Capri - Tyre Problems

On Sunday I took both cars out for a drive & I drove the white XL up the mountain twice to see how the new thermostat was working & I am much happier with the full flow type. When I went to put the white car away, it didn't seem to want to move but after I drove it into the driveway, I got out & had a look at the front tyres to find the LH front as flat as a tack. I slowly drove it onto the level part of the drive & proceeded to change it. Whatever happened to it happened quickly as it was really flat! I hoped my aged spare had some air in it & luckily it did & I was able to put the car away.

Looking at the tyre didn't reveal any nasty screws or nails or anything but the valve stem seemed a bit loose. But the big question was - can I get it repaired?

Most times getting a puncture repaired is no big deal but I became a little worried. This particular tyre is borderline both in terms of age & wear on the edges. It has been on the car ever since I bought it. Sometimes the over zealous tyre people take one look & say that they can't repair this & you will have to buy a new one. Again, this may not usually be an issue but this time it may have been.

This tyre is a Simex SM800. Size is:175/75/13 as are all the tyres on the car. No big deal you might say but look at the size again! Yes, it is 175/75/13 not 175/70/13 which is a common size of today. You cannot buy 175/75/13 for love or money! All this means that if they cannot repair my puncture, I may be up for a complete set of new tyres. Not exactly my first choice!

I started to consider my options by looking at this great website: http://www.exploroz.com/Vehicle/Tyres/SizeCalc.aspx
It compares tyre sizes & dimensions so I was able to do some calculations.
The 175/75/13 has a diameter of 592.7 mm
The 175/70/13 has a diameter of 575.2 mm which is 17 mm difference which would leave a fair gap in the mudguards although I have these on my green car & they don't look too bad.
The 185/70/13 have a diameter of 589 mm which is 3.7 mm less than the 175/75/13, so would be the closest. They are not that common but can still be sourced so that seems to be what I will have to get.

To cut along story short, they took pity of my sob story about classic cars at my local Bridgestone dealer (he owns an old Mercedes) and fixed the tyre for $25. The valve stem was totally stuffed. So for the moment I can delay buying a complete set of tyres & perhaps a good set of partly used 185/70/13 might be the answer.

One thing is for sure - keeping these cars in good condition can be fun!!!