I have heard horror stories about the tires that are available today, manufactured in Viet Nam, that last only a few years.

On my 1926 Coupe, I have had the same set of Universal tires and tubes that I originally purchased 40 years ago in 1970. The car has always been garage kept and the tires still look as new as the day I bought them (except for a little less tread).

I would like for my old tires to last as long as possible as I don't relish buying a new set of tires only to have them go bad in a few years.

Does anyone know of a good rubber preservative that I can rub into my old tires that will absorb into the rubber and keep them from deteriorating? I had a friend in college who used to rub brake fluid onto his tires, which made them shiney, but I don't know if that did anything to prolong the life of the rubber as he claimed. Jim Patrick

If your tires have lasted 40 years already, I would say that whatever you're currently doing seems to be working.

Traction. Tires harden with age, reducing their traction. How slow can you afford to stop?

rdr