Restoring a 240Z steering wheel

[rdefabri]

Does anyone have any idea about how to restore a 240Z steering wheel? I just picked up a used on in fairly worn shape. I know that www.datsunrestore.com offers a service, but I am kind of interested in doing it myself.

[mlc240z]

search is your friend!

good tips here:

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5489&highlight=steering+wood

[moonpup]

Just an added note; living in Houston with the long hot summer months, I used a marine spar clear with a high UV rating to help protect the wheel from future sun damage. Still looked great 15 yrs. later when I sold the car.

[beandip]

Does anyone have any idea about how to restore a 240Z steering wheel? I just picked up a used on in fairly worn shape. I know that www.datsunrestore.com offers a service, but I am kind of interested in doing it myself.

It's a easy thing to do . The black for he spokes that I use is satin black. I would sand down the metal part of he wheel with 400 wet dry paper. On the plastic "wood" portion , use a 3M scratchey pad like for cleaning pots and pans . Just moderately scrub the plastic part with it and I use Joy or any liquid dish washing detergent . This will remove the left over finish and the grease from your hands. Dry every thing off with fresh clean cloth. Mask off the spokes and spray clear on it. there are several options of clear finishes . Laquer drys the quickest but is not as durable , Spar varnish would be the most durable . After completely dry , mask off the clear and shoot the black . The one I have on my Z presently is finished with lacquer and it still looks good after 3 yrs. There is no need to stain or color the plastic . After you clean the wheel with the detrgent it will be vary dull , but when you apply the finish you will be pleased . Gary

[RAZ1]

rdefabri, here is a step-by-step on restoring your steering wheel courtesy of SZM. Enjoy. Sorry, no pics

A Turn for the Better

Refinishing the steering wheel on your 240Z is one of the easiest and least costly ways to upgrade the appearance of your Z’s cockpit. After all, the steering wheel is the one part of your car you see and touch every time you climb inside. In this article, Randy Lewis shares his experience from A to Z, having completed refurbishing the steering wheel on his three 240Zs. Follow his advice and in three hours or less (excluding driving time), even the greenest home mechanic will puff out his (or her) chest at the $15 refinished beauty.

Difficulty level: 2 (10 being the hardest)

Time: 3 Hrs

Parts Cost: $15

Tools: socket set, philips screwdriver

Overview

After nearly 30 years of wear and tear, it’s amazing that most 240Z steering wheels have held up so well. Generally, these steering wheels suffer only a dull or worn finish on the rim, and perhaps spokes show chipped or peeling paint and a few rust spots here and there (Figure 1). Even in Arizona, where I live, the sun and heat don’t seem to have had an adverse effect on the rim as is typical with many American cars. The rim of the wheel is actually plastic, despite a rather realistic looking faux wood finish, fooling some owners. With age, the rim takes on a nice patina that tends to make it look even more like wood than when it was new. The trick to restoring a 240Z steering wheel is to enhance the rim’s patina, not remove it.

Step One: Materials and Disassembly

You’ll need the following materials to refinish your steering wheel, all of which you should be able to obtain at your local hardware store (Figure 2).

• 220 wet/dry sandpaper

• Very fine steel wool

• SOS soap pads

• Masking tape

• One spray can of semi-gloss

clear lacquer

• One spray can of primer

• One spray can of semi-gloss black

To begin, you’ll need to remove the steering wheel from the column. This involves removing the horn pad from the center of the wheel (which simply snaps off as you pull it toward you) revealing a 22mm nut that secures the wheel to the column. After removing the nut, lock washer, and the spring-tensioned horn contact plate screws, you should be able to tap the wheel gently from behind, with equal pressure from both sides, and pull it free of the column. Once you have the wheel removed, take it to a sink or laundry tub large enough to submerge the entire wheel.

Step two: Preparation

The first step is to gently clean the rim and remove the years of accumulated dirt and grime. An SOS soap pad is the best way to do this without removing the patina. While running water over the wheel, or submerging it, slowly work your way around the rim with the pad, being careful not to bear down too firmly. You will notice the water turning an orange or brown color as the mild abrasive of the steel wool and the soap begin to work. When you no longer see color coming off the wheel, turn your attention to the spokes and center hub. Use the 220-grit sandpaper to smooth any imperfections from rust or peeling paint. Though it’s considerably more work, I would recommend completely removing the paint for the smoothest finish when new paint is applied. When you have completed these two steps, set the wheel aside to dry.

When the wheel is dry, it will feel a bit rough to the touch. You’ll want to go over the wheel with very fine steel wool to assure that the surface is as smooth as possible. Again, be careful not to rub too hard and remove the patina. When the rim is universally smooth to the touch, carefully mask the spokes and center hub with masking tape (Figure 3).

