Tyre Advice

[Dobbin]

I'll be looking for a couple of new tyres soon to replace a tyre that has a cracked sidewall. I'm going to replace the rear as a pair. Tyre sizes are 4.5" x 17" or 450 x 17" as some advertisers list them. I've looked at Waymaster and Excelsior due to the cost (typically around £85-£90 each). Does anyone have any experience of these brands and are they any good? I've looked at a number of online retailers and the costs are similar, some include P&P some don't so they sort of balance one against the other. Any recommendations for companies to use or does anyone know of a cheaper supplier?

[rich.]

have you tried the internet specialists?, ive had a few tyres fitted like this in the last year from them & saved a fortune

[JPB]

Or maybe even the club catering for the car in question. I remember a mate's "Sit up and beg" Anglia needing that size when we were at school (posh kid, the rest of us got in by moped) and finding them nigh on impossible to locate then but at least these days we do have specialists who can supply such things.

Tyre Spot are good at sourcing obsolete and otherwise rare sizes, try your local branch, worst they can say is sorry, we don't.

[Dobbin]

So the two tyres and inner tubes have finally been purchased. I cross referenced all the major suppliers taking into account postage etc and I eventually bought them from Vintage Tyre Supplies. Interestingly via their eBay site. As a result I saved £17.42 compared to their 'official' web site prices for the same items and all being well they should be here for the weekend. Not that I'll have time to fit them until sometime next week.
If anyone else is looking for tyres it might be worth looking on eBay before making that decision.