cracking vs old

cracking and old both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
cracking	Yes	Yes	No	No
old	Yes	Yes	No	No

As adjectives, cracking and old are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of cracking include bang-up, bully, corking, dandy, great, groovy, keen, neat, nifty, not bad, peachy, slap-up, smashing, swell.

cracking (noun)	old (noun)
the act of cracking something	past times
a sudden sharp noise
the process whereby heavy molecules of naphtha or petroleum are broken down into hydrocarbons of lower molecular weight (especially in the oil-refining process)

cracking (adjective)	old (adjective)
excellent	of long duration; not new
	(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
	skilled through long experience
	(used for emphasis) very familiar
	excellent
	just preceding something else in time or order
	belonging to some prior time