Step three: refinishing

Once you have completed the masking, it’s time to spray the rim with clear lacquer. One very important note here is to spray several light mist coats (smoothing each coat with very fine steel wool between coats), rather than a single heavy coat. This avoids runs and orange peel; clear lacquer is especially prone to runs. In the event you don’t heed this advice, you will have the unpleasant task of removing the lacquer with thinner and starting over. Trust me on this one, I learned the hard way. Let the rim dry overnight to make sure the finish is good and hard.

If you notice some variation in gloss level once the lacquer is dry, you can even out the finish by burnishing the rim with a paper towel, which acts as a very mild abrasive. Next, remove the masking tape from the spokes and center hub (checking to make sure that no sticky residue remains) and carefully mask the rim. You will find it helpful at this point, prior to spraying, to suspend the wheel with a wire coat hanger, giving you the ability to spray both sides of the wheel simultaneously. Spray the spokes and hub with primer as a base coat for the final finish coat. You will want to lightly sand the primed areas prior to spraying the semi-gloss black, in order to achieve the smoothest final finish. I have found the most durable and smoothest finish is obtained using high-temperature engine enamel.

When you are satisfied with the results, simply remove the masking tape, reinstall the steering wheel in reverse order and go driving (Figure 4). When someone at your next club meet asks where you got the new “wood” steering wheel, tell them you found it in Sport Z Magazine for $15.

[Zedrally]

I'm amazed at the statements of “wood” , plastic "wood" 7 faux wood finish, fooling some owners.

This was a myth that was busted several years ago. It was proved without doubt that the wheel is wood, subjected to a process. The thread from memory was by Kats, older members will remember the thread.

As mlc240z stated, search is your friend and will clear up any mis-conceptions about the origin of the wheel...

[rdefabri]

Awesome stuff, thanks guys!

To be honest, if it is plastic, it sure feels heavy and seems to have developed some "splinters".

[Walter Moore]

I sanded my steering wheel down with steel wool. Started with coarse then worked down to 0000 polishing grade. Hit it with Mahogany stain. Then put about 5 or 6 coats of Tung oil, polishing each coat with steel wool before applying the next.

The down side of this approach is that Tung oil has to dry for 24 hours between coats. But since the car is still in pieces, that isn't a huge problem.

I painted the spokes with a gloss black paint before I started on the wood.

It looks great, but I have no idea how long it will hold up. The car is in the garage, and I don't have access to a digital camera at the moment, or I would show you the result.

[montoya_fan01]

Awesome stuff, thanks guys!

To be honest, if it is plastic, it sure feels heavy and seems to have developed some "splinters".

This subject (plastic or wood) has been discussed ad nausium here, though I don't remember which threads. The best information came from our member KATS who spoke with one of the designers of the S30. It is wood that was impregnated with some sort of plastic/resin in a special process.

So it is in fact, BOTH

[rdefabri]

Well, it took me awhile, but I finished the wheel restoration, and I must say I feel accomplished!

It's not perfect, but light years better than the silly Personal custom wheel I had in it. All it needs is the horn pad! Some things I've noticed that I would change if I ever need to do it again:

I used a stain on the sanded wood/plastic part of the wheel. I think this goes a long way towards making the wheel look "rich", but I used a mahogany color, which in retrospect is a bit too dark. In the sunlight, it looks fantastic, but my preference would have been something a little more reddish.

I also used spray lacquer to finish the wood/plastic part. Anyone looking to do this themselves, I strongly recommend NOT using spray lacquer. Not only is it hard to avoid running (I did, but only with extreme patience), it's FLIMSY. I put about 2-3 weeks into doing this wheel, and it looked great. However, as I started to unmask the spokes of the wheel, I noticed some chipping of the lacquer. It doesn't take much to scratch it.

Since it's a steering wheel, I'm not going to fret it. However, some people noted the use of Spar varnish - how would one apply that? Is it brushed on or applied in another fashion? I very well may sand down my wheel in time and use the Spar varnish instead, but I have no idea of how to apply it. Any thoughts on this are appreciated.

[geezer]

I wasn't too particular on the materials used to refinish my steering wheel, and just used what I had on hand. First, a good scrubbing with some vinyl wash, saturating a scotchbrite pad. Next a light sanding with 400 grit on the spokes, followed up with some Mopar rattle can satin black. After curing the spokes were taped off and the rim was treated with a coat of Minwax Ipswich Pine stain and rubbed off. A couple of weeks later when I got back to it, a few coats of spar varnish were sprayed on and thats it. Total time spent on it totaled about an hour and it's holding up well in a cardboard box.

[moonpup]

snip... However, some people noted the use of Spar varnish - how would one apply that? Is it brushed on or applied in another fashion? I very well may sand down my wheel in time and use the Spar varnish instead, but I have no idea of how to apply it. Any thoughts on this are appreciated.

rdefabri. Any well stocked hardware store will have marine spar available in spray cans. That's where I got mine.