[Mario1978]

Can anyone tell me why some of my old MMRC Airfix slot cars, purchased in the eighties have a oily deposit coming from the tyres? Obviously they are now quite old! But I wondered if other slot racers have any theory or information.

[Bazzer]

Mario

Yes I have had this happen with a Fly Porsche 908, probably 15 years old and the display case was like a small oil bottle had been spilt inside, additionally the tyres are like rock now.

I have not had the same happen on old Scalextric's from the 60's and 70's nor Scaly's from the early 2000's.

Baz

[Anthony B]

I feel it is due to the material that the tyres are made from - partially (or all) rubber, that has oil composites and hence in some cases the breakdown .

if you are a collector of old scalextric - it is best to remove tyre from the cars and store separately.

[autoavia]

Fly cars are well known for having problems with weeping tyres. There have even been problems with old stock which has never left the shop. The general opinion seems to be that it is a reaction between the tyres and the plastic base. 

 I know of some ranges of handbuilt 1/43 scale static models where the tyres split with age caused by the mix of rubber and chemicals used to mould the tyre breaking down.

[CMOTD]

It can happen with any make from most eras. I have no idea why but it is fairly random. I recently resurrected three Airfix/MRRC F1 cars from the 1980s: the tyres on one were perfect, another had some that had nearly disintegrated with the weeping oil syndrome and the third had rock hard ones which proved impossible to soften. They were all bought from new at the same time and stored under the same conditions for the past forty years.

[Oldskool62]

I bought a 2nd hand Carrera track (for the track) that came with 4 GT3 cars. As we speak I am digging goo out of those painful Carrera wheels.

[munter]

Have you ever experienced the red glow on/in some urethane tires?
I believe it is the beginning of the end for them.
It could be caused by a reaction to using super glue to fix them to the rims but I am not certain of this.