Steering Wheel Restoration - Finished!

This is the third and final entry pertaining to the restoration of the steering wheel. The first part of the restoration process can be seen by clicking here.

I give up! After approximately 40 hours of filling, shaping, filing, grinding, sanding, priming, wet-sanding and painting, I can't take it anymore!


The finish is not perfect for concours show quality but it is more than good enough for a daily driver and a casual car show. The problems were the large size of the steering wheel, the small irregular-shaped surface area and quick-drying nature of the lacquer paint. It takes a lot of time to paint the entire surface and overspray tends to flash over the already painted surfaces and that prevented obtaining a totally glossy surface.


My first attempts were made using DupliColor Engine Enamel because it has an extrememely hard and durable finish. I found it very difficult to get the desired finish without runs. More wet-sanding between coats.

I finally settled upon two coats of DupliColor Black Lacquer with wet sanding between the coats.


Below is the New Old Stock steering wheel that I will be installing in my pickup. Notice the profile of the ribs.

The ribs on the steering wheel that is the subject of this restoration project were severely worn down from many years of use. I decided to fill in what was remaining of the ribs for a better appearance.


As usual you can see larger versions of these photos at flickr.

If you have any questions or would like to comment you can email me.

ENJOY THE RIDE !!!!

The Truck is Home - Finally!

Fresh from the paint booth at Maaco, Albany, NY. The truck was delivered Tuesday afternoon via flatbed truck. The color is the same as when it was painted in April 2007, 2006 Corvette Monterey Red.

Click on the photos to see larger versions. Click "Back" on your browser to return here.

Monterey Red is a three-stage paint which which has a red tintcoat under the clearcoat.


The cracked factory seams on the A-pillars were repaired by welding and filling. Hopefully, this time the repair is permanent.

Photos of the problem areas and the repair work can be seen by clicking here. Return to this page by using your browser's "Back" button.



The rear corners of the bed had cracked seams also. Patch panels were welded in. The seam that is visible is actually a false seam that was created to look like the factory seam.

Because the color is a three-stage paint which is nearly impossible to blend it was determined that it would be easiest to wet sand and repaint the truck inside and out.

Fred C. of Rhode Island supplied four original equipment 14" wheels. The crew at Maaco sandblasted and finished them with epoxy paint.


As usual you can see larger versions of these photos at flickr.

If you have any questions or would like to comment you can email me.

ENJOY THE RIDE !!!!

Steering Wheel Restoration - Stage Two

In the previous blog entry I showed the condition of the steering wheel before the restoration process. I also showed how I filed the cracks to enlarge them to make it easier to work the filler into the cracks.

The photo below shows that same section of the steering wheel after it was sandblasted to remove the paint and clean out the filed cracks. That will make the filler adhere better.

Click on photos for larger versions. Click "Back" on your browser to return to this page.

I use PC-7 Epoxy Paste for many tasks. It has a 60 working time which is good for jobs that require a lot of tedious work like filling the cracks on steering wheels! When it cures it can be machined, drilled, tapped, sawed, filed and painted. It adheres to most everything and can be used to seal gas and water tanks, pressure tanks and even cracks in basement walls.

You can buy it in hardware stores, Home Depot, Eastwood and others. It comes in cans ranging from 8 ounces to 8 pounds.

I mix epoxy pastes, epoxy adhesives, wood fillers and Bondo body fillers on plastic laminate samples that I pick up at Home Depot. The small samples are very handy for small jobs. The large samples are great for tasks requiring more material such as this task of filling cracks in a steering wheel.

Unfortunately, the only large samples I have on hand have this black and white speckle pattern. It makes it a bit harder to see the PC-7 against the pattern. C'est la vie!

PC-7 is a very stiff product to work with. It is mixed using equal amounts from each can. A variation of up to 20% of either component will not affect the bond strength.

In the next blog entry I will have photos and descriptions of the filling and shaping processes. So, stay tuned!

As usual you can see larger versions of these photos at flickr.

If you have any questions or would like to comment you can email me.

ENJOY THE RIDE !!!!

Steering Wheel Restoration - Stage One

The "Econoline Pickup Special" came with a white steering wheel in place of a black steering wheel.

From May 1, 1965 through July 20, 1965 Ford offered an "Econoline Pickup Special" version of the pickup truck. The truck was upgraded with Bright Body Side Molding, Falcon Wheelcovers, Chrome Bumpers, Chrome Driver's Side Mirror, Rear Corner Windows, 6.95 x 14 PR W.S.W. Tires and Special Poppy Red Paint. The value of these items was $251.90.

Since this was a Ford factory promotion program, buyers got the package free of charge or at least they were supposed to get it for free!

In this blog entry and two subsequent entries I will document the restoration process of this steering wheel. When it is finished it will be sold on eBay because I have a NOS (New Old Stock) steering wheel to replace this one.

These photos show how the years and environmental damage have been cruel to the hard rubber causing cracks to develop.


Click on photos for larger versions. Click "Back" on your browser to return to this page.



It is important to enlarge and clean out the cracks so that they can be filled with epoxy paste.



In the next entry I will post photos of the steering wheel after it has been media-blasted to remove the paint. Photos of the filling process will also be posted.

As usual you can see larger versions of these photos at flickr.

If you have any questions or would like to comment you can email me.

ENJOY THE RIDE !!!!