7 minute read
Tire Talk
WITH INSTAGRAM’S TIRE GAL
By Lou Sitaras
When you meet Cynthia Maci (pronounced Macy), your first impression might lead you to believe she works for a Paris designer such as Louis Vuitton or Christian Dior. Impeccably dressed with a smile that can melt the coldest of hearts, it’s refreshing to learn she is not only a down-to-earth car gal, but a customer development manager for American Tire Distributors — the largest of three national tire distributors in North America.
Maci knows tires and she’s happy to share that knowledge with anyone willing to listen — especially men and women who may not understand just how important it is to have quality tires on their vehicle. After all, as Cynthia points out, your tires are the only things connecting you to the road.
Cynthia recently shared a few of her tire tips with listeners on WVLT, 92.1 FM and the feedback was tremendous. She regularly talks tires on Instagram, where she’s known as the tire gal (@tire_gal). Today, she shares her knowledge with the readers of Cruising Magazine .
CRUISING: Do you normally work with the public or with corporate clients?
MACI: I mainly work with new car dealers’ parts and service departments. I recommend tires, help them stock tires, and train them on a future strategy of where the market’s going.
CRUISING: So, if I’m shopping for a tire and one is $100 and one is $300, is there really a difference? After all, they’re both black and round.
MACI: All tires are not created equal, not by a long shot. Tires are mainly graded in tiers: tiers 1 through 7. You want to stay mainly in tiers 1 through 4. Purchasing a lower-grade tier can affect handling, braking, tire life, and traction. It’s always better to stick with your name brands such as Michelin, Continental, General, Khumo, Toyo . . . those are all great brands. If you can only afford a budget tire, something like Ironman or Hercules would be a great choice. They are built in certified factories with great service records.
CRUISING: What is one of your pet peeves regarding tires?
MACI: When I see people spend thousands and thousands of dollars on classic car restorations making them look great and upgrading the suspension and then I look at the poor choice they made for tires. I always wonder why you would want to cheap out on the one item that actually keeps you on the roadway and protects all those other things you spent so much money for.
CRUISING: Does it really make a difference having your tires rotated?
MACI: Yes, absolutely! Because your tires are always taking abuse, especially the front ones that tend to hit puddles or potholes first. It also allows the technician to see if they’re cupping or wearing unevenly so if there’s an inflation issue or suspension issue, you can address it without burning through your tires.
CRUISING: What is your opinion of the BF Goodrich T/A radial, a tire often seen on many classic muscle cars.
MACI: BF Goodrich is actually made by Michelin as their tier 2 line of tires. It’s a fantastic tire! Michelin spends more money on research, by far, than any other tire company and they basically pass down their technology as they retire certain tires. This goes for their passenger tires as well. The BF Goodrich Advantage radial is an excellent tire!
CRUISING: Are you familiar with some white-lettered tires that begin to yellow?
MACI: Yes, manufacturers source inks from different locations and depending on where they’re sourcing it at that particular time, it may be a different formula and all of a sudden, they find they have a problem and they have to fix it. A company like Michelin is really good at handling any issues and taking care of them. Another factor is what you’re cleaning them with. Bleach or a bleach product will actually have a yellowing effect over time.
CRUISING: Many classic car owners put very few miles on their cars, and they just sit. As a general guide, what’s the maximum amount of time you’d recommend they keep their tires before replacing them with fresh rubber?
MACI: The general rule of thumb is 10 years although you may have to replace them sooner. It’s always a good idea to have them inspected occasionally by a professional for traces of dry rot. Even if your car is kept in a garage, it’s still exposed to alternating hot and cold temperatures, dust, dirt, inflation pressures, and UV light coming in through the windows. Ten years really is the maximum amount of time.
CRUISING: Let’s say you buy a used car and you don’t know how old the tires are. Is there somewhere you can look to find out?
