Modern Tires

Maybe I’m on the extreme side of this discussion, but I think it’s insane that anyone would risk their car or their life driving on 20+ year old tires. It doesn’t matter what the sidewalls or tread look like on a tire, the chemical compositions and materials used to manufacture tires breaks down over time. I understand the mindset of wanting everything on your car to look vintage or original, but unless your car just sits in the garage and you trailer it to and from shows, the reality is it’s dangerous to drive around on old tires. There’s so many options for tires these days you’d be foolish not to take advantage of them. If you insist on keeping it vintage you can buy tires that look like the originals that are made with modern manufacturing methods. Maybe 5 year old tires are still OK, but don’t be surprised when the kid at the tire store tells you your tires are too old and need to be replaced, they’re in the business of selling tires. But from a liability standpoint, you can’t blame them for wanting you to drive out of their shop with the safest vehicle possible. If you went to a mechanic and he told you one of your suspension pieces was worn out and needed to be replaced for safety reasons, you would replace it to avoid risking your car, yourself, or the motoring public. Tire shops are simply following the same logic.