Question on preserving John Force Tire.....

[ScortLX]

Hello everyone. I need some input. I have a signed rear tire from John Force when he one his 10th funny car title. Its been in my closet (because I have no where else to put it) for awhile now. I want to somehow "seal" the outside wall of the tire where the signature is so it doesn't come off. I'm planning on incorporating the tire into some kind of table/etc. and I want the signature protected on the edge. Aside from building a box to keep it in, what kind of sealer or protectant could I use that wouldn't be too shiny and wouldn't rub the signature off the tire? Any help would be great! Thanks.

 

[Stan Weiss]

Build an airtight Plexiglas case. Remove all air and water vapor and pressurize with an inert gas. Keep it out of sun light. Just air all sun light will cause the tire to dry rot.

 

[Undercover4.6]

^^^Ditto^^^Is the main objective to preserve the signature or tire? I wouldn't personally use any chemical to try and preserve the sig. Signed with pen or chalk? Chalk will harden a little and dis-color over time but is actually quite resilient. Pen may fade a little as the rubber will absorb the ink slightly. If it's a paint pen then i would see no worries. The only suggestion would be a tube in the tire to hold it's shape, otherwise it may form wrinkles and creases that will crack. Good luck, thats a cool piece you got.

 

[streetstang03]

freeze it in carbonite

 

[ScortLX]

Thanks for the help guys. I talked to two different NASCAR/racing memorabilia shops on the phone and they didn't have any great ideas. Both of them told me its probably best to not do anything to the tire or signature itself and just keep it clean, out of the sunlight and try to keep it at a constant temperature. I'm going to look into building the box. Thanks for the help! I definitely love the tire, its unique and I'd like to keep it for a long time. I'll let everyone know if I ever finish the project!


P.S. Looks like its going to be about $250 in plexi glass to do the box