When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Were these steering wheels reproduction / aftermarket only? Were they ever original equipment? If so, how would one know the difference between original and reproduction / aftermarket?
There were a few wheels, called Custom Sport, available from 1969 on. The option code was N34.
Reproductions are made, at least of the first one pictured below. The reproductions appear to my unpracticed eye, to be remarkable faithful to the originals. So much so that one would assume they were made by the same manufacturer (I don't know that to be the case, howevver).
I haven’t inspected a reproduction of the first one pictured above (the four spoke) but I have an original that came on my 72. I have heard this before and also witnessed on my own that if the car is stored or sits unused for a while, the wheel itself becomes sticky. I don’t know if this would occur on a newer reproduction but it seems it would be due to age/some sort of breakdown more than anything. If you find a sticky one it could possibly be an indication of an original - purely a guess. Windex took care of the problem on mine.
The stickiness is due to outgassing of the rubber. Sitting under the windshield in the sun makes it worse. The easiest way to remove the residue is with paint pre-cleaner, like Prep-All. Wipe it down whenever needed.
If your wheel is the 4 spoke what does the grain look like on the front of the wheel? Most originals I have seen are worn almost completely smooth on the front side with varying amount of grain on the backside still remaining. There is also a part number on the backside of one of the spokes molded into the rubber. My reproduction has the number stamped into the rubber were the originals have it raised above the rubber.
Thanks for the replies. This forum rocks. My wheel has its fair share of sticky! Maybe original?
You’re definitely right about this forum. I just joined this one yesterday after trying another one the day before. Almost immediate replies to my “Newbie” post. Tons of activity here. Not even a “welcome” on the other site.
The stickiness is due to outgassing of the rubber. Sitting under the windshield in the sun makes it worse. The easiest way to remove the residue is with paint pre-cleaner, like Prep-All. Wipe it down whenever needed.
The stickiness is due to inadequate vulcanizing (curing). You should NEVER have to apply these products to a properly cured rubber (either synthetic or latex) product. I've witnessed many threads regarding this phenomena and the plain truth is the vulcanization of the rubber is CRAPOLA.
The 70 and later wheel is available as a repro but the three spoke 1969 wheel, as Joe pointed out, is not. Both steering wheels share the same N34 option code.
