Wood steering wheel

What sets your Spider apart from the rest?
User avatar
rjkoop
Posts: 976
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:45 am
Your car is a: 1981 Fiat Spider
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Re: Wood steering wheel

Postby rjkoop » Wed Jul 20, 2016 10:50 am

Going to try this method to remove the striped allen key bolts... on a bench vise so as not to damage the steering column...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyx-QoP3IsI

spider2081
Patron 2024
Patron 2024
Posts: 2967
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:45 pm
Your car is a: 1981 Spider 2000
Location: Wallingford,CT
Contact:

Re: Wood steering wheel

Postby spider2081 » Wed Jul 20, 2016 12:57 pm

When I look at the video it looks to me the screw he is removing was a torx to begin with.
I have found there is a difference in the quality of screw drivers and Allen wrenches, Sort of you get what you pay for. So first start with a good name brand and correct size proper tool. Its probably a little late but next with a sharp pin or scribe clean the well where the tool goes as good as your can. This is especially true if it is painted. remove all the paint so the tool can reach all the way in. Soak with penetrating oil like PB Blaster. If you have a Allen bit like in the video tap on it with a hammer as shown to seat it all the way in. I also like to put valve grinding compound on the sides of Allen wrenched to increase their bite. Valve grinding compound also works on screwdriver tips.

User avatar
rjkoop
Posts: 976
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:45 am
Your car is a: 1981 Fiat Spider
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Re: Wood steering wheel

Postby rjkoop » Thu Jul 21, 2016 5:00 pm

Got the hub removed from the old steering wheel and reinstalled on steering column. Next issue. The lip of the brass ring seems to be the exact same size as the lip on the hub.

Image

I assumed the brass ring lip would fit into the lip on the hub. Am I doing this wrong? Should the lip on the brass ring fit inside or outside the lip on the hub?

Richard
Last edited by rjkoop on Sat May 12, 2018 8:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
rjkoop
Posts: 976
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:45 am
Your car is a: 1981 Fiat Spider
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Re: Wood steering wheel

Postby rjkoop » Thu Jul 21, 2016 6:13 pm

So... had my wonderful wife come out to take a look and see if she noticed what I can do. She said 'Why don't you just not use the brass ring and everything should fit perfectly?'. Um.... she was right. Everything works perfect and the brass ring was probably used for other hubs.

Image

Image

With the tucked in bumpers, Ferrari style mirrors and the new steering wheel this is the look I wanted. Thanks goes to Autoricambi for the mirrors, and Allison Automotive for the steering wheel... And my wife for pointing out the obvious. :oops:

So I told her she should fix the Fiat up from now on and I'll watch the Young and the Restless, the Bachelorette and sip wine (oh, and the million other things she does when I'm outside)... She declined... thank goodness! :D

Richard
Last edited by rjkoop on Sat May 12, 2018 8:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

shmoky
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed May 25, 2016 10:17 pm
Your car is a: 1980 Spider 2000 Pininfarina
Location: Chetwynd B.C. Canada

Re: Wood steering wheel

Postby shmoky » Sun Sep 04, 2016 4:32 pm

Will a steering wheel from a 1975 fit a 1980?

shmoky
Chetwynd, B.C. Canada
1980 Pininfarina Spider 2000
Sold: 1968 Corvette Coupe BB to buy the Spider

vandor
Posts: 3996
Joined: Sat May 23, 2009 1:23 pm
Your car is a: 1971 124 Spider
Location: Texas, USA

Re: Wood steering wheel

Postby vandor » Sun Sep 04, 2016 4:36 pm

Yes.
Csaba
'71 124 Spider, much modified
'17 124 Abarth, silver
http://italiancarclub.com/csaba/
Co-owner of the best dang Fiat parts place in town

User avatar
btoran
Posts: 630
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 8:26 am
Your car is a: 1975 Fiat 124 Sport Spider
Location: Northport, NY

Re: Wood steering wheel

Postby btoran » Thu Sep 08, 2016 6:49 am

baltobernie wrote: Also, the problem with a nice new wood wheel is that you'll want to upgrade the dash wood immediately! :o


I found this out the hard way, but love the results:

....before
Image

....after
Image
1975 Fiat 124 Spider

User avatar
Exit98
Posts: 1470
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:16 pm
Your car is a: 76 Yellow 124 Spider
Location: Wall Township, NJ

Re: Wood steering wheel

Postby Exit98 » Thu Sep 08, 2016 11:20 am

Bruce your interior looks beautiful.
Doug
76 Yellow Spider at the Jersey Shore

User avatar
RRoller123
Patron 2020
Patron 2020
Posts: 8179
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2011 2:04 pm
Your car is a: 1980 FI SPIDER 2000
Location: SAGAMORE BEACH, MA USA

Re: Wood steering wheel

Postby RRoller123 » Thu Sep 08, 2016 12:56 pm

+1. Covering the ash tray top and the vertical bit beside it adds a sense of flow to the wood installation. Very clever!
'80 FI Spider 2000
'74 and '79 X1/9 (past)
'75 BMW R75/6
2011 Chevy Malibu (daily driver)
2010 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Ext Cab 4WD/STD BED
2002 Edgewater 175CC 80HP 4-Stroke Yamaha
2003 Jaguar XK8
2003 Jaguar XKR
2021 Jayco 22RB
2019 Bianchi Torino Bicycle

User avatar
btoran
Posts: 630
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 8:26 am
Your car is a: 1975 Fiat 124 Sport Spider
Location: Northport, NY

Re: Wood steering wheel

Postby btoran » Thu Sep 08, 2016 1:56 pm

Thanks. I think they should all have come from the factory this way, but I'm biased. :)

The above picture is a bit old and needs updating (which I'll get to one of these days). Where the ashtray used to be shows just a piece of wood in the picture. Since then, I embedded a FIAT logo (from a key chain) flush into the face of the wood. I also swapped the stick shift knob for a wood one, which I finished in the same way as the rest of the wood (mohagony, with 2 different stains, and 12 coats of marine UV varnish).

Well, looks like today was the day for updating the picture, but will have to do it again when the car is clean. :)

here's what it looks like now......

Image
1975 Fiat 124 Spider

raysorm
Posts: 13
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2018 1:12 pm
Your car is a: 1981 fiat 124 2000
Location: San Antonio TX

Re: Wood steering wheel

Postby raysorm » Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:41 pm

Installed new steering wheel - had a hex nut striped and use the video advice. worked like a charm and new wheel is in :D


Return to “Custom Stuff”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests