'69 through '73 Steering Wheels - Wood, or