Cutlass? Delta? Other?

Whatever it is, its not CRACKED... the center strip is discolored, and the horn pad is missing, but there are no cracks.





Now with pics....

$30

John

 

Now with pics!!

 

81-85 delta 88?

 

J,
not 81 or 82. They still had the sold boomerang wheel in those years. This would be for 83/84 98's and 83-86 Deltas

Not sure about the Cutlass line, but if it is I would guess 83-88 models. Usually when they change the wheel appearance, it tends to be generic accross the board for most models. One thing that I don't know, would the wheel diameter be different on a 88/98 than a G body?

Might even be from 85-90 Cutlass Calais FWD? Just re looked at the backside pic and I think it's more likely Cutlass wheel.

That brown wheel is in remarkably good condition for its age. When I got my 83 regency, I had the steering wheel replaced 2X. It would crack on the middle plastic bar and quickly split the wheel plastic and make a gap. I have only seen a few (very few) wheels that have not split like this. Must be something in the color or batch of plastic. Hmmmm, maybe it just has karma.....

 

You're right. I do remember the boomerang style going to 82. Not sure about 83.
84 and 85 definitely have this styling though.
They crack and seperate because they shrink over time. The plastic never fully cures until 20 years later I guess.
I'll look at my 85's wheel today and confirn wtf this wheel is.

 

Pretty sure your 85 will be like this too. It seemed to be the model Olds stuck with for a long time. Ditto on the cracking... but to be honest, I don't think the curing is complete even 20 years later. Funny how the plastics technology has evolved since then isn't it?

 

This wheel is very definately from a Cutlass. My 1987 Cutlass Ciera (3.8L V6 FWD) has the exact wheel. Mine has a wrap-on cover, but in the areas where it's cracking, my center stripe is still silver. Anyhow, I've had to take the steering wheel off my Cutlass many times, I know one when I see it.

EDIT: I've never seen or heard of the cracking ya'll speak of. My Cutlass's steering wheel is in pretty decent shape (it was in great shape until I sold the car. When I got it back for $700 less than I sold it for(AKA, bought it for $100), the steering wheel button overlays are gone(they hold the two horn buttons in on the bottom. Without the overlay, the buttons still function, but the plastic decorative piece falls out), but the plastics arent cracked and gapped at all, that I can notice.

--Ryan

 

Thanks Ryan, that was one of the options we weren't sure about. Now we have confirmation. Some of the earlier wheels we were describing were made of a very hard plastic that is very subject to cracking. Is the wheel on your 87 hard plastic, or somewhat "flexible" when you squeeze it? A lot of the cars I see at the wreckers have those "squishy" rubberized texture that I'm not really fond of.

 

Mine has what I believe is in aftermarket ad-on, making the wheel squishy. Its a pad that goes around the wheel, and is secured by string cris-crossed along the wheel. What is odd, though, is my Custom Cruiser has the EXACT SAME THING (OK OK, different color). There are two on my CC. The first one looks professionally done, the second(which is on top of the first) is not done all that well.

Was this a factory option? The work on the Cutlass just seems so well done. But there is a spot where it's peeled back and I can see the original wheel. IIRC, the stripe isn't discolored at all.

Here's a pic. Of course, after buying the car back, the wheel was a bit messed up. Just need a new faceplate for the buttons, though. Also, I think mine may have the crack ya'll speak of. Looking at a pic, I see a crack at the bottom cross-section of the wheel, where the plastic of the horn-button faceplate meets the physical wheel.

--Ryan

 

That part with the lacing through it was a factory option. If you cut it off, your wheel will be the same hard plastic underneath as the one in the other picture most likely.

 

and still for sale. Offers? $30 shipped?

John

 

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