I picked up another steering wheel over the winter off eBay, hoping to find a mint underside from the leather wrap. Anyone know if any came from the factory or dealership with a leather wrapped steering wheel? She's still wrapped up, and am wondering if that leather wrap is worth anything. Eric.
67/68 steering wheel with old laced leather cover
1 - 20 of 25 Posts
Joined
·
1,307 Posts
The XR7-G package originally had a perforated leather wrap as part thereof. On the otherhand, there were a great many aftermarket products available. If you are intending to take the wrap off, it might be a good idea to do it carefully and save it. Contact Royce Peterson the XR7-G Registrar who may be able to provide a part/engineering number for the leather wrap.
Joined
·
11,000 Posts
The originals for the XR7-G come in Fomoco packaging with a part number C8WYXXXXXX-X. There are similar if not identical ones from the period packaged as Scott says.
If you can post a picture we can tell if it is from an XR7-G or 1968 Shelby GT350 / GT500 or GT500 KR all of which used the same thing.
If you can post a picture we can tell if it is from an XR7-G or 1968 Shelby GT350 / GT500 or GT500 KR all of which used the same thing.
Royce, I'll take some pics tonight. Overall condition as I can see is that there are absolutely no cracks at the three spoke ends, but there are narrow cracks at each of two spoke bases - should be a breeze epoxy putty her up. At $40 plus $15 for shipping I couldn't pass it up.
View attachment 25804
View attachment 25805
View attachment 25806
View attachment 25807
Here are the pics. Nighttime never produces any worthwhile pics, but maybe there are some telltale features in the pics to identify them.
View attachment 25803
Joined
·
1,291 Posts
Really? I'm genuinely curious about that. Mostly because, as arthritis is settling in my knuckles, I appreciate a "fatter" steering wheel; but wasn't sure if it would interfere with the rim-blow switch -once I get one to replace the switch not filling the groove of my steering wheel.
I remember wrapping the 'standard' 2-spoke wheel on my Grannie with the ubiquitous vinyl/foam "pleather" wheel wrap (broke college student back then); and having to pull the plastic lacing extra tight so I didn't have a loose, sloppy mess between my hands and 'the road' when it got warm -as it does around here this time of year.
So how does (if it does) the lacing avoid the potential of having one driving around with the horn blowing 'til the battery dies?
Joined
·
839 Posts
Here is a 1969 Shelby Advertising excerpt " Feel the Leather Textured vinyl covering on the steering wheel, once only race cars had it. Feel the sureness and comfort it gives your grip"
A rim blow is very much the worse for wear after 40 years having a 'Sport Grip' around it.
Somehow they made this work, I'm not sure if the horn sounded at inconvenient moments or not..
A rim blow is very much the worse for wear after 40 years having a 'Sport Grip' around it.
Somehow they made this work, I'm not sure if the horn sounded at inconvenient moments or not..
Attachments
I cut the laces off and removed the leather. It's all intact, but saw no markings on the underside. The steering wheel underside had cracks I couldn't see at the spoke ends. Good thing is that the plastic wood grain is complete - no cracks. Maybe someone could use the leather and top faux wood...
Joined
·
11,000 Posts
Joined
·
11,000 Posts
Yes that is an original XR7-G / 1968 Shelby GT350 / GT500 / GT500KR steering wheel cover.
Joined
·
1,020 Posts
That factory steering wheel wrap is just plain ugly. I remember in 1985 wrapping my 1967 Cougar wheel in a dark blue leather wrap (it had blue interior). It was the full leather wrap with the underside stiching, without any holes or goofy plastic strings wrapping around and around the wheel. It came out nice. I did it mostly to cover up the cracks! And I didn't have a rim blow switch to deal with. I doubt the rim blow switch could ever work with a wrapped wheel.
Joined
·
1,291 Posts
That's what I figured, Scott; looks like I'll have to find some other way to make my wheel "feel fatter". Maybe a trip back to the 70's for some padded kidskin "driving gloves". All I'd need to complete the ensemble would be a white belt, polyester suit, and some Bausch & Lomb 'aviator' sunglasses.
(Cue cheesy 70's lounge music)......."Hey there, li'l lady, where have you been all my life? I'm Jimmy; but you can call me Dawg, 'cause I'm a howlin' good time!"
:lol:
Umm, anyways...
Propayne's picture looks quite a bit like the 'pleather' cover I wrapped around my plain-jane two-spoke '73 Gran Torino. Same four columns of holes, same kinda cheesy wrap-job. You had to pull the (vinyl) lacing TIGHT; else the wraps would bunch up beside the spokes, and the cover would pop off the top and bottom of the wheel "rim". This was, ahhhhh, DISTRACTING if it occurred while engaging in 'spirited driving' down some two-lane filled with curves, hills, and other whoop-de-doo's.
(Cue cheesy 70's lounge music)......."Hey there, li'l lady, where have you been all my life? I'm Jimmy; but you can call me Dawg, 'cause I'm a howlin' good time!"
:lol:
Umm, anyways...
Propayne's picture looks quite a bit like the 'pleather' cover I wrapped around my plain-jane two-spoke '73 Gran Torino. Same four columns of holes, same kinda cheesy wrap-job. You had to pull the (vinyl) lacing TIGHT; else the wraps would bunch up beside the spokes, and the cover would pop off the top and bottom of the wheel "rim". This was, ahhhhh, DISTRACTING if it occurred while engaging in 'spirited driving' down some two-lane filled with curves, hills, and other whoop-de-doo's.
1 - 20 of 25 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!