Short of carbon dating or
compound testing, it is hard to
tell some after market parts from originally installed.
When it comes to tires,
many different compounds are used.
To keep the feel of original vintage thunderJet racing, silicone tires
have
been banned since the beginning.
With the introduction of
Auto World / Johnny Lighting TJet
re-makes, the newer tires are much improved (better rubber compound)
and many
will say are almost as good as silicone.
In an effort to get back
that vintage TJet racing ‘feel’,
Greenbrier Racers have asked for a ban on newer tires and have looked
for a way
to distinguish between older Aurora and newer, better AW/JL tires. The
biggest
visual difference found is the number of ‘side ribs’ on each tire (see
Photo -
Aurora TJet tire has approx. 40 side ribs, while the Auto World /
Johnny
lightning tire has only about 30.)
