Mike, The original tires were roughly the same diameter as a 185-15 (not 185/70). A 185-15 i's a good bit taller than any of those you mention. To my eye the tire/wheel in the photo looks odd as it is too short. But yes, they appear fit in the rear wheel well...probably because the bulge in the sidewall (might) clear the inner fender well at full deflection. I say "might" because I wonder if the combination depicted was actually jacked through the full range of extension and contraction with the shocks removed.

That looks like a Dayton center/hub laced wheel, but might be a 5.5" MWS with a different offset. As I said in my previous post, a 6" rim/bead laced Dayton wheel will open up tire options because the rim/tire move inboard at least 1/2 inch. The clearance issue on the outside is the inner fender at full compression and the lip at about the 10 o'clock position. The issue on the inside is the bump stop, which can be trimmed back. I provided one known data point...Dayton 6" hub/bead laced wheel can accommodate a 205 70, but not a 215/65, and give a diameter that is very close to original (if that's important regarding your aesthetic eye) . By the way, the front tires on my car are 205 65s. I like the staggered look on the E.

Recirculation is the biggest issue with the Clayton AC because the system doesn't pull in air that has already been cooled inside the cabin. It keeps pulling in hot outside air that has been warmed even further by the engine compartment. That's tough situation. The have a recirculation unit that they specify for hot conditions, but it pulls in air from the left side footwell...where the brake booster is located on a left drive S2. They clearly understand that their basic system has cooling issues in hot outside conditions. If a moderate boost in cooling works for you, then that's good enough.

 

185R15, I assume

Not arguing your points at all....

Here is a nice conversion chart:https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiret...rsionchart.jsp

Which provides the following equivalents:
185R15 = 195/75R15 205/70R15 215/65R15 225/60R15

 

Mike, Another issue/problem to add to the wheel/tire conundrum is the very limited choice of speed rated tires in the 15" rim size.

 

Absolutely. The ones I'm thinking of are rated W and that seems adequate but they are not otherwise suitable for you (P6000, 215/60).

That said, I'm still looking and have some time. So, for me the question is: what is the 'stickiest' summer tire available in that size with an adequate speed rating for a fast road car? It would be nice if they were non-directional, noise is of some (limited) concern, and I don't care about tread life. So far, the Pirellis seem to be the best answer

 

Sumitomo makes a few sizes if you can tolerate a non-name brand on the sidewalls. I'm using 205 65s on the front...H/V rated. Inexpensive with good customer reviews. Incredibly tenacious grip. You'll back off before the tire gives up....

 

Have you thought about a retractable antenna? It's period-correct and doesn't too much away from the line of the car (I believe it was a dealer-installed item). Mine is on the right rear wing (opposite the gas filler).

Personally, I think I will close up the antenna hole when I do a respray in a few years. I never listen to anything except the engine when I have my car out.