Technical “Should I Stay Or Go Now?” (Up Date 5-26)

Carina’s 56.

 

I'd vote for stock/repro 1955 wheel or first generation stock/reproduction Corvette wheel.

At least the Camaro/Chevelle wheel is the right color.

 

55 56 small wheels are only available in 3 bar BelAir. We have original 210 wheel to this car. Just to big for her to drive the car comfortably.

 

If not the steering wheel in the picture, what alternative would you propose?

The rest of the car appears stock-ish so I wouldn't deviate too far from that.

 

I would leave the comfort grip. I hoard them, they are perfect factory wheel and my go to wheel. Outside of Taboo with its Impala wheel all the other old cars in the garage have that wheel.

 

If it wasn't for the brushed finish, it would be fine IMO. That makes it look a bit too 'modern'. Would it be possible to polish that away?

 

I think it works, I'd leave it.

 

Red 'flake 15 inches. At a restaurant on my phone or I'd post a Moon unit.
Love the "fiddly six"!

 

I'd leave it too.

If she finds it comfortable and moms happy I'd leave it along.

But if you felt up to it, polishing it would "fit" the interior better with it matching all the chrome on the dash.

Ahh the good Ole days when dashes were away from us and cars were made of real steel. If you hit something solid you had a good 15 seconds to kiss your butt goodbye before you finally hit the dash.

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I like it. Looks good to me. A 58-60 Impala looks better to me but those are kinda overused. My 56 had a 61 Impala wheel on it.

 

Aren’t they usually deep? This one is only 4” deep which includes the hub. Carina needs to get up as close as possible. That’s why manual trans went away after her trying to shift/use clutch with a smaller test wheel some time ago.

 

So you are looking for a deep wheel? Speedway carries them, I'll try to find out

 

No as shallow as possible.

 

I had the same three spoke (I refer to them as chevelle wheels) in my 57, before I cut down an original wheel to 16". Changes the whole look of the interior.

 

A flat Bell Auto wheel lol

 

I’d short’n the column before doing that.

 

Limeworks has a leather wrapped flat wheel that's really nice

 

Something I maybe should have mentioned. Hub would be painted red and the center cap with the three circular color’s of red white and black, the white and black would be replaced with red. I know that does not take away the brushed stainless, but an improvement none the less.

 

Stay, I like it!

 

Ok I'll say it .... nice knowing you guys ....
The stock wheel looks primo ..... Put it back on!

Then run some pedal extensions so the short Lady can drive it.

More then once I've seen 2"x4" wood blocks taped onto the pedals so the wife could reach them.

 

I would keep that wheel.

 

I tried pedal extension’s with my 56 so she could drive it while I towed the travel trailer with my off topic GMC to a car event. She didn’t take kindly to it. She towed the travel trailer instead.

 

Limeworks wheel. Thick, heavy chrome spokes with a leather grip. There are others on the site. No dish.

 

There are lots of women out there. Couldn't you just trade her in for a taller one?

 

Sounds like a plan to me. My only other wheel suggestion would be a 67 Chevelle tri spoke like I have in my car.

 

Here's a reduced diameter '57 210 wheel:
https://www.muttonhollowchevys.com/...e-Steering-Wheel-16-Painted-Black_p_1719.html

There are several '56 210 wheels for sale on ebay under $100. Reduce the outer ring diameter and have the plastic restored professionally?

 

The 57 is a canadate. As for 55 56 210 wheel’s, we’ll I’ve got a few.

 

If I had to have a smaller diameter wheel in the car, I'd cut the outer ring off of a stock 210 wheel, find a 15 or 16" diameter steering wheel with the hard plastic grip, cut the outer ring off of that, grind away the plastic on the 210 center and the smaller diameter outer so you can weld the inner steel rods of the 210 to the circular steel hoop of the smaller diameter donor wheel, then fill in the gaps with PC7 and sand them down smooth, just like if you were filling in cracks and gaps on any steering wheel resto. Paint to match.

I've done it before, turns out nice as long as you get it centered properly. After about a day, the PC7 won't be fully cured but it'll be hard enough you can trim it mostly to shape with a razor blade, then let it cure another day before you go to town with sanding. Might have to re-apply if you've got low spots, just like body filler. Don't use too small of a diameter donor wheel or the horn ring looks out of proportion. Most people won't even know it was done.