use longer springs on the rear like I am (about to move up to the 9” 280lbs spring next in order to hopefully have a better range on the threaded collar)?