jusplainwacky

** UPDATED** Please see one of the last treads where I post pictures of the different color wheels.

Can anyone recommend where I can find a 58 steering wheel with the right color and grain...or closest match?

I see the majority of the dealers have frost blue, blue gray, light blue, jewel (what ever color that is) turquoise, Seville grain (wrong)...doesn't anyone make a SILVER blue in pebble grain?

It's hard to tell from a picture on the computer exactly what color the wheel is and I hate to get one, only to find that it doesn't match at all.

Maybe since the 58 was a "one-off"...the dealers aren't willing to make a steering wheel just of this year??

30 years ago when I went to get a steering wheel for it in signet red, I couldn't find it back then either and I had to paint it...the paint eventually started to wear off and the ROMAN red started to show through. I'd like to get a wheel where the color is in the plastic and not painted.

-Dennis

JohnZ

I don't know if you have a steering wheel or a core to work with, but you need to talk to Richard Dunham, dunco1959@sbcglobal.net, (517) 339-8225; Richard has been restoring '53-'62 Corvette steering wheels for decades. It's becoming a lost art.

jusplainwacky

Nope, don't have one, but even if I did (as I did before), I wouldn't want it painted. The paint eventually wears off, where if you get a solid plastic with the right color, it never wears off.

ohiovet

Contact Vettemasters in Virginia Beach Va.
Speak to Tom or Rich.
They make excellent repro C1 steering wheels in all original .colors .
They have molded in color and a original type texture.
Bruce B.

jusplainwacky

Thanks...I'll check him out!

I just think it's kind of strange that the major dealers don't seem to have the 58 color except in red.

I was hoping someone with a 58 could tell me where they got theirs and if it matches the interior.

John S 1961

What's Right, that's like what's best. I suspect that they never really matched all that great original. What are you trying to accomplish?

A human can detect almost infinite variations and dye lots vary. Only when new did you get consistency, they were they by the hundreds of units at least maybe thousands now only tens I bet. So this is a product of our new world. Try and buy everything at the same time from one supplier.

jusplainwacky

That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid by creating this post..."Try and Buy" and end up returning it. All the dealers claim they have a 58 "blue" steering wheel and yet they are all slightly different in color.
I'm hoping someone with a 58 can tell me which dealer/manufacture they choose and if they think it matches well with the interior.

rfn026

I'm sort of fond of original.



Richard Newton
Car Tech Stuff

wilbur

I know you don't want to restore an original but here is my 58 steering wheel restored by Richard (beautiful work).

jusplainwacky

Was this the original color? A reproduction? Or a faded, or paint worn steering wheel?

wilbur

Another thing if it matters, the steering wheel hub was a shade or two off from the color of the rest of the steering column.
Apparently the steering wheels were manufactured elsewhere so the paint it didn't quite match up.

jusplainwacky

Wilbur...that's a nice color match. Is that painted?
I don't have a steering wheel and if I bought an original, probably cost me an arm and a leg, and more so when I get it restored. I would think one of the dealers would have one that is close.

The reason I created this POST is because I don't know what the color should be. But if I had a choice, I'd go with something that was close to the interior color.

jusplainwacky

Thanks for the info Wilbur, but I'm going to paint my hub the same color as the dash regardless if they were a shade different. I'm all for originality except when the design sucked and there is a better way of doing it, or in this case having parts of different colors.

wilbur

Yes it was painted. Before I had it restored it looked almost grey with a tint
of blue.
I agree it would cost you a arm and a leg if you had to buy a original wheel and then have it restored, I'd bet you would have $800 plus involved.

jusplainwacky

I'd bet you would have $800 plus involved. Wouldn't surprise me at all.

There is this one on Ebay. They call it a "Blue Gray"...so not sure if this is an accurate color reproduction.
I guess my question is...what color was the original 58 steering wheel in a silver blue car? Was it light blue, gray blue, frost blue, silver blue??
http://www.ebay.com/itm/58-C1-CORVETTE-BLUE-GRAY-REPRO-STEERING-WHEEL-/180576389996?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a0b310b6c&vxp=mtr

jusplainwacky

Can someone tell me the distance from the center of the steering wheel to the outside edge where you would hang a scale? Even though I don't have a wheel, I can still adjust the "pull" by using a socket wrench and simulating a wheel.

DZVette

Dennis

I measured the wheel on my '60 and as shown in the pic below, I get 7-1/2" to 7-5/8" to the point on the spoke that the ST-12 shows the scale hooked up. As you can see, my wheel could use a little TLC.
Hope this helps.
Dave Z

jusplainwacky

Excellent!! Thanks!

jusplainwacky

Just wanted to update my quest in finding a blue steering wheel for my silver blue 58.

This is what I have found out so far...

The repro dealers say the original 58 wheel was "blue gray" and didn't match the interior. I just wonder if they were looking at a faded wheel when they came up with that color.

Regardless, I think it doesn't look good and does look faded, so I want to find a wheel that matches my interior.

Vette Pro's (Vettepros) is selling what they claim is an "exact" 58 (and others) steering wheel that is gray-blue on Ebay. After 2 phone calls, and 3 email with no reply, I gave up on them.

Vette Masters claims they make the wheel Vette Pros has on Ebay and sent me this picture showing the difference between the Frost Blue and the Blue Gray (bottom wheel).



I contacted Crane Corvettes (Dave) and he said that he has a 58 and he didn't like the original color either...and he said that the Jewel Blue is closer to the Al Knoch blue interior and would recommend that I check that out.

Based on Vette Masters I bought a Frost Blue on Ebay for 170 bucks. The seller claimed it was "BRAND NEW"...but this doesn't look new to me and you can see these brush/sanding marks on it...and when I compare the color to my interior color, they match still isn't that great.




I also contacted Al Knock and found this out. The blue they use on the 59, 60 is the same color they use on the 58...the only difference is the pattern/texture (pebble grain on 58).

Considering that, I'd be interested in finding what color people think goes the best with their 59/60 given the blue Al Knoch interior.

ohiovet

The brush-sanding marks on the back of the wheel is typical of early GM production.
The circular marks are only on the front of the wheel.
As far as color goes it is very difficult to match colors in different materials such as vinyl seats, nylon carpet and paint or plastic parts.
Most 62 and earlier Corvettes have 2 different types of paint on the steering wheel bell and the turn signal housing and in many cases the appearance is very different.
If you could get paint to match your interior color then you could paint the steering wheel.
But after some time due to handling and aging the colors will change.
As I mentioned in an earlier post I used to sell C1 steering wheels.
Based on the demand for certain colors (in your case) I am surprised they were produced due to very low demand.
Good luck.
Bruce B