Sport Steering wheel condition guide
#1
Sport Steering wheel condition guide
There are many people selling Oldsmobile sport steering wheels. One of the things I have noticed is varied descriptions on eBay and other selling sites of excellent, driver quality, etc condition. I thought it would be helpful to post a few pictures and if someone would help me with a picture of a reproduction steering wheel we could cover from driver quality to show quality to reproduction. I am not going to cover the years sizes and colors. If another member wants to add this information it will make this post even more helpful. This is because there are also different diameter sport wheels and you should have the correct size on your car.
So you ask how important is a steering wheel? It is not important to a driver quality car. You just need to buy the best wheel for your money spent and this little lesson wont hurt. For a show car I feel it is a critical part of a beautiful interior.
Here are some pictures of a no wear perfect original steering wheel. Many people have never seen one like this because the wheels were very soft and the grain wears quickly. The reproduction wheels have much heavier grain and the metal that attaches to the rubber wheel bends slightly different. Those wheels are great for an original type look and are nicely done similar to original. Prices range from worn wheels 75-100 driver quality 100-250 to mint or show quality 350-800 to NOS 800-1400. Reproductions are about $300.
I am providing this information because my restoration required a no wear original and they are very difficult to find. Fortunately Ed Skaff of this group helped me and I appreciate his assistance and great price too. I have learned much during the restoration of my 1970 olds and plan to share as much as possible.
Restoration is fun, expensive and a can be a good learning experience. So first lesson is steering wheel 1a..........Lee
So you ask how important is a steering wheel? It is not important to a driver quality car. You just need to buy the best wheel for your money spent and this little lesson wont hurt. For a show car I feel it is a critical part of a beautiful interior.
Here are some pictures of a no wear perfect original steering wheel. Many people have never seen one like this because the wheels were very soft and the grain wears quickly. The reproduction wheels have much heavier grain and the metal that attaches to the rubber wheel bends slightly different. Those wheels are great for an original type look and are nicely done similar to original. Prices range from worn wheels 75-100 driver quality 100-250 to mint or show quality 350-800 to NOS 800-1400. Reproductions are about $300.
I am providing this information because my restoration required a no wear original and they are very difficult to find. Fortunately Ed Skaff of this group helped me and I appreciate his assistance and great price too. I have learned much during the restoration of my 1970 olds and plan to share as much as possible.
Restoration is fun, expensive and a can be a good learning experience. So first lesson is steering wheel 1a..........Lee
#4
Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Lee and spending some time,I learned a whole lot about these wheels and the conditions.It didn't take a lot of driving to change one from new to used condition,with value changes accordingly.Thanks for the pics and descriptions,Lee. ---bil
#5
270723087278 ebay steering wheel to compare to my lesson wheel. He says perfect but in fact the wheel does have quite a bit of wear, also I cannot tell which picture is the front grain and which is the back, but it does have some grain and is above average wheel. Take a look
Lee
Lee
#6
Just an Olds Guy
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
270723087278 ebay steering wheel to compare to my lesson wheel. He says perfect but in fact the wheel does have quite a bit of wear, also I cannot tell which picture is the front grain and which is the back, but it does have some grain and is above average wheel. Take a look
Lee
Lee
Amazing how in retrospect it would have been so neat to stockpile those parts when the car was new huh? Oh yeah, I didn't have any money then either
#7
Many years ago, a friend of mine bought a NOS steering wheel at a swap meet. I should have bought it, but I didn't want to spend $35.00. I thought it was to much. I'm pretty sure it's still in his '71 Supreme that has not moved in about 13 years or so? DOH!
#8
My guess for the wheel listed on ebay is around $400. Unfortunately, the winning buyer will think the wheel they are buying is better than it is (because of the sellers description) until they see a really excellent or NOS wheel.
I did stockpile most of the parts for my restoration, just not the steering wheel, NOS w-27 cover, top radiator hose and a few other things. Even used my NOS hood on the car. Hopefully the quality will show in the restoration.
Lee
I did stockpile most of the parts for my restoration, just not the steering wheel, NOS w-27 cover, top radiator hose and a few other things. Even used my NOS hood on the car. Hopefully the quality will show in the restoration.
Lee
#9
There are no coloured sport wheels for 1970-77 Cutlass or 442 cars. They only came in black and were 15" in dia. If the wheel is coloured then it's for an Omega or Omega SX and is 14". I've heard of people putting the coloured steering wheels on their Cutlass or 442 because it matched the interior of their car. It's not correct, but who cares, as long as they are happy.
#10
What happens to the value when "stickiness" sets in?
I bought a nice driver-mint wheel for 175 and was great when i got it. Now that I am ready to put it in, it is gooey.
Looking at having it wrapped in something, but that sounds costly. Shoulda got a repro.
I bought a nice driver-mint wheel for 175 and was great when i got it. Now that I am ready to put it in, it is gooey.
Looking at having it wrapped in something, but that sounds costly. Shoulda got a repro.
#11
Can anyone tell me if there's an Olds part number on these steering wheels and where it's located? I found one at a swap meet last weekend for $75 but passed since it was scratched and had gooey plastic on the rim. Do these
wheels clean up at all or was I crazy to pass on it?
wheels clean up at all or was I crazy to pass on it?
#14
#17
I have been told it is a resin bleed from the wheel. Not really sure what it is though. I have been able to clean them with very hot water and straight dish washing soap. Once clean again I use a cleaner wax to renew the shine. Would be interesting to see other methods to clean them too.
Lee
Lee
#18
The gooiness is outgassing of the volatiles in the rubber outer covering and it won't end. It's worse in the heat. The oils from your skin make it worse. The only thing I've ever been able to do is to wipe the wheel down periodically with solvent. I've been using pre-cleaning solution (the stuff you wipe your car down with before you paint it). This is exactly the same stuff as GooGone, but in gallon cans. I've seen no detrimental affects in decades of doing this.
#19
Just an Olds Guy
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
Can anyone tell me if there's an Olds part number on these steering wheels and where it's located? I found one at a swap meet last weekend for $75 but passed since it was scratched and had gooey plastic on the rim. Do these
wheels clean up at all or was I crazy to pass on it?
wheels clean up at all or was I crazy to pass on it?
Yes there is a part number for the wheel. You'll find it on the backside of the rubber molding near one of the spokes.
The part number you're looking for is 9751871 (This is the same for 68-77 and is found under GM Group 6.5513 in the parts guide
The wheel should be 15 inch in diameter. If you run into a color matched wheel, it's got a different part number, and it's also a smaller (14") diameter. The smaller wheel is referred to as a 'Starfire' wheel. The large 15 wheel is option code N34
'gooiness' does go with the territory. I found that when my wheel got sticky, I just cleaned it up with some good old fashioned hot soapy water and wiped down with clean wet cloth does the trick. You might also consider wearing driving gloves if you feel the wheel is too sticky. I think you'll find a good compromise. And BTW, $75.00 for one of these in reasonably good condition is a good deal. A repop wheel goes for about 225.00 and has the right grain and part number stamped onto it. Guess it depends on what you want and how much you are willing to pay.
Hope this helps
#20
Thanks so much Allen, that was very helpful. Now I'm a little sorry I tried haggling with the guy. I couldn't find the part number stamped anywhere on the wheel, so I was hesitant to buy given the condition. Oh well... live and learn. -Mike
#23
Yes, I think he's mistaken believing that its NOS with a smooth surface and slight grain on the back. I've only come across a couple that had much grain on them. It must have worn away pretty fast. John
#24
Just an Olds Guy
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
X2.
#25
Lesson 2: NOS is not always NOS..............I sent the seller of the ebay NOS steering wheel a question. I said his wheel does not appear to be NOS because the grain is worn and a NOS wheel has grain on both sides of the wheel. Here is his response: "thats not true at all only the reproductions were grained on both sides". My students will not buy his steering wheel but someone will pay big money for that wheel and be very unhappy or think they have a NOS wheel. Lee
#27
The ebay NOS wheel listed above ended the auction at 325. Looks like nobody was fooled by that auction although the ending price was a little high for a driver quality wheel. Lee
#28
I just bought a 1978 sport wheel (has two lower brushed silver bars instead of four). It is maroon/red in color and 15 inches in diameter. Actually wish it was 14 inches. I prefer the smaller wheels. I'm surprised by how heavy this wheel is. Wow, it's a lot heavier than the standard wheel on my car. Seems like a sport wheel would be lighter and add less weight to the car than adding more weight!
#29
As they get harder to find,of course the prices go up,and most people don't know what to look for in a real NOS wheel.I certainly didn't until I got a lesson from Lee. (I also got to feel what a real good one felt like over the road-thank,Lee!) ---bil
#30
#31
Wouldn't be the first time a new part was put on a car and the old part went in the box to serve as a spare part...a back-up in case it was needed in the future. Sometimes when parts change hands, the new owner assumes he has NOS because it's in a box. But sometimes it is a deliberate attempt to pass used parts as NOS.
#32
Just an Olds Guy
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
Anyone know how you would even tell if you got a repop or the real deal? I'm sure there won't be a 'new car smell' to tell you, and there's usually no production date to let you know. This guy also claims to have a 68 442 grill NOS, and you can see the box in the pic. If he has the NOS boxes that the wheel, hub and center cap came with that might be a little more convincing IMO
#34
#35
#36
Just an Olds Guy
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB. And "I am Can 'eh' jun - eh"
Posts: 24,525
NOS = Goldmine???
NOS??? $1,500.00 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Oldsm...item2a14ca48bf
If I bought a repop I don't think I'd really care though. My wheel is OEM but shows a fair bit of wear. It is smooth, and there are a few minor gouges. It still seems to steer the car where I want to go though
#38
The repo wheels are different than an original N34 wheel. When you compare the stainless spokes to an original you will see right off the difference! The repo has what appears to have a less "fine" of a finish, more like a " rougher grain" when the Chineeze prison worker polished the spokes!
#40
from 5 feet away the repos look great and they feel nice too, i swear though the diameter is a bit thinner. I'd like to find a nice used one, mine was very slick but everything else was nice about it, in a way I wish I kept it, I'll start looking for a nice used one, may have a mint repo for sale if I do.
not sure about the part number, I'll take a look
not sure about the part number, I'll take a look