Could your car do with an interior upgrade?
Easy – replace that boring rubbery plastic steering wheel with a purpose-built wood steering wheel.
Imagine driving along an open country road with your hands gripping a beautiful hand rubbed mahogany wood steering wheel with aluminum spokes polished to a brilliant mirror finish – oh yeah!
The steering wheel is the one device that makes us truly feel connected to the road, visually inviting us to jump in the driver’s seat and take that car for a spin. Though it you can feel every aspect of the road’s surface, and why not do it with something that draws the gaze of your eye, and feels thrilling to touch.
Any true enthusiast would consider customising their prized machine with something more befitting than the original steering wheel, transforming the interior and bringing out the true character of the beast within. Classic car manufacturer’s started installing wood steering wheels on their muscle cars years ago, and you will find them in the likes of Corvette’s, Chevy Camaro’s, and Mustangs.
Many modern luxury cars use steering wheels that combine leather and and wood to create a sublime atmosphere, and tie in the look of a woodgrain panelled dashboard, giving the feeling of opulence and luxury.
An average car interior will gain an instant lift with the addition of a classy mahongany or walnut wood steering wheel, and will be transformed into something that begs to be driven. As any luxury car owner knows, a well positioned and proportioned steering wheel enhances driver comfort, and increases driveability of the vehicle.
Here at the Wood Steering Wheel Guide we have links to articles about classic and modern cars with wood steering wheels, repairing old steering wheels, replacing steering wheels, and adding dashboard kits. We aim to give you ideas on how you can transform the console of your favorite car.
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‘Streetwires’ —–Camaro/Cheville/El Camino/Impala—– Dark Wood
1953-56 FJ Holden Special Sedan
“She’s a Beauty Mate!”
The FJ Holden is one of Australia’s most iconic cars from a bygone era, and was known as The ‘New Look’ Holden.
At the time Australians were becoming wealthier and could easily access credit, and so when the much anticipated FJ Holden came on the market in 1953 it sold in record numbers making it one of Holden’s best selling models.
The FJ was basically a revamped version of the 1948 FX Holden, which was the first Holden sedan, and kept the same 45kW 6-cylinder engine as its predecessor – and 3 speed manual transmission. At the time it sold for $2046 and there were around 170,000 produced in 3 different models: Standard, Business and the Special sedan.
Aussies loved this car (and still do today!) as it provided good performance, low maintenance, and great value for money.
This particular resoration has a very tastefully enhanced interior, set off beautifully with – you guessed it – a wooden steering wheel! : )
A 1953 FJ Holden interior with its original paint and upholstery. Photo: Dragi Markovic.
The Original look:
EJ Holden [1963-1965]
EH/EJ Holdens have a place in the hearts of many Australians, and they are an ingrained part of Australian motoring history. Many people will remember going on family picnics, watching a film at the ‘drive-in’, or being driven around in one as a child by their grandparents. I remember my grandmother picking me up in her brown EJ holden in a small town in Tasmania when I was 10 years old, and the front bench seat was HUGE!
Back then there were no disc brakes – only drums, and the gear shift was on the steering column!
the EH/EJ holdens benefited from a larger and more powerful engine than their predesesors, and came with the 100HP 149ci or ‘powerful’ 115HP 179ci ‘Red Motor’ – both 6-cylinder single-carburetted engines. The 179ci motor was only available with GM’s Hydra-Matic automatic, since the earlier 3-speed manual gearbox they produced was not strong enough for the increased power of the newer model.
These Holdens have become iconic in Australia as a picture of hopes, dreams, and freedom – and many car clubs have formed around these collectible models.
The model in the pictures is a true to original restoration (except for the wheels), but of course has its interior enhanced with a wood grain steering wheel!
Macy’s Garage is a business located in Ohio, and their website has a very informative article on wood steering wheels for British classic cars.
Mark writes “Installing a wood rimmed steering wheel is a quick and easy way to add a classic and elegant look to your car’s interior. But wood rimmed steering wheels are expensive, and not always the highest quality.”
Mark states that his favorite cars are Triumphs, and says “I’ll walk you through the options for installing a wood rimmed steering wheel on a Triumph TR2 or TR3, but this discussion could be applicable to most any classic automobile”.
If you are looking for a custom wheel then you would also find this interesting…”My neighbor Paul has an unusual hobby. He hand crafts wooden steering wheels, and they are truly things of beauty. Paul has been making wooden rimmed steering wheels for over 30 years. This custom wood steering wheel service is not just for Triumphs, but any OEM wheel with exposed metal spokes”.
So check out this site for some great info… http://www.macysgarage.com/myweb6/wood_wheels.htm
Read more about wood steering wheels here … www.woodsteeringwheelguide.com
This is an great blog from a guy named Jeff about the complete restoration project on his 68 Triumph Spitfire. A great example of a classic car with a wood steering wheel and woodgrain dashboard, which totally suits the character of the car.
His blog makes for an interesting read as Jeff describes each problem he encountered along the way, and how he resolved those issues. He has included pictures of all the stages, and does a fantastic job of restoring this classic to pristine condition, and eventually winning some car meet comps.
If you love classic cars, then you will greatly enjoy reading Jeff’s story.
See his blog on the TotallyTriumph site : http://www.totallytriumph.net/spitfire/projects2.shtml
356 2000 gs Carrera 2 (Coupé and Cabrio)
www.theignitionpoint.co.uk
This Porsche has a 1966 cm³ ‘4-Zylinder-Saugmotor’ engine, with 96 kW/130 HP. Its factory specification acceleration from 0 – 100 km/h is 8.9 s
The Carrera 2 was the top model of the 356 series, and the first series of Porsche with disc brakes which were Porsche’s own design.
The sport version 2000 GS-GT has doors and hood covers made of alloy, a wood steering wheel, side and back windows made of plexiglass, and rear seats and bumper horns are missing. Engine performance is raised up to 114 KW (155 HP) at 6600 rpm.
Image Credit : Wouter Melissen
These photos are before and after shots of a Subaru Forester that has had a new steering wheel fitted featuring mahogany highlights.
As you can see from the pictures, the mahogany sections really give the console a lift, and gives the interior a classy look.
Customised steering wheel…nice!
Check out the post and full size images here:
Subaru Forester Article
Here is a 2006 BentleyContinental GT that comes with a wodgrain featured dashboard and wood steering wheel. This car boasts a 552 hp Twin Turbo 6.0L engine!
So – when thinking of wood steering wheels don’t just think old classic or muscle cars, they are still making modern luxury and sports cars look good today.
Here is an interesting blog from a guy with a worn walnut and leather steering wheel discussing methods of repairing it, and the steps he took.
He has bought this wood steering wheel from a wrecking yard cheaply, and he discusses repairing a chip in the laquer and restoring the look of the leather.
You will find some good tips in the article.
Read the blog here
A steering wheel hub adapter is used to adapt your factory steering column to an aftermarket steering wheel, and so will need to have the correct bolt pattern to fit your wheel and the correct centre-hole to fit the spline on the end of the steering column. These are also known as a steering wheel boss.
The bolt hole patterns for steering wheels and hubs differ between manufacturers, and you will usually need to purchase the same brand hub as the steering wheel. There are of course some exceptions – Momo, Sparco,and Mugen are generally be the same, while Nardi and Grant hubs are unique to their respective brand of steering wheel.
When selecting a steering wheel hub it is important to keep in mind that some hubs available will not allow for automatic turn signal cancelling without modification.
Once you have everything in front of you, this shouldn’t take more than an hour. It’s pretty easy and straightforward.
Read this excellent guide by Todd Marcucci on installing a steering wheel hub in a modern generation car :
NTPOG 4th/5th Gen Steering Hub Install
