LMAO!
Remind me not to be drinking when reading the replies, gonna make coffee come out my nose!
😂
BUILD THREAD Project Olds Cool (Recognition!!)
- Thread starter Rktpwrd
- Start date
LMAO!
Remind me not to be drinking when reading the replies, gonna make coffee come out my nose!
😂
Donovan,
I'm surprised you aren't considering repainting the grip on that wheel yourself. It's just paint. Hafrod famously said in one of his Youtube videos "Guys, there's no such thing as a blue cow." He swears by painting those Turbo Regal wheels with SEM. My burgandy arm rests that I painted black turned out so well, I wouldn't hesitate to paint that grip, and I don't have half of your experience or talent. If I was going to do it, I would:
I know you can make it look new. I'm pretty sure it will hold up. Danny says it will for years of daily use.
I'm surprised you aren't considering repainting the grip on that wheel yourself. It's just paint. Hafrod famously said in one of his Youtube videos "Guys, there's no such thing as a blue cow." He swears by painting those Turbo Regal wheels with SEM. My burgandy arm rests that I painted black turned out so well, I wouldn't hesitate to paint that grip, and I don't have half of your experience or talent. If I was going to do it, I would:
- Start by washing it with Dawn soap with warm water and a grey scotchbrite
- Then clean with a warm water/TSP solution and a grey scotchbrite
- Then clean with SEM Soap and a grey scotchbrite
- Dry thoroughly
- Clean with SEM Vinyl Prep spray and a new microfiber cloth
- Tack cloth
- Bulldog adhesion promoter
- SEM Color Coat color - mixed to match
- SEM Color Coat clear - you pick the shine - I would go wth low luster but that might not be the correct shine
I know you can make it look new. I'm pretty sure it will hold up. Danny says it will for years of daily use.
Thank you D it's looking a little better for her the tubes may come out tomorrow and then she can be brought out of it.
Bruce you can't ever say D ain't thorough just let that OCD go!
The view I had of the wheel is the top layer of the soft foam grip so a coat of SEM (or equal brand) may not level out the overall finish. Now if it was the soft vinyl (or vinyl like) material simular to the four spoke Chevy wheel, then recoloring will work. With age & chemical break down it's a hit or miss on how these older wheels will react with the tape's adhesive strenth. It's a lesson learned for all that was unfortunately at Donovan's expense. But I have faith in him to pull a rabbit out of the hat on this one.
My read from the pictures was the finish was coming off. My thought was the grey scotchbrite would take off the rest of anything loose and feather any edges but I'm not there looking at the wheel so perhaps I'm all wet. It wouldn't be the first time.
I think Big D knows a thing or 2 about resurfacing. That being said, I think he and I both know that the only way to finish that wheel correctly is to have it stitched up in matching leather (dare I say suede? It's so comfy!).
Then he will have to get racing gloves to drive it
Thanks for the vote of confidence and the suggestion Jared. If it was a matter of being just a simple redye, I likely wouldn’t hesitate to do exactly what you’ve outlined above, and in that exact sequence as well. You nailed what would need to be done.
However.
I’m also not above deferring to the professionals when it can save me valuable time, money and energy. All of which (at this point anyways) could be better spent elsewhere on the car. I neither have the dye nor the years of experience in dealing with soft surfaces, nor a real want to have to buy more materials (the dye) that I likely won’t have much use for in the future.
Not visible in the pictures is some light surface cracking on the outer rim that I was unsure if it was repairable. This is primarily what I wanted the experts opinion on, and why I wanted to take it in for an evaluation.
Again, thanks for the vote of confidence. You guys really are the best.
The grip on this wheel is hard to describe, it’s not really like anything else I’ve ever come across. It’s not sewn or stitched as near as I can tell (even though it’s made to look like it), and the surface is firm and completely smooth yet soft when pressed. Nothing at all like the Camaro wheels.
As said, I fully expected the dye to come off in some spots, particularly in the areas where the grip meets the spokes, but it just sucked that it happened in other spots as well. My thought on this is, if it came off that easily with a little tape, then it was due to be redone anyways.
You’re mostly right. The finish (dye) is what came off with the tape. I’m not sure that grey ScotchBrite would be up to the task of feathering into the better adhered stuff, but I knew what you meant, and you’re on the right track.
Hahaha
I appreciate the sentiment Bruce, but I can tell you flat out that ain’t gonna happen!
First of all, despite what you guys have seen me put into this car, it’s actually supposed to be somewhat of a budget build. That means no dropping 2,3, or 4 hundos on a custom grip, and especially not on a factory wheel!
The other thing is, I’ve never really been much of a fan of suede. Given the choice, I’ll pick leather over suede any day of the week. When I ordered my Corbeau sport seats for The Juggernaut, I had the choice of leather or suede. I chose leather, I just like it better.
As a bit of an update on the status of said steering wheel, yesterday I ran it over to the shop I spoke of and dropped it off for evaluation. The owner phoned me this morning, and not only said he figured it was 100% doable, but that it would cost no more than a maximum of $150. Possibly even less once he got into it and saw what he had to work with.
I gave him the go ahead, just do it and get it done. He said he thought there was a good possibility that he’d be able to get to it later today, and that it might be even dry enough to come pick up later tomorrow.
So, yeah. There it is. Looking forward to getting it back and seeing how it turned out!
Is there anyone out there that can revitalize that steery wheel in the original material?
If not, I realize my vote is simply an opinion, but with that steery wheel, I would take it to a reputable wheel repair shop and get that beeyotch redone, but in LEATHER. Same color, or even a different color if you wish, but I'd do that. The leather can be finished "shiny" as it were with enough padding to make it look factory fresh, but in leather. It's not like it's a NRCC style restoration where the build date stamps have to match or anything.
Good thing about that is it would be, IMO, more durable than original and still look factory. That's what I would do. I'm amazed these original wheels lasted 40 years and look even that good.
If not, I realize my vote is simply an opinion, but with that steery wheel, I would take it to a reputable wheel repair shop and get that beeyotch redone, but in LEATHER. Same color, or even a different color if you wish, but I'd do that. The leather can be finished "shiny" as it were with enough padding to make it look factory fresh, but in leather. It's not like it's a NRCC style restoration where the build date stamps have to match or anything.
Good thing about that is it would be, IMO, more durable than original and still look factory. That's what I would do. I'm amazed these original wheels lasted 40 years and look even that good.
I'm weird with steering wheels, I dont think most of the recovered wheels look very good. I have been kicking it around for quite a while because my GTO's is nasty and has de-lamination on the spokes. But most of the ones I see I don't like, I was expecting D to go with the brushed look on the steering wheel as well with the spokes
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