MACI: There is a DOT code. All tires pretty much have all the info you’d ever need and more on the sidewall although it’s only printed on one side so you may have to look on the inside sidewall, depending on how the tire was mounted. The DOT code contains info such as the type of tire, size, manufacturing plant, whether it’s passenger or light truck and more. The last four digits of that DOT code show the week and the year it was manufactured. EX. If the code reads 3521 then it was manufactured in the 35th week of 2021. That’s how you know the age of the tire.
CRUISING: Some people today are using nitrogen in their tires. Air is basically free while nitrogen costs about $300 for a set of four tires. Is there a benefit of using nitrogen?
MACI: Nitrogen is not affected by drastic temperature changes. The density of air changes as it gets colder or warmer. It’s why sometimes you’ll see a lowpressure warning light when it suddenly gets cold outside. Keep in mind though that you have to find a place to add nitrogen if your pressure gets low. Adding air into the mix will dilute the effects of the nitrogen. Do I think it’s worth it? I think your money could be better spent on high-quality tires.
CRUISING: Do you recommend that drivers use emergency fix-a-flat type products when they have a flat tire?
MACI: Only in a dire emergency. I mean DIRE. Like, even a tow truck is not available. It ruins the tire and the tire pressure monitoring system sensor. And potentially the wheel depending on how long you leave it in there. If anyone uses it you MUST — please, please, please — tell the tire place/dealer that you put it in there and which tire because when they go to pop it off the rim it can explode and seriously injure the technician. It’s bad, bad, bad.
This midwestern woman has proven she knows tires. There’s so much more we wanted to talk to Cynthia about — things like speedrated tires, bias-ply tires, tires for battery powered cars, and summer-only tires, to name a few. Look for a follow up article in a future issue of Cruising and remember, you can always find Cynthia on Instagram @tire_gal.
Cruising Magazine has been proud to feature many passionate classic car women on its pages over the past few years and there’s no doubt Cynthia Maci fits right in. You can often find her smiling as she’s rowing through the gears of her six-speed transmission Subaru BRZ sports car. Yes, she’s a car gal all the way!
Fabulous ‘50s , ‘60s ‘70s Car Show
One of the many memories that link us to the good old days is the music we enjoyed back in the day. The sounds of rock and roll blasting through our car radio (AM radio) gave us a good vibe. We still get to enjoy the musical memories of yesterday once a year at the annual ‘50s, ‘60s ‘70s Weekend in the doo-wop capital of the world — Wildwood, N.J.
The event features a classic car show, music from three great decades and a street fest with constant free live music and live concert at night in the Convention Hall. The headliner for this show was Tommy James and the Shondells with selling fast. This annual event is held each October.
Caffeine and Chrome
Back in the month of January, the weather was cold and the area weather and was not encumbered by snow. Put these things together and you have a great opportunity to enjoy a morning of cars and coffee. In the case of the Gateway Classics auto dealership, it was the right time to host a Caffeine and Chrome kind of morning.
Located in West Deptford, N.J., this cruising social gathering drew more than 50 rides of various makes and models . Cruisers can come out every last Saturday of the month and not only enjoy each others’ company, they can also enjoy plenty of pastries and hot coffee.
The Gateway Classics Caffeine and Chrome gatherings are also family and pet friendly so the family pet can come out and share the morning. By the way, Gateway Classics also buys and sells cool classic rides so you can head on out with your family ride and maybe just leave purchasing a cool classic for the next gathering.
Event Spotlights
Lancaster Cars and Coffee
Lancaster, Pennsylvania is noted for its Amish communities as well as its scenic pastures and smooth rolling hills. It is also a home to an impromptu event staged by a car enthusiast who has the philosophy of keeping an event simple. Shea Stevenson had a vision of staging a cars-and-coffee event and putting the emphasis on sharing a good time with fellow car owners. Well, that event has grown into a mega gathering where on some months the turnout exceeds 1,000 cars.
The Lancaster Cars and Coffee, as the cruise is called, is staged monthly and the gathering takes place at various locations in the Lancaster area. It is noted that some of the participants travel from areas nearly four hours away.
If you would like to know where the LC&C events are happening in 2023, you can check them out on Facebook or via their website their website www.Squareup.com/store/Lancaster-cars-and-coffee
