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Gluing "half" tires


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Okay, so I just got given an AMT '77 Monza.

Awesome, I know!

However, less awesome is the pile of 1/2 tires in the box. AMT didn't obviously count them, because there are enough halves to make 7.5 tires. The "WTF" moment in that alone is enough to give me pause. I never thought I'd write "7.5 tires"...

Anyway...

What glue is good for these? They feel like they're not just normal plastic, but a hard vinyl-like material, like a normal kit tire. Will Ambroid hold these, or will it melt them?

I could really use the voice of experience on this one.

Thanks!

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Also, If they are the same as on a built I found, they are better for a 30's or

40's car than a 70's .

Mine were Firestone Super Balloon Specials!!

And I only got 3 tires on the built!!

Definitely NOT era correct on a "Sometimes Muscle car"

For Firestone's, I would use the Supremes instead.

Better would be Goodyear F70 Wide Track Speedway's!!

I never glued them together. I let the front rim/hubcap & wheelback hold the tire together

after they are cemented together.

One of the Model Railway mag's use to call that material Delryn,

then changed to calling it "Slippery Engineering Plastic"

Edited by Edsel-Dan
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I have to agree in principle with all the responses above...though the sidewall detail on many of those two-piece tires is superb, the only adhesive I've ever found that will keep them stuck together came in a CV-joint split-boot kit for a real car. You were supposed to use the stuff to glue the boot together around the axle, without having to remove it from the car. I have no idea what kind of glue it was...but it would actually melt the two-part tires together on the edge, much like styrene glue works on styrene.

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One of the Model Railway mag's use to call that material Delryn,

then changed to calling it "Slippery Engineering Plastic"

There are many many engineering plastics, some of them slippery, and I think you'll find the tires in the AMT kits aren't Delrin. It's a material made specifically for low friction, precision parts and would probably have been way too expensive for tires. The model RR parts I remember were side-frames for RR car trucks, and the needle-tipped axles rolled extremely smoothly in the Delrin bearings.

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one idea that I heard long ago - ShooGoo - an adhesive for gluing shoe soles back together.

I used ShooGoo on some of the old Revell two piece slicks and it's probably stuck stronger than material that the tires are made out of. Kind of give it a light coat to stick the halves together, then add more in layers inside the tire when it dries to reinforce the seam. Tough stuff but easy to sand off the tread where you don't want it. Didn't leave a noticeable seam. It's pretty easily available where they sell shoe polish or in the adhesive department at the hardware store. Works good on shoes, too.

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Crud.

That's what I was afraid of.

Unfortunately, I don't have many spare tires, probably not 4 of the same. I'm pretty new to the car scene; I've got no years of accumulation behind me.

Why couldn't they just have made them out of Styrene, like the Omni O24 I have?

Man "half tires" are lame as heck...

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Adam, if you can get me some measurements of the tires you need/want I can help you out. I have a pretty extensive parts box to draw from and have a lot of extra tires. The split tires that they used to put in kits pretty much flat out suck and if I can help a brother builder not have to use them I will. I would need the I.D. of the tires, the width at the rim and the preferred O.D. you would want for the front and the rear if they are different. I can either mail them to you or I will be at the RCAC model builders exhibition and contest next Saturday in Breslau just outside of Guelph if you were going and I could give them to you in person.

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Unfortunately, I don't have many spare tires, probably not 4 of the same. I'm pretty new to the car scene; I've got no years of accumulation behind me.

Watch eBay for a parts lot of tires. They come up all the time. I have a shoe box full of tires I got the same way, but bought in a large plastic bag at a show. Most of us wouldn't mess with the half tires or the styrene tires because there are so many good tires out there.

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Hey all!

Thanks for the offers of help! I really appreciate it.

I'm going to be away the rest of the week, so a.) I won't be able to get the measurements until next week and b.) I won't be able to be at the RCAC meet.

I will definitely get back to you guys with what I need, though.

Thanks a tonne!

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I looked at the kit today - those are really small wheels/tires. My kit, coincidentally, has enough halves to make about 6 of the stock tires and 5 of the "custom", so maybe I have one of your halves?...

Just doing a quick scan of my tire stash, if you can find some of the tires from the AMT 1970 Monte Lowrider, they should come very close to fitting. Also, I have a Cavalier promo with small tires that would fit also - and those promos are easy to find and cheap, so that's another option. If I find something extra that fits the wheels, I will let you, Adam.

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Crud.

That's what I was afraid of.

Unfortunately, I don't have many spare tires, probably not 4 of the same. I'm pretty new to the car scene; I've got no years of accumulation behind me.

Why couldn't they just have made them out of Styrene, like the Omni O24 I have?

Man "half tires" are lame as heck...

I won't need measurements, I have one of those kits around. Just fire me off your address and I will send you a decent set of period correct tires for the car.

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