Can some one point me in the right direction? I have the original steering wheel on my 65' Skylark and the plastic is cracked on the center housing. Is there a place to send it to that will restore the wheel to like new condition? If so has anyone had any experience with any shops that can do this? How did it turn out? Any before and after pics? Thanks, Steve
Steve, Board member Babeola had a post on this. See http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=114800&highlight="steering+wheel" Plus board member Brian had one redone. See http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=97716
Dan, Thanks for the reply. I also found the thread about someone close to making reproductions. I hope that is still going to happen. I posted there as well and I'm waiting to hear back. Thanks, Steve
Steve If you get any old copy of Hemmings Motor News there are many repair services listed that will repair your particular type of wheel to as new condition.
Good idea Jim. That's a place I tend to forget about. You can also go online at browse the Classifieds / Services Offered at http://www.hemmings.com/ Hopefully you can get it done for less than Brian. Another board member is working on a reproduction. It will only be available in black though.
I do not know how true this is but I have heard these wheels can not really be repaired and stay that way.I have heard the bakelite plastic or whatever they are made of will continue to shrink and in a few short years the repaired cracks will open up again.I just thought I would throw that out there for you to ponder.
I heard that as well. I'm going to wait and hope that our fellow board member will get us reproductions that won't shrink. Does anyone know how close he is to getting them out? I know that he had created a few samples and was getting close.
I remember reading that thread as well and I would be interested to know if they are going to be completed or not.
In case someone has been tempted to buy the Eastwood repair kit.....I tried to repair a wheel in pretty good condition with their kit. It requires some prep work and use of an epoxy, with special primer. Well, the epoxy went on great and it was a grave disappointment when I found the special primer had turned to a solid mass of rubber in the can. It must have sat on the shelf for a year before they sold it to me, because I used it within two weeks of receipt. I went ahead and used a standard primer that worked great, and it painted without a hitch. Two weeks ago, I had the column finished, and took the wheel out to install it, and found the epoxy had hairlines at all of the edges. The kit promised GREAT results. The wheel looks OK until you get within a foot or two, and then looks cheap. It was an expensive kit, and a lot of work, for a poor result. I am waiting for BuicFrank to finish his repop wheels. Worth every penny......Dan
