Steering wheel restoration

[Radar]

Some of you guys have wondered about restoring steering wheels. My buddy who has worked in a couple of restoration shops has done some and says its easy to do yourself. He uses a product called Steel its a 2 part epoxy thats available at Advance Auto Parts. He said you mix it up so its sorta like playdoh and work it into the cracks in your wheel keeping it just a little high. It gets really hard so be sure to sand it to match as soon as posible. Then sand the wheel,prime, and paint with epoxy paint. I've seen some that he's done and they really came out nice. He has one on his 57 Chev that he did and gave it a "worn" look by first painting it black then scuffing it then painting it white and using steel wool to create the worn look. I hope this helps out. Radar

[spectria]

Some of you guys have wondered about restoring steering wheels. My buddy who has worked in a couple of restoration shops has done some and says its easy to do yourself. He uses a product called Steel its a 2 part epoxy that's available at Advance Auto Parts. He said you mix it up so its sorta like playdoh and work it into the cracks in your wheel keeping it just a little high. It gets really hard so be sure to sand it to match as soon as possible. Then sand the wheel,prime, and paint with epoxy paint. I've seen some that he's done and they really came out nice. He has one on his 57 Chev that he did and gave it a "worn" look by first painting it black then scuffing it then painting it white and using steel wool to create the worn look. I hope this helps out. Radar

That sounds like a great plan. I wonder, though about cracking at the old cracks when some thrust is put into it,

I have been wondering about simply repeated dipping in a hard polyurethane coating, or injection-molding original wheels with "New" material.

Anybody know what the original wheel coating was?

[Reds34]

Were the wheels originally bakelite?

Red

[Chris Haynes]

Many years ago Bob Drake made a magnificent reproduction '30/'31 A wheel. Sadly he decided to get out of the Model A business.

[AAholic]

I believe the originals were hard rubber

[rollingsculpture]

i thought they are soy based plastic

[Drew Mashburn]

Chris:

I remember guys in the Ventura County Model A Ford Club raving about Bob Drake's reproduction steering wheels. I was always going to purchase one, but never got around to doing so. Do you know if anybody purchased Drake's business and, if so, are they still in business? Or, what do all the Model Aers do when they're restoring their cars and pickups, as far as, purchasing new steering wheels? AA steering wheels are the same as on the little A's.

Thanks,
-- Drew

[Chris Haynes]

Bob Drake is still in business big time. He just makes stuff for V8's now. No more A parts.

[Drew Mashburn]

Chris:

Thanks.

-- Drew

[Hayslip]

TAMS Model A Parts sells two different priced 1930/1931 steering wheels. Snyders Model A parts also sells a steering wheel for 1930/1931. I'm not sure what the 1930/1931 wheel was made of, but the 1928 red wheel was made of Fordite, of course! Legend has it on hot days ones hands turned red. I've also heard Snyder bought the molds from Drake for Model A steering wheels. Sincerely, Ed