Control Knobs

The control knobs, along with the jewel bezels, are chromed plastic slot car wheel hubs from the Aurora "Vibrator" series that first came out in 1961. The Vibe line was phased out and replaced in 1963 with the better-crafted "Thunderjet" slot car series. Since they fit both styles, the remaining stocks of Vibe hubs, all of them then the "C" style, were repackaged as T-Jet parts until depleted. Then it seems Aurora retooled for the flat-bottomed Classic T-Jet hub, which was never used in any authentic comm. Likewise the aluminum. As for the "Small Flange" below, it seems to be a rare oddity with no known original usage or part number, pictured here just because we had a couple:

The original comm knobs as seen so far are all the Vibe "C" style. We have produced exacting dimensions of this part here:

> > > > The Plans - THE AURORA HUB < < < <

Hubs were originally packaged in small manila envelopes. The "A" and "B" came as part #1573:

The "C" (and "D" which are exceeding uncommon) first also came in envelopes but with the the part # 8316 (#1350-16):

Once the ThunderJet cars replaced the Vibrators, a likely small amount of remaining "C" hubs were repackaged in blister cards (12 blisters with four hubs each) with the identical part number 8316 (#1350-16):

After the "C" hubs ran out, Aurora retooled the part to be what is now known as the classic T-Jet flatback hub with again the same part # 8316 (#1350-16) available only on the same blister card:

Years of monitoring eBay suggests that when you see up for sale some carded T-Jet hubs, there is a 95% probability they are plain classic flatbacks and only a 5% chance of them being communicator-ready Type "C." Thus if you are considering purchasing carded hubs, ask the seller for a close-up photo so that you may see what kind the blisters hold. And prepare for disappointment.

Where to get:
If you are seeking authentic-styled Vibe "C" hubs for use as knobs, you'll need some luck as they can still be rooted out - albeit with difficulty...

1) Original Aurora Vibrator and ThunderJet hubs can occasionally be found selling on eBay, commonly under the search words:

"Aurora hubs -oldsmobile -olds"
"Aurora rims -oldsmobile -olds"
"Aurora wheels -hot -oldsmobile -olds"
"Aurora parts -oldsmobile -olds"

Note that what most commonly comes up are the flat-bottomed "classic" style, that is when they're not from different slot car lines (AFX, Hot Rod, Tuff Ones, O-gauge, etc., none of which are anywhere near a match). If the seller's photos are not clear as to what style they are offering, you can ask for a close-up or for a clarification after sending them the row of different hubs pictured at the top of this page. Going price for a genuine "C" in mint condition (often called "NOS" or New Old Stock) is maybe about $2 per when you can find them. Classics flat-bottoms tend to be less. Be warned that nearly all slot car dealers, even those in the business for decades, are actually unaware of all the different hub styles, so if sold as loose the hubs will often come as a random assortment. If you are determined to get a particular type only, you must be completely clear and insistent in what you want. Oh, and you must have patience.

1a) You can always take an original Classic flat-bottomed T-Jet hub and sand down the thickness of the flange to match that of a "C," then insert a tiny plastic disc of equal height to the height you just shaved off. The shaved hub should be 0.121" thick and the disc insert below 0.019" thick. While labor intensive, this is an excellent way to render a perfect vintage knob appearance while not using up a valuable supply of authentic "C" hubs.

2) Spring 2010 Update - Prior years had a couple slot car hobby businesses offering fair reproduction of the Vibe "C" hub. This sadly seems to be no more. The most recent, H.O. Reproductions, no longer has an active website, though their products may show up from time to time on eBay, perhaps mixed in with originals. Replica hubs can be distinguished as usually having softer, rounder edges, bumpier surfaces, and frequently (though not always) a black base plastic beneath the chrome instead of the original yellow.

No other style of Vibe/T-Jet hub is made as a replica either. If you know of any new sources, please let us know.