I've had BFG's on my cars for the past 15 years with 9 years on the Cutlass, been a good tire with no issues. Since the tires are 9 years old and I'm planning a 300 mile trip to OK with it, probably a good time to replace. I'm going to go blackwall out this go around so there is really no reason to go with TA's for aesthetics. Wondering what the long term reviews of the Coopers Cobra's are? Going with 275/60 R15 rear on a 8.5" wheel and 215/70R15 (previously 225/70's) on a 6" in the front. Also what tire pressures are you running since max load air pressure on the Cooper is 44lbs vs 32 for BFG.

 

I normally am a die hard Michelin user but the last time my Wife's 84 Riviera needed tires we went with Cooper because they were the only ones with a white wall in the correct size. They have probably been on the car for 5 years or so and probably have 30K miles on them and they are doing fine. They are a little noisier than the Michelins that we took off but nothing terrible. This is her daily driver and we keep them rotated fairly regularly.

I dont know how they are as far as in a performance application.

 

I haven't used the Cobras but have used Coopers on other vehicles. They were fine.
JMO but I can't justify the cost of a TA but because they look nice.

 

Eric, I have used Kelly Charger on my car with no issues. They weren't horribly expensive, rode well, are quiet and option for letter side out or in. My 2¢ I did go with BFG's on my last purchase and they weren't that expensive either.

 

I am happy with the mickey Thompsons I purchased. White letters in
$50 off $500 purchase now / free shipping and no sales tax or FET

https://www.summitracing.com/search/product-line/mickey-thompson-sportsman-s-t-radial-tires?SortBy=Default&SortOrder=Ascending&tw=mickey %20thompson%20sportsman%20&sw=Mickey%20Thompson%20 Sportsman%20S%2FT%20Radial%20Tires

 

It may be just "ME" but ... when I think about Cooper Cobra's, they sound like they belong on a Mustang, Kelly Chargers sound like something you would see on a charger. When I think old muscle cars , I see BFG's , M/T's , Firestone and Goodyear in RWL.
That's just my thoughts, money aside.

 

 

I know your wanting black wall out this time around Eric, However, I really think the RWL's look great on your car , blue, white top with RWL rubber. Just has that blended muscle look. I would keep the RWL if it were me.
How about a poll haha?

 

BFG TA's don't belong on a Trans Am?

 

Sure they do, especially the 403 powered. But I wouldn't throw a set of Cooper Cobra's on a T/A, a 301V8 turbo T/A well that's different haha. Geez mastercraft tires would work in that case.

 

Radial T/A tires on a T/A with Radial Tuned Suspension The 1980's all over again!

 

Been running Cooper Discoverers on 93 F150 4WD for over ten years now. They work well on it and get decent miles for 4WD. I have a set of Cooper GLS Touring on the 02 Grand Marquis too and other than being just a little noisy, I like them. When that car had Michelins the handling was always "twitchy" (yah I know, characteristic of Panther platform) but with the Coopers ride and handling are much improved IMO.

That said I've never used them on an older car.

 

I have been using Cooper tires for longer than i can remember. In the beginning it was strictly because they were cheaper, but i did notice they seemed to wear better than BFG's.
I use Cooper Discoverers on my truck, i have Cobras on my Vette. I wanted Cobras on my Olds, got 2 different sets through Discount tire and 7 of the 8 tires were majorly blemished.
The white letters were good, but all the black letters were smeared and the side walls were covered with small circular ring imprints. 7 bad tires in a row? thats kinda crazy. They didnt seem interested in ordering more tires and i needed some so i had to spend $150 more to get BFG'S. Now i have a vibration that i think is the tires, Had them rebalanced once and they were way off. I understand they should "0" out when in balance. I dont think any of them "0"d, but one back tire is at ?67. I dont really understand how it works. But around 65-70 it starts shaking some.
I need to pull the Coopers off my Vette put them on the Olds and see if that fixes the problem. If so then i can go back to Discount and get it taken care of once and for all. If it dosent fix the problem then on to plan B.
Anyway sorry for the long story, hopefully they got rid of the bad molds. I definately have normally had better luck with Coopers than BFG's. Good handling, good traction, good milage, and cheaper. The warranty is 60,000 mi. i believe. I will buy more.
Steve

 

 

My 245/60R14 BFG TA's, probably didn't help on 6" rims, launched horrible at the track, 2.8 to 3.3 60 fts. Even with slicks, the car only went 2.0 something, so the grandma suspension on my 88 was obviously part of the problem but those BFG's were no track king. As said, many really like the Mickey Thompson RWL tires, an option if you live in the 15" world.

 

Not exactly a long term review but I replaced my old BFG's with Cooper Cobras a little over a year ago to save a few dollars per tire.

I notice no discernible difference with regard to noise or performance. Not really enough miles to comment on wear yet.

Running them @ 35 psi based on some light research of this and the Chevelle forum. Alignment shop put them around 30 psi and they wanted to wander a bit.

 

 

Mickey Thompson (made by Cooper) is my preferred tire.

https://www.mickeythompsontires.com/.../sportsman-s-t

 

Thanks for all the input, since I'm running black walls out I ordered the Coopers. I agree that BFG and MT's are great tires, but with the new house and the move I'm going cheap this go round.

 

With the good reviews here from the members happy with them, you can't go wrong. Oh , I can't wait until my wife wants that bigger home on the lake, I will have to install a smaller gas tank and cut holes in the floor for my feet to help it . I'll have Jack runnin 'shot gun for the added boost.
I hope you are happy with them once installed.

 

You can always buy some bogus tires next time

Have A SAFE and HAPPY move

 

The Cooper Cobras are a great tire for the price. I've never had an issue with them, and I've had several sets over the years. They're just as good as the BFG's at a better price point. I buy another set today if I needed tires.

 

Got the Coopers installed and it drives nice. Got to play with the air pressures. Car is in storage until we get moved into the house at a friends.

 

Better late than never, pictures of the Coopers. Went with 275/60 R15 rear on the 8.5" wheel and 215/70R15 (previously 225/70's) on the 6" in the front.

 

In terms of style & appearance - the blacks on this vehicle are awesome. Great choice.

 

Nice! I love 67's
I hope the new state, house, tires are all good for you and your wife.

Steve

 

Thanks Steve