Coker Tire Group Has Been Sold

[Dan LeBlanc]

https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/breakingnews/story/2018/nov/15/coker-family-sells-tire-business/483105/

[Scot Minesinger]

This is a good kind of sale for loyal Coker tire fans; sold to the current management team by the original founding family.  And it was cash to the original founding family made possible by a private equity firm that teamed up with the purchasing management team.  I wish the new company ownership well.

[D.Smith]

Good for who?   

I sure hope the buyers got to see the shrinking sales reports first.

[Scot Minesinger]

Good for us collectors, in that the status quo remains about the same.  The last thing our hobby needs is a major vendor deciding to close up shop.

[gkhashem]

Scott is correct.

While many on here have Diamondback love, I have never received any defective tires from Coker. Also you buy them from Summit and get free shipping. That's a savings right there.

So if Coker goes, Diamondback I guarantee will jack up their prices if they can get away with it.

[Maynard Krebs]

Does either one offer P225/70R-15.. at a price that doesn't require a third mortgage?

[Jay Friedman]

A few years ago Coker, along with all the other collector car tire dealers, practically doubled their prices for the 8.20.15 bias plies I use on my '49.  Also, since I live not far from Coker's facility, when I used to buy tires from them, if I drove there to pick them up they'd mount and balance them free.  About the same time they raised the prices, they stopped offering that service. 

Although Corky is a nice guy and hosted our regional group to view his great car collection, I switched to Universal in PA whose prices for 8.20.15 bias plies are somewhat lower than Coker's.  Much to my surprise, when I read the article about the sale I learned that Universal is actually owned by Coker.

[BJM]

Bob Coker recently passed away and although I don't think he was a principal in Coker, it may have had an impact on the decision to move away from family ownership. 

As for saving a few bucks on tires, maybe but if you buy a set of Coker tires, that is likely the last set a person buys right? 

[chrisntam]

Shouldn't tires be replaced about every 10 years regardless of mileage?

[gkhashem]

Yes, that's the issue,  they time out before they wear out for me.

So I bet after 10 years I can see me with 7000 miles on the tires. I may try to get 12, but that's pushing it I am afraid.

[TJ Hopland]

Presumably the reason for the high cost is a combination of the scale/numbers they are selling and then I assume getting the DOT certification which I assume brings on liability that takes some sort of bonds and or insurance.   

[BJM]

Shouldn't tires be replaced about every 10 years regardless of mileage?

That's a good question.  Which I can't answer because I never have owned a car for 10 years! But, if the car is a collector car, where the tires are kept out of direct sunlight for storage, which is likely, and considering modern rubber compounds, and external treatments which we now apply, I would not hesitate to keep tires UNTIL THEY SHOWED SIDEWALL cracking.  That would be a deal killer.  Or similar issue. 

I would not exchange tires rated at 30,000 to 40,000 miles every ten years just because of a 10 year rule.  That's just my 2 cents, I'm no expert but it seems that modern compounds and manufacturing methods are much better than "back in the day". 

[35-709]

In actual fact, radial tires of modern  construction and compounds tend to self-destruct, indoors or out, in 10 years or less.  Been there twice now on older indoor kept Cadillacs with modern radials, once in a '60 and once in a '66.  Fortunately I wasn't going fast at the time.   

[BJM]

Good information!  I really did not think so but there is nothing like actual experience.

[Scot Minesinger]

I favor Diamondbacks, but without Coker as George wrote, I'm sure any sole or dominate supplier would raise prices because they can - I would too.  Yes, supposedly modern radials are good for about 6 years, and due to low mileage of our classics and usually ideal storage conditions I try for 8 to 10 years.