I have always loved the C1 Corvette Wheels, and I have wanted one in my Roadster since I built it. But mating it to the F1 Box in my Roadster was something I wasn't into tackling quite yet. I know this isn't that hard to use my Lathe and Mill to accomplish. However as life goes and 14 years later I get asked to help sell off a C1 collection. In tht collection a****st other things is a really nice Charcoal Grey C1 Wheel. Ah the Inferno is lit! I did not buy that wheel at that moment thinking some other C1 Nut would love to put it into its proper place. I pictured it in a Black '57 with Silver Cowls. But nevertheless all the Red Wheels, White, Black, etc are selling but not my favorite. Fate is intervening for certain. So I needed to go North and on the way I stop and buy some 9 fins and relinquish the hopes of the wheel finding the "right" Vette. The orphan cast off is now mine! So I start making measurements, designing the elaborate process for making the very adapter I envision and need for the marriage of these two long overdue pieces. My Ford Roadster and a Corvette Wheel to complete the "Look" I want. But someone smarter than me (my Wife) consistently she's a genius around here at my expense. She's the best thing that God ever put in my life without question. With a gentle but intuitive suggestion of Look on the 'Net? So I type in - 1939 Early Ford Steering Column To C1 Corvette Steering Wheel Adapter. What comes back is : 1939 Early Ford Steering Column To C1 Corvette Steering Wheel Adapter SCTA TROG I hit Buy it now and hope for the best. Much of this stuff is not all it's cracked up to be. We've all had that experience. The moment of truth - HOLY MOLY IT WORKS, but how will it work in the Roadster? The Wheel looks Great to me, and the Column Adapter fits as advertised and is a High Quality Piece. At this point I want to thank Seller: bilstom on Ebay. Well Done Sir, completely happy as to how this worked. Now here is where I depart from the part as purchased. I appreciate the Cover piece and note fully it is a perfect solution to the adaptation at hand. But I needed more pizazz and some sort of Ford-ish notation. This is where the Mill and Lathe come into the picture. So I chucked up the center piece and bored a hole into a perfectly good cover. Sometimes bravery works and sometimes it doesn't. In this case for me it worked. Kidding of course it took a couple of days and hours of thought to ruin a good piece. But it must be done to satisfy and 75% of what I want just doesn't fly around here. It's often 100% or Fail around here. So I dug through the emblem pile and found of all things a Thunderbird Landau ****on that seemed to fit the bill. A couple measurements and a boring bar later Viola - We got some Ford pizazz. Yes, I polished it and added the finish with Scotch Brite while I had it in the Lathe. Don't worry the emblem was changed out for a brand new one from a Thunderbird Parts House. Now We need a Horn. The Adapter does not have this feature, but getting one figured out is a necessity. How Else can I tell that special driver on his phone to GO!? Having old Ford Junk around en m*** is really handy for both engineering, raw materials, and dimensions. This case is no different If you are a visual learner like me this explains it all. It's an isolated system which the ****on when pushed makes contact with the Horn ground wire in the Ford System. Simple enough and nothing ruined in the lesson. In the end I went to the local hardware store and bought a PEA TRAP plastic seal and dug through the Radiator Hose inventory for a spring big enough to go around the nut,but not so big as to exceed the outside radius inside the adapter. Viola It all comes together, Also in the end I just used a big Socket and peened over a rudimentary cup to hold the Spring against the top on the plastic emblem. As a safety measure I used Electrical Tape to ensure isolation of the steel ****on on top and the teflon seal makes sure it stays isolated. The spring should last as long as I need it to, as it's designed for hot, cool, and expansion/contraction elements. Longer Socket Heads to allow for the height needed for horn action and it's a working horn on a Corvette Wheel with a cool (at least to me) emblem on my Ford Roadster. 14 years worth of a nagging desire accomplished. https://youtube.com/shorts/O6C7ZVMVPtg?si=xy_H4RvI3jzxNrEp So in short - if you want a Corvette Wheel in a Ford go on Ebay buy this adapter, Ruin a cover plate with the hole of your emblem choice, and use plumbing parts to make the horn work. Just Like that! Happy Motoring - Tim
All those ****y ingredients make a very nice dish Excellent presentation, had me on the edge of my seat Well done
That came out nice. I had a red one out of a 59 in my 48 for a long time until some guy with a 59 made me an offer I couldn't refuse one day. I never had a cool horn ****on on it though.
Like it I put a C1 Corvette wheel on my current 32 build however I have an aftermarket steering column which made it easier. Good job!
Had a red wheel on my coupe. Had to be careful when I hit the tilt lever not to bruise my fingers. Prettiest wheel made. Still have he adapter.
oof, before they were that much. Maybe try a best bid. Mine was priced at a spot where I was willing to take a chance on it.
Back in the late '50's a friend had a very nice '41 Ford coupe with a Corvette steering wheel. No idea how they mated it up but it was very cool.
That looks Great! That's the center I was looking for in my stash but couldn't find. My original plan was to ditch the supplied center and use one of those. Smart thinking on using the Ford spud to make the adapter. - Tim
That's the stock F100 horn ****on. I tapped the end of the Ford steering shaft and made a press-fit insert with a cut off bolt welded to it to hold it on. No functional horn ****on though.
What a professional looking job ..... very well done. I'd bought a "Limeworks" 1940 wheel years ago that came with the GM spline but I had an F1 column too. Fortunately, his wheels used the bolt on GRANT hub and it was an easy switch over. As such, this could be a simple way to make an adapter ..... machine a simple round hub that has the GM wheel bolt pattern on the front face and then machine a pocket for the GRANT hub. https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Gran...dV1HvQG9E-S5CremISPfB81KHKXwoiLSql3aSgT9DfBwe
The Jalopy Journal
