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How To Restore A Classic Mustang Steering WheelThough we will focus on the wheel for our '70 Mach 1 project, the principles will apply to all vintage wheels From the August, 1999 issue of Mustang Monthly By Jeff Ford Photography by Jeff Ford
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Where the interior is concerned, the steering wheel is the focal point. Because it's one of the first things you see while driving, it's in constant view. With that being the case, an ugly or cracked wheel is nothing but an ocular annoyance when you're driving your Mustang. At each revolution, you get a good view of that bothersome crack or gapping chunk that was the result of the plastic shrinking over the years. What to do? In this arena, there are a couple alternatives. One is to redo the wheel yourself, using a wheel resto kit such as the one from POR-15. The other is to send the wheel off to one of many parts houses for a rebuild. If you're lucky enough to have a '65-'69 Mustang with the standard wheel, you also can buy a reproduction. All three options have pros and cons. Obviously, if you try to do it yourself and fail, you will still have to send the wheel off and pay for the work. If you send the wheel off, you will be out some bucks, but the job will be correctly performed by pros who know the job because they do it every day. As for the third choice, if you have a Rim-Blow or Deluxe wheel, then you have only the first two choices. The wheel we are planning on restoring is the Rim-Blow from our Project '70 Mach 1. The wheel on this car is actually missing. Luckily, I dug around in the "I-might-need-that-someday" pile and snagged the original Ginger Rim-Blow from our '72 Lazarus Project. After some POR-15 putty, black and brown paint, new center pad, and Rim-Blow switch from Perogie Enterprises, the wheel will be ready to install after we locate the correct column.  1 This emblem really needs...  1 This emblem really needs reproducing. Because the center pad is now available from Perogie, we are interested in seeing the emblem as well. This emblem was used on all '69-'73 Rim-Blow-equipped Mustangs. We also would like to have the aluminum pieces reproduced. Perogie has redone the plastic inserts (arrow). These were high-snag items and are often snapped off at the outer edges.  2 The center emblem shown...  2 The center emblem shown is typical of what happens to the plastic pieces--tiny fractures result from sun damage. If yours is in good condition, use a plastic cleaner and polish to bring back the original luster, then repaint the ring using Testors Silver.  3 The POR-15 Steering Wheel...  3 The POR-15 Steering Wheel Repair Kit is complete and came to us via Classic Restorations in Lake Placid, Florida [(800) 225-7422]. We had to get some Zap-A-Gap to fix a hairline crack, though.  4 On our '70 Rim-Blow, we...  4 On our '70 Rim-Blow, we used an X-Acto knife to remove the chrome strip. In most places, it just flaked off. Some areas were a bit harder, so we had to scrape and then sand.  5 As we began, we roughed...  5 As we began, we roughed up the finish with a scuffing pad to find our little nicks and cracks that, at first, were not obvious. It's surprising how many were on the wheel.  6 A sample of what we tackled...  6 A sample of what we tackled on the wheel is shown. There are other places such as the cracks on the outer ring (not shown). The marks in the finger grooves...  ...and wheel stalk came from...  ...and wheel stalk came from our clumsy handling of the wheel when we thought (in error) we would be chucking it in the trash.  The big gap is from shrinking....  The big gap is from shrinking. Not shown, but equally painful, were the two chunks removed by the vise from the Rim-Blow ring on the wheel.  7 We used the supplied hacksaw...  7 We used the supplied hacksaw to remove a bare minimum of the wheel rim around the crack. This was to make sure that the area was oil- and dirt-free and that the POR-15 putty had some fresh plastic to cling to. The excellent instructions suggested we use the hacksaw to cut out any cracks we found. We also used the hacksaw to rough up the steel core in the wheel for some added adhesion.  8 We used 100-grit sandpaper...  8 We used 100-grit sandpaper provided in the kit to scuff down the high spots on the wheel. The kit also comes with a roll to wrap the paper around so you can get into the finger groves.  We also wrapped the paper...  We also wrapped the paper around the stir stick in the kit to give us a narrow but flat sanding block.  9 Follow the instructions...  9 Follow the instructions on the POR-15 putty and make sure parts A and B are well kneaded together.  10 First, we tackled the...  10 First, we tackled the split in the wheel. We applied more putty than necessary to make sure we could sand the wheel into its correct form. We also used a bit of lacquer thinner so the putty could spread easier. The putty tended to ball up if it wasn't used. The lacquer thinner made it easier to move around. We also filled all the other gaps and nicks while the putty was pliant. Working time was about 15 minutes. Remember that it is fairly easy to bring the hardened putty down, so make it a bit taller than needed.  11 After sanding, we roughed...  11 After sanding, we roughed in the problem areas with 100-grit sandpaper,  ...followed by progressively...  ...followed by progressively lighter grits to achieve the final finish on our nicks and cracks.  12 Though the instructions...  12 Though the instructions don't specify, this calls for the hacksaw. We used it to rough out our overloaded wheel and cut down our sanding time. Be careful, though, because you only want it to be close. Use the sandpaper to bring down the putty level.  13 So far, the hacksaw is...  13 So far, the hacksaw is the Swiss Army knife of the tools we used on the wheel. We brought back the groove that holds the chrome strip in the wheel by carefully dragging the blade down the groove.  14 We whipped out our Sears...  14 We whipped out our Sears Craftsman high-speed rotary tool and Dremel No. 429 fiberglass cut-off wheels to make the grooves that retain our Rim-Blow switch. We also roughed the flat area in using the tool.  15 The sanding begins. Move...  15 The sanding begins. Move slowly, run your hands across the surface, and feel for high spots. Once you're close, spray a guide coat of primer and sand some more. We finally got what we wanted when the putty was close to the edge of the crack. We used the foam roll and sandpaper to give us the finger groove that was all but gone.  16 We told you it was the...  16 We told you it was the Swiss Army knife. We finally used our hacksaw as a graining tool. Because we were going to spray a guide coat of primer over the wheel, we went fairly deep with our graining. Make sure you vary your marks as well as the depth of your marks. The graining runs around the wheel rather than in a single direction, so be creative.  17 After the guide coat was...  17 After the guide coat was applied, we used some spray can primer rather than the kit-supplied primer for our first coat. Sand the entire wheel with 220, check for any problem areas, fix them, and guide again. Then apply the final coat of primer.  18 We used an old graphics...  18 We used an old graphics ruler to measure the gap for our Rim-Blow chrome strip. Our gap was a hair over 1/8 inch wide. Be sure to measure your wheel, as widths may vary.  19 After the final sand and...  19 After the final sand and measure, we scuffed the wheel with a Scotch-Brite pad and got it ready for paint.  20 We were lucky enough to...  20 We were lucky enough to have our nice original Rim-Blow (now headed for the Lazarus Project) to match paints from. For our final step, we went to Michael's Autobody in Winter Haven, Florida (863) 299-8122. Mike mixed up a custom batch of Sikkens base in light and dark brown for the top of the wheel.  21 The colors are custom,...  21 The colors are custom, but if you can find a Pantone PMS color guide (available at most art supply stores), you can use these color chips to match the brown (PMS 470 for the light basecoat and PMS 477 for the dark brown). Mike sprayed the base and let it sit for several minutes before going to the topcoat. This was mixed with some translucent black that allowed color from the base to bleed through.  22 We dust-coated the topcoat,...  22 We dust-coated the topcoat, then applied some of the topcoat mix to a cloth and gently rubbed it around the wheel. When we say gently, we mean it. In basecoat/clearcoat, the light brown base can be rubbed away if pushed too hard.  23 To tape off the woodgrain...  23 To tape off the woodgrain section, we used two pieces of 1/2-inch tape. Then we scuffed the back of the wheel again to get rid of any finger oils.  24 After the black basecoat...  24 After the black basecoat was applied and dried (less than 30 minutes), we carted the wheel home for taping. We are planning to clearcoat the wheel after the chrome tape is applied.  25 The chrome strip is actually...  25 The chrome strip is actually metal duct tape from the local hardware store. Even if you can find only the roll with writing on it, a quick swipe of lacquer thinner will remove the lettering. We used our art classes, a sharp X-Acto knife, and a drafting table to cut the strip to the exact size we needed.  26 We removed the backing...  26 We removed the backing from the metal tape, applied it to the wheel, and then burnished it down with a wooden stir stick. We then went back Michael's to apply the two coats of urethane semigloss clear.  27 The best tip we can give...  27 The best tip we can give for installing the Rim-Blow switch is to install both contact ends and meet in the middle top of the wheel, alternating sides as you go around the wheel. We used Super Glue to install the cover for the contact ends and to set the wires in their proper place.  28 Finis. The wheel is now...  28 Finis. The wheel is now ready for the open road and hours of enjoyment.
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