Topic: Any good repro steering wheels?

[Mark C]

Not to disparage an of our fine repro parts suppliers, but are any of the reproduction steering wheels worth installing? Not having much luck locating a standard blue wheel for a '66 coupe (the black (?) one in there now has some absolutely gaping cracks). I've noticed a few suppliers (NPD comes to mind) that have different "grades" of steering wheels, but out here in Podunk Idaho it's not so easy to see firsthand whether or not any of these are worth wrapping your hands around or are just flimsy fakes.

[CharlesTurner]

Flimsy fakes is probably not too far off from what I would describe them as.  They don't weigh as much and simply do not have the solid feeling of original wheels.  If you need something temporary while you search for a nice original or NOS, then I'd say get a repro.

[bryancobb]

Not sure how many points would be deducted, but I'm pretty happy with the paint-job I did on mine.  BC/CC  Looks pretty original is slick and shiny like the OEM plastic.

You can't tell in this picture but I didn't get a solid color mixed so as to look exactly like the OEM molded plastic wheel.
I used the same paint I had mixed for the dash and column and metal parts of the doors. 

[kutzoh]

I agree that the repro's are inferior, my restoration shop is restoring my original wheel as I couldn't even locate a 64.5 wheel that didn't need painted or already have cracks. There's a couple outfits out there that do this you might check into if you can't find NOS.

http://www.ponywarehouse.net/

http://www.stwheelz.com/

Greg

[Mark C]

Thanks for the heads up all around - I was afraid that the repros were just not going to cut it (let's face it, the steering wheel SHOULD be a solid piece of equipment - tough to make & sell at repro prices).  Bryan - the painted wheel looks great - guess that is a real option even for the black one I have. Greg - thanks for the links!

[MattDoscher]

I have a repro deluxe woodgrain steering wheel that I bought from NPD to complement my deluxe interior.  I am pleased with the feel, look, and quality of mine.  No complaints.

Matt

[Mark C]

NPD intrigues me because they have two "classes" of wheels - in a blue '66 they have one at $199 and one "improved" style at $242. I'm stuck in that I can't walk into one of the locations and just pull them both to see how they look/feel.  I've seen too many repro parts that look great in print but are cheap junk when you actually see them up close (although there are some good repro parts out there too). Just wondering if there was a general feel for "oh yeah - the deluxe NPD (or whoever) wheels are just like the originals! The standard ones are cheap, though."

[NEFaurora]

I can definately help out here on this one.

The best repro wheels can be found at California Mustang and NPD.  They have the best repro steering wheels bar-none.

Now, NPD sells two levels of standard wheels.   The lower level wheel for $110.00 is some kind of import wheel which I do not know the quality.  The $220.00 wheel which is the 2nd level quality is the California Mustang Wheel.  I had asked Rick from NPD about this a year ago, and he said the upper 2nd level quality standard steering wheel is the same identical wheel from the same suppkier as California Mustang.   So there you go, You now have your answer!

Tony K.

[Sunlitgold68]

This shop restored an original 1968 wheel for me. He did an excellent job. I probably would have used an NOS wheel but no such luck in finding a nugget gold standard example. He will get the color exactly right too.

http://www.steeringwheelbob.com/index.html