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Steering wheel care

PostPosted: Fri Feb 27, 2015 9:25 pm
by vernon.taylor
Salut

I've just bought a Chapman steering wheel for my car for a foolish amount of money - it's not even the correct wheel but I thought it would look cool.

The rim has the original moulded plastic covering in very good condition - almost feels like a modern wheel. What's the low down on looking after theses things - are there products that should or shouldn't be used to ensure the plastic covering doesn't dry out and become brittle ?

Merci et @+

Vernon

Re: Steering wheel care

PostPosted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 7:50 pm
by Galwaylotus
I thought all Chapman wheels were either wood or leather rimmed!

Re: Steering wheel care

PostPosted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 7:56 pm
by types26/36
Galwaylotus wrote:I thought all Chapman wheels were either wood or leather rimmed!


No, the Sprints (and probably S4's) had a plastic covered Chapman wheel that the plastic splits with age, normal practice is to recover in leather.

Re: Steering wheel care

PostPosted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 8:45 pm
by Galwaylotus
types26/36 wrote:
Galwaylotus wrote:I thought all Chapman wheels were either wood or leather rimmed!


No, the Sprints (and probably S4's) had a plastic covered Chapman wheel that the plastic splits with age, normal practice is to recover in leather.


Ah. I learn something every day! :D

Re: Steering wheel care

PostPosted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 8:54 pm
by vernon.taylor
It's a +2 wheel.

Re: Steering wheel care

PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 2:45 pm
by saildrive2001
My 69 S4 SE has a leather covered wheel.

Re: Steering wheel care

PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 3:38 pm
by elanfan1
Not sure there is much you can do after it has been cleaned. I highly doubt the plastic dries out as such but perhaps hot and cold cycles of the car being in direct sunlight then cold nights causes expansion and contraction then causes fatigue and splitting. Unlike leather I don't think you can condition it as such. Maybe just keep it covered when not in use and out of extremes of temperature.

Probably quite a valuable wheel as not many survive having not been recovered (and as far as I know no one has found a way to repair or recover in plastic.

Re: Steering wheel care

PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 5:27 pm
by richardcox_lotus
Mine is plastic covered. There are a couple of minor splits on a seam, which are obviously going to only get worse through use, so any repair tips would be welcome.

Richard
72 Sprint

Re: Steering wheel care

PostPosted: Sun Mar 01, 2015 8:16 pm
by Galwaylotus
vernon.taylor wrote:Salut

I've just bought a Chapman steering wheel for my car for a foolish amount of money - it's not even the correct wheel but I thought it would look cool.

The rim has the original moulded plastic covering in very good condition - almost feels like a modern wheel. What's the low down on looking after theses things - are there products that should or shouldn't be used to ensure the plastic covering doesn't dry out and become brittle ?

Merci et @+

Vernon

ArmorAll will likely protect the plastic against age cracking but it leaves the surface extremely slippery!! I wouldn't use it on tyre treads or a steering wheel.

Re: Steering wheel care

PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 8:27 pm
by pereirac
My Sprint also had the hard plastic cover and it was fine (a bit shiny in places) until I dropped it when the plastic cracked :oops: I had it recovered in leather by the Lotus factory for a reasonable price. Bell and Colvill sent it back to the factory for me.

Re: Steering wheel care

PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 9:55 pm
by vernon.taylor
Meguiars recommend this:

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product/g ... onditioner

... and the Chemicalguys this:

http://www.chemicalguys.com/InnerClean_ ... 663_16.htm

The first appeals to me. Anyone tried either of these ?

@+

Vernon

Re: Steering wheel care

PostPosted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 6:17 am
by trw99
With the increased premiums paid for originality amongst classic cars, I set out recently to find a company that could replicate the hot weld vinyl covering of Sprint steering wheels.

I failed to find one, dear reader.

If anyone elsewhere than the UK wishes to do the same, good luck! I suspect that the tooling and processes necessary to replicate the finish are no longer economically viable or available. However, I would be delighted to be proved wrong!

Tim