['97ventureowner]

Thank you for mentioning that option for white walls.When you mentioned "obscure tire dealers " and eBay made me think of a warning the government put out last year concerning the purchase of older tires.
Tires have a definite lifespan, even sitting on a dealer's shelf waiting to be sold. Heat and oxygen can cause a tire to break down,( called thermo-oxidative degradation.) It is recommended that you replace your tires every 7 years and take careful note of the age of tires you are interested in purchasing. There is a code that the DOT puts on each tire located near the bead , and the last 4 digits of this code indicate the date the tire was made. For instance a code of "1109" indicates the tire was made the 11th week of 2009.
I hope that by passing this info on to members it can help them make an informed decision when purchasing tires for their vehicle.