Hey guys, hope everyone is having a good Labor Day weekend. I just ordered in a new steering wheel to paint the rim like the 60s flake steering wheels like Moon, Cragar, etc. I bought a wood rimmed one as I didn’t want a rubber one that would get gummy in a couple years. After opening it up I am having a really hard time sanding down such a nice wheel to paint. So my questions are: -Were wood rimmed wheels traditional for a gasser type build? I know they were around but it seems like that was a mid to later 60s trend. -keep the wheel wood, or who cares, stop being a sissy and paint the steering wheel. Thanks.
Yeah they are. Unfortunately they are all way off from the color I picked for the car. I was going to spray this one in the same color of the car then hit it with some candy over top to get a better match.
I would paint the wheel. That being said, as a guy who raced in gas classes in the sixties, I will say that most of the cars were nowhere as nice as all the cars that guys are building today. I'm not saying that there weren't any nicely done cars, just that most were using parts that they had or could get cheap. A good percentage of cars used the stock steering wheels without the horn rings. Most of the money was in the go-fast parts. Like said above the wood looks like a street rod wheel. It will look nice the way you want to do it. Show us some pictures when it is done.
I'd paint it, in the years to come the paint will wear thin and some of the wood will show thru, it'll be killer.
Not Linden, but I got green metalflake in Stubby! God Bless Bill https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/
I don't think painting a wood object with hard automotive paint will work out. Wood can expand/contract a lot with changing ambient temps/humidity and the finish will crack/lift over time. How much time is the variable, but I don't think it will take all that long. You might try the additive that's used for the modern plastic bumpers to add flexibility but whether that is compatible with your paint choice will have to be determined. A better choice IMO would be one of the plastic-rimmed metalflake ones after stripping all the plastic off. You now have an all-metal wheel to work with. I will say after looking at the pic of your wheel I'd question if that's actually wood or that it's more than just a thin veneer. You may get away with painting it...
I never thought about contraction and expansion. I believe it is just a veneer. I’m gonna give it a shot but if it fails I will try it with a plastic rimmed wheel. Thanks for the tips.
Steering wheels are right in the sun, so expansion and contraction is an issue, but the big thing is handling. Think the door top where your arm rubs times 10. Also, the old school ones were clear to the metal frame, so painting a solid wheel won't look like them. I understand wanting to select just the right part to match a specific time and use. Too many don't do that. However as said, race cars are function over form, so anything that would work was bolted on and you moved on to the next thing. So long as it is of the time frame and works, you are good. For the current selection, here's one source. https://www.mooneyesusa.com/Mooneyes-Original-Steering-Wheels-s/267.htm
I just bought that exact same steering wheel for my old hot rod car. Mines not nearly as nice as it was used. I figured it would go with the wood slats in the roof
If by winter you still have not gotten yours to your liking....message me! I am not in love with the green as my colors are blue, purple & black. I already removed the matching shift ball, because I need a "T" handle as I tend to shift violently & punching the dash hurts more as I am now older God Bless Bill https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/
Sounds good I may reach out depending on how this turns out. Maybe you just need to shift hard enough that the dash conforms to your hand
This may or may not be applicable but back in the mid 90's when I owned Roths Road Agent and wanted to create a backlit sign to bring to the car shows I cut one out of plywood (the good marine stuff with no voids) I sanded it perfectly smooth. Urethane primed it and blocked it to 600 grit. I painted it white, pearled it in silver and gave it 4 coats of urethane clear. I sanded and rubbed it. It had a finish like a very nice car, perfectly smooth. About 6 or so months it started to happen, the wood grain started to show. and after a while it looked like I never put any effort into it. I don't know why, maybe the materials soaked into the wood? maybe you aren't supposed to paint wood like it is steel? I don't know. maybe I should have fiberglassed and gelcoated it before I painted it, I don't know. I still have the sign and while it looks ok, It ain't near as good as it was. I would hate to see you go to the trouble of painting it only to have the woodgrain show through later
Plywood is made from fir, a grainy soft wood, better ones are birch, a less grainy medium hardwood but both tend to show grain after time in plywood since it is of questionable dryness. The steering wheel he has appears to be a stained hardwood, maple or birch? But it is holding a nice gloss finish so is probably pretty stable. If coloring that wheel, I would sand it to a perfect finish with 300 dry paper, being careful to not breach the existing finish then paint it w/ catalyzed urethane automotive paint. If it fails, at least it isn't a $30,000 pearl/metal flake/candy full body job!!
That's your problem! Oak has that very aggressive grain, almost impossible to fill with conventional paint. You only hope was a coat of resin. Here is a carving of a panther I donated to my high school at our 50th anniversary. Carved from basswood which is a classic carving wood and has almost no discernible grain so takes finishes very well. I used bondo to make small repairs to the carving so covered it with a layer of 'glass mat and resin for a stable surface. Aut9omotive urethane finish.
Hello, Your project should be labeled custom steering wheel for cruisers. The Gas Coupe and Sedan classes did not have painted steering wheels. They usually used what came with the original coupe or sedan. A 34 Ford coupe or 40 Ford sedan steering wheels. When some of the top racers began to exchange the stock wheels with the 3 spoke or 4 spoke black rubber/plastic compound wheels, that is when the popularity began. variation of the black rimmed steering wheel is based on the early Moon steering wheel. Then as the popularity rose, other companies began to make their all black rimmed steering wheels. Now, custom cars had the different versions of steering wheels from chrome chains and mini wheels we saw in early cruisers, to the 3 spoke flashy versions for custom cars. The hot rod group still stuck to the racing hot rod look of 3 spoke black rimmed steering wheel or the popular 4 spoke. Our Willys Coupe had this Our B/Gas + C/Gas 1940 Willys 671 SBC Gas Coupe had a 4 spoke black rimmed steering wheel. It was strong enough to have the tarnished chrome 4 spoke and bare steel rim still standing after a horrific hot fire inside of the Willys Coupe. By the mid 60s into the 70s, the wide variations came on the market and were now being put on various cars. The sporty car wooden wheels were exclusive for a while, as they were expensive for normal low cost hot rods. But, eventually they showed up on cruisers and custom cars. Top racer builders, SWC used a three spoke with holes for their choice. A newer version of the old steering wheel was used in the restoration. Here is a later version of a three spoke black rimmed wheel for outside play. It was coated with Armor All and stayed smooth in all sorts of weather, not sticky. The chrome center section had multiple coats of Classic Car Wax and other Carnuba wax coatings. Even Cadillac Blue Coral wax was used on different occasions. After having snacks or lunch, his hands were stickier than the steering wheel ever got. A painted version of any steering wheel will scratch instantly upon a full wheel turn incident at a corner or a U-turn move. Any jewelry, rings, or even stainless steel watch bands will play a number on your painted wheel. So, a coated rubber/plastic wheel will offer more protection and less hassle for scratches or burnish marks from hand oils or creams, too. YRMV
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