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.
OK. Maybe I’m going a little overboard trying to make my ‘55 as nice as I can. My question now is about the crazing on the steering wheel - many very fine lines that are smooth to the touch and a few that will catch a fingernail when run along the surface. And as you see in the photo, one pretty deep gouge. There are actually two gouges but only one is in the picture. I’d like to fill the deeper scratches with some (unknown to me) substance that I could then sand smooth and paint. To fill the gouge, I’m thinking some kind of body putty also sanded smooth and painted. The very, very fine lines would, after sanding, cover with just the paint, I think. I do have a rattle can of paint that matches the dashboard and steering column that I painted earlier. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Here is what I did that worked for me, your mileage may differ. Take the wheel off the car. Clean everything with Dawn dish soap then alcohol, I mean really clean it good, remember this thing has had greasy sweaty hands on it for 65 years. Anything that will catch a fingernail needs to be filled. I used superglue and about a teaspoon of ground up styrofoam white cup about 1/2 teaspoon. Mix it up (be quick) and over fill the voids, you are going to sand everything down with 240 wet or dry after sealing it up Do your superglue thing on the deep cracks and I sealed up the hair cracks and everything else with XIM sealer bonder #400 white or 2x epoxy primer with hardener, maybe three coats till the worst cracks are just a shadow and are filled past the regular surface Sand with 240 till you can't see any shadows and everything is as smooth as a babies butt then finish with 400 wet or dry. I made a jig so I could get the wheel off the table and where I could sand or paint without having to touch anything.
Personally I wouldn't use rattle can for finish it will soften from the acid and sweat from your hands also doesn't have near as much UV restance as single stage with hardener. I used my finish coat paint with hardener and sprayed it with a Pre-vale unit thinned just a little with reducer. Probably three coats one every five or ten minutes apart. It has lasted about 15 years, getting about ready for a redo shortly, I'll do about the same the next time.... Lost in the fifties ..Tedd
Great ideas. I’ll look for the products you mentioned. I don’t know if it makes any difference or not but my spray paint is an automotive finish (fast dry acrylic enamel) custom mixed at a place called National Coatings. It has worked well on the dashboard but I don’t touch it like a steering wheel.
My wheel for my56 looked like that. I ordered a new one from Fusick. While deep cracks can easily be filled, all those tiny cracks can't be done easily, and without removing them completely, they will return. Body filler is not very strong, either.
I personally dig the patina. Kind of like an old coin. Think of everything hand that has been on that wheel. I get why it could get to you as well. Maybe grab a new wheel and hold on to the original one.
There is something to be said for that. My wife says the same thing. Maybe I should just fill the gouges and let it go at that. Or not.
This stuff is amazing, a bit pricy for small gouges. This is used for aircraft and very light--which doesn't make any difference to us. But it's very sandable, and meant to be painted. Much stronger than bondo. It's called Superfil.
