“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:

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!

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

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

“My old RED 1965 Mustang GT had the deluxe pony interior with a REAL WOOD 3-spoke GT steering wheel.”

“What is the story with the real wood deluxe interior GT steering wheels?  I can’t find another anywhere.  Were they Shelby only?”

See the post here :

http://www.mustangv8.com/forum/classic-mustang-technical-forum

1964-66 Mustang Steering Wheel – Simulated Woodgrain

This simulated woodgrain Mustang steering wheel looks and feels just like real wood, and retails for around $230.

Click here for the best price

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

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