Who makes a vintage style tilt column. I have checked the usual, Ididit, Flaming River, etc? but they are modern looking. Any help appreciated. I have seen it advertised, it has a bell type end , almost sprint car looking?
Tri-C Engineering - www.tric-engineering.com They also have a *****in adjustable column drop which can be used with non tilt columns such as those made by Limey Steve who did one for my 1940 Willys.... www.limeworksspeedshop.com
If you use a U-joint at the bace of column, you can make your own drop that adjusts by sliding a crossbolt in the column up or down a pair angles with slots coming down from behind dash[besure to brace dash well. This is more old type then a tilt and dose prety much the same thing by moving steeringwheel up or down.
Ordered, received & installed the Tri C Engineering Tilt column (5 positions) and used a drilled 4 spoke Lime Works steering wheel on my '28 Roadster build. The column also is wired for a horn and has turn signals. The turn signals are short so your not bumping into them. Very happy with both items! Makes getting in & out of the roadster much easier! Doors are stock length. Furthest down position Furthest up position for getting in & out.
How about a factory tilt from the 60s? My '65 Riv has no shift handle or key switch, and very thin tilt and turn signal levers.
Some of those 60's GM floor shift tilts or regular columns are pretty slick looking if you can find one in good shape. I'm liking the looks of that Tri C engineering unit for my Model A though. Until I got to the price that is. Not for the skimpy of wallet. I'm wondering if a guy could re-engineer one of the 80's front wheel drive car tilt columns that tilt under the dash or at the dash edge and use a slim tube from the dash to the wheel so that the tilt part was hidden at or behind the dash. You would have a strait column with a small ball at the top from the dash out that may appear to be at an odd angle at times.
We are doing a tilt column now based off our roadster series column. Go to flamingriver.com to check it out. I know we have released several photos lately on it.
You could always take a '70s GM tilt column and rework it as I did for my VW. This one started life as a 1977 Olds Cutl*** column shift. I took it apart and discarded the column shift portion; there is a mounting plate for the tilt head that I welded to the VW steering column tube, making it a bolt-in affair. Fabricated a collar to transition the base of the tilt mechanism to the VW tube. Shaved the ignition switch boss, made new turn signal levers, and bought a splined adapter to mate the GM steering shaft to the VW rag joint. Wiring isn't too bad, and I gained four-way flashers out of the deal.
I talked to Tri-C a couple months ago about some of their products. Don't quote me but I heard the owner p***ed away and they are not making many products any longer. I wanted their tilt column drop, cool piece. no longer available. I ended up buying the roadster tilt column from flaming river. It looks nice, works great and fit perfect.
true that ^^^ I needed a tilt to get in and out of the roadster though, so I installed one. These are photos during mock up, everything is back in the boxes now. Wish I had a better one for you. The tilt "barrel" is only 5 inches long, the rest of the column is 1 3/4" so my drop and tach cup would fit. No key, turn signals and 4-ways though. My Juliano's wheel was made to mount directly with no adapter. I like the way it fit and I love the way I fit. Of course if I was more fit I would have fit with a non tilt column.
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