About a month ago I ordered a new wheel for my 88. Rather than go thru the ordeal of paying a core charge and then sending my wheel back, I found an alternative that I am very satisfied with. It is a NEW repro wheel from Wilcox. The wheel cost $259.00 with NO core charge. The shipping will vary. If you are one of the 84-85 folks wanting to change to a later 'fat' wheel this is ideal since you get to keep your old wheel.

And, I am not connected with Wilcox and get no kick back for posting this. I am just a satisfied customer that thought I would pass along the info. Oh, by the way, I also ordered the 'leather like' seat covers from them and have finished the install. I think the beast looks pretty good and I am not the type to worry about being pure stock. For the money I spent the car looks really good inside and with the additional padding needed to get the foam back to original size, the seats are really quite comfortable.

 

Do they have a site?

 

here's the wilcox site: http://www.yankeelady.com/willcox/

Good luck :seeya

 

I'm lucky! They're just 10 miles away :D

 

Great news aj, thanks for posting. :cheers: My current steering wheel is THE sore spot on my car!
I just won one from an E-Bay auction and am waiting for it to get here......... you've put my mind at ease a little bit :lol:

 

The Yankeelady site is correct. The phone number is 800-588-3883. They do not have a catalog, but they do have a one page list of what they normally stock. Their price for mass backed carpet is $370, and plastic backed is $305. I think they also sell the carpet by front or rear or complete.

The prices seem fair and the response was really quick. Altogether a very good experience.

 

They can pretty much get what you need, new or used. :yesnod:

 

Just a thought, but if you want to save some $$ you can always just rewrap w/a Wheelskins leather steering wheel cover for $40. Those damn repro. steering wheels just cost to much money. IMO.

 

Was your steering wheel ripped or torn?

If it’s just faded or looking nasty I can provide instructions on how to refurbish your steering wheel so it looks like new for under $5. Did mine two days ago and I was amazed. You would swear it was a new wheel.

 

okay fellas i would like all of the instructions on how to make my wheel look new and wher you get a new skin for them
also is it possible to get some pics of the leather like seat covers?

 

Here is what I did to restore mine for under 5 dollars:
Again, my wheel had no tears, just some very minor scuffs but the black finish was worn off. The appearance was just aweful. Your results may vary.
Required items:
1 bottle of 70% Isopropyl Alcohol (Beer cannot be used as a substitute)
1 Roll of paper towles
1 Bottle of Black liquid shoe polish.
1 terry cloth towel


Steps:
1) Open the windows for ventilation.

2) Apply a liberal amount of alcohol to a folded wad of paper towels. Not so much that it is dripping off the towels.

3) Thoroughly clean the steering wheel with the alcohol to remove engine oil, skin oils and dirt. Clean the entire wheel & center cap, but be careful not to let the alcohol hit the emblem on the center cap. Not sure if the plastic or dye on the emblem can take the alcohol.

(I've hear of people using 1200 grit sandpaper at this point to knock down rough spots. I did NOT do this, but mine came out smooth anyway)

4) Repeat step 3.

5) Turn your air conditioning on in the car aim the vents at the wheel. Wait until the wheel is COMPLETELY DRY. (This took about 25-30 minutes with my air on. If you air is not hooked up, you've got a longer wait).

6) Apply a thin coat of the black liquid shoe polish to all black leather areas and allow it to dry at least 5 minutes with the air conditioning blasting on it.

7) Using the terry cloth towel, buff all the areas of the wheel and center cap.

8 Repeat steps 6 & 7 above until you get the desired shire and feel your looking for. The more you do it, the more shine and smoothness you get.

I performed steps 7 & 8 about 6 times. When done my wheel looked like new and felt great. I couldn't believe it. Some folks say you can coat the wheel at this point with Armor All or another silicone based sealer. I choose not to do that. IMHO that doesn't allow the leather to breath.

To answer some of the more common questions:
- No the polish doesn't wear off in your hands while driving. No it doesn't run of when wet. Read the back of the bottle, most state they are wear resistant or water proof.
- Project took me an hour and 30 minutes start to finish.

As soon as I clean up the hurricane damage, I'll take a picture of the wheel and post here for you to view. Good Luck!



[Modified by DelcoVette, 11:29 AM 9/19/2003]

 

thanks alot for the info, i will be trying this verry soon!
one question, the top of my wheel is pitted and the leather is cracking and the surface is verry rough. should i sand it down or is there some kind of filler that i should use?
thanks for all the info
Perry :steering:

 

I haven't tried sanding myself. You might want to get some saddle soap or leather conditioner and try that first if the cracking is real bad. Only way I would suggest sanding is if you have no other choice, have tried everything else, and are prepared for the cost of a replacement wheel.

Try my steps on the above post first. That smoothed out my wheel considerably.


[Modified by DelcoVette, 1:43 PM 9/19/2003]

 

The wheel was bad enough there were chunks of the leather that had come off. I had considered wheel skins and other alternatives, but I felt that over time the holes in the original leather would show thru anything I tried to use to cover the wheel. And, as soon as I can find the post about the paint used on the console and dash, and then recarpet, my car will look like new inside.

Also, let me say, I did this post mostly for the 84/85 folks looking to upgrade to a fatter wheel and not have to buy a core and then pay a recover charge. This is $250 with NO core charge for a new "stock" wheel.

 

If you do want to just cover it w/a quality leather cover- check out the website:
"wheelskins.com" - They have a number of styles, including multi-colored. You can easily install them, but it does take a lot of patience. It is easily a 1-2 hour job. You have to thread them by hand & make it tight. Wear gloves or your fingers will hurt when your done. ( I know, because I didn't wear gloves when I did mine). They are a cheap alternative to buying a new wheel, or repainting a pitted one. I even like the "thicker" feel of the wheel w/the wheelskin on it.