I bought a 1977 S2 about 10 years ago, it was all "original" including tyres which appeared to be very very old...... needless to say, I didn't check the rubber compound, and ended up spinning out on a very "easy" curved freeway onramp.
Went to try and figure out why this "supposed" super handling car spun out going slower than I could go with my 1977 Toyota Celica on the same onramp, and lo and behold, the tyres were so hard with age that even though there were no visible signs of ageing (crazing, cracking rubber etc) the rubber was so hard that it felt like plastic bushing material....
Soo.... the moral of the story is that if you are going to get any old car, be sure to check that the tyres are not just chunks of slidey palstic furniture mover pads
Paul
94S4
85TE