Last Chance Prom and Goodyear Eagles

[cuadra@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

There we were sitting in the 164 outside of the Last Chance Prom event on
Saturday night. Lorraine, a totally hot Sicilian transplant out of New
Jersey, was in the front seat. She looked stunning in a cellophane dress. We
were soon joined by three stragglers from the party. All demanded a ride in
the Alfa. First I insisted that all pipes be extinguished and plastic cups
containing punch be emptied. My intent was to cruise San Francisco's Mission
District, drop off the riff-raff at a local bar, and return with Lorraine to
the *official make-out limo* outside of the prom. To set the mood, I
selected Santana's *Evil Ways* on the CD and put the 164 in first. After
driving a half a block I discovered that the right-front tire was
completely...flat.

What gives? This is the second Goodyear Eagle NCT2 that has gone flat on me
in two months. These tires have been discontinued but luckily the local tire
shop still have two in stock. The price is  steep -- $186 each. The next day
I removed the temp spare and replaced it with a slightly worn Eagle that
came with the car. The rest of the tires still have mucho tread life left.

Eventually, though, I want to replace these now-defunct Eagles with Pirelli
P4000s. The tire shop has them for about $150 each. Per the advice of the
Digest, I told the manager that Tire Rack and Discount Tire Direct sell
P4000Es for $125 and $100. Could he match those prices? Nope. 

Have any 164 owners used other brands and/or tire sizes? By the way,
changing the tire was a snap -- minimal grease and dirt on the tux --
although the spare felt odd on the freeway. And Lorraine? Being the perfect
gentleman, I gave her and her boyfriend (who arrived out of nowhere) a ride
to her front door.

Paul
164 LS 5-speed and Moto Guzzi Sport

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