I have a 96 prelude with Futura Ultra Z 205/55 r15 tires.

I got it used with these tires, and it also came with a tire road
hazard warranty..

The tires have about 20k on them and by all sign show to be about 1/2
worn..

I caught a nail in one of the tires, and its close to the sidewall..
Pep Boys (they handle the road hazard warranty) said they can't patch
it because its too close to the sidewall, and probably wouldn't
work/hold..

They offered to replace my tire with a lesser tire, Futura Touring
VR.. Tire cost is $65 and they prorate it to $45.. The replacement
is not a directional tire, like the original tire..

I didn't like the idea of having just one new and different type of
tire, so they offered two at that price (45).. Out of pocket total
$90 plus tax..

The original tire (Futura Ultra Z) is being phased out in the stores,
and so that's why they couldn't replace it with the same type.

Now, I went home and called around, and in most of the pep boys, they
didn't have the tire, except one store across town had just two of
them.

The original tire cost is about $90-100, and I would estimate after
they prorate it, my out of pocket expense would be $65 per tire..

Is it ok to just get one tire? Should I try to get it patched/plugged
instead? Or should I get two new tires? What is the safest?

I would prefer to get a single tire of the exact same type as the
originals.. This seems like the safest route and almost the cheapest
route, but I wonder if it will affect performance, or perhaps safety?

I am looking for advice, I'm no tire expert, so any advice is
appreciated..

Randall Fox