A few years back I picked up a lecara mark 10 steering wheel at turkeyrod, I liked the style and itg was cheap. ($50) Only thing, it was unpainted. I found a thread from 2006 that offers several suggestions, but doesnt really talk about how to insure the paint dries sufficiently and what to do to keep the paint from melting in typical 105 degree Florida heat. So I ask those esteemed painters and restoration experts out there, whats the secret to painting a steering wheel? Not doing anything fancy, basic gloss black for my 51 tudor, but the cars black and interior will be white, can't afford a melting sticky wheel on fresh white vinyl seats. Thanks
Paint gets harder with heat and time. Paint it, let it dry for as long as it takes to not be sticky or soft any more. Usually that's a day to a week, depending on what kind of paint it is. Use good automotive paint, not a spray can.
I painted my steering wheel for my chevy pickup 47, now i live in sweden and do not have the florida sun. but i painted it whit a good plastic/vinyl "primer" don't know the name in english but its a paint you put on before the "real" paint. then a put on the paint and color i want. think about that you have to use plastic/vinyl paint if your wheel is made in that.
The right paint will cure and not melt or remain sticky. If you live in hell possibly it might be a problem , but if paint can tolerate engine heat it's not going to be overheated on your steering wheel. Although it may be tack-free in a short time, some paint takes as long as a month at normal temps to fully cure.
Prep the wheel real good, clean it with surface prep, use PPG Adhesion Promoter, then spray it with a decent single stage paint. It'll be bullet proof even in the heat!
Ive done several with spray bombs and no problems my coupe wheel was done with a spray bomb and its held up for a lot of years
I painted my worn 55 F100 wheel with Black Industrial Imron. I had it in a horzontal position and applied the paint very heavy. (Industrial Imron is a very thick paint and does not run easly) I allowed it to slightly drip on the under side to improbe the "finger groves" It realy "grips" the hands real good now and is super slick.
I have the same wheel in my '28 coupe, just painted it with the same paint as the rest of the car. No worries
You could paint it your favorite color then take it to an upholstery shop and have the rim covered in leather like the new luxury cars. Not very expensive and adds a nice touch of class.
Just 400 or 600 ,I mean sand and paint ,I always prime them first ,320 then shoot with a good quality auto motive paint .Back in the day I think they were laquer ,Even though enamel was also around,,,,
The vinyl paint used for painting plastic deck chairs is suppose to work good but have never tried it myself.
Leadsledmerc, I was just turned on to PPG single stage, so the adhesion promoter is the missing piece of the puzzle for me. I appreciate the other tips ... Will takes some pics during the process and post them.
When I originally did the wheel bone in my '37 years back it seemed to chip real easy. The PPG rep recommended the adhesion promoter and thats all I changed this time around and the durability is night and day. I was also told not to prime it at all.
Being cheap and not having a paint gun I've always hit mine rattle cans. Rubbed down well, prepped, primed/painted and a good few coats of clear normally works best for me. Here's one i did on my old 58 100E Wagon last year, excuse the bad picture but shows up the flake just about. Did the wheel and dash and threw in some gold flake with a homemade gun. Used alot of clear on it and alot of wet sanding but came out well for a home job and is lasting well. Many times i've used radiator enamel paint on black or white steering wheels and given it 2-3 good thick coats with no primer or clear. Seemed to be the toughest paint and didn't chip easily and gave a tough finish. Got one to do soon and i'll use black enamel.
anybody have to fill in the cracks that often develop (have some pretty good gaps in the wheel).......how do you deal with these? thanks!
A '56 Olds steering wheel I repaired and painted for my '40, using Eastwoods steering wheel repair, and rattle can paint. It had numerous cracks in it.
I used the Eastwood kit and it worked well. However, their kit includes PC-7 two part epoxy, which you can probably find at a local hardware store for less money.
I painted a good wheel, no cracks, just prepped with 320, primed and painted, using 2 Pack at the time, tho not available over here anymore. Worked grat, never cracked or wore thru. I've been told that if you go thru the original paint, its good to use a plastic primer, same as would be used on new car plastic bumpers.
I used simple epoxy from home depot and rustoleum gloss white rattle can ten years ago..still looks good
Anyone ever try that Herculiner rattle can stuff? I've used it on a few pieces of trim for my door panels and it seems to hold up really well. Not sure how it would look though...
This is what I used on my steering wheels over 10 years ago. It comes in a clear besides some limited colors. So you wipe your wheel down with the thinner , and paint it with the color you like. And then clear coat it. This is a polyester urethane has high abrasion resistance and will not melt in the Sun.
Good tech is never old tech. I had 3 JUNK steering wheels. I J B weld the huge cracks, And powder coated them gloss black. Yes they are plastic
The Jalopy Journal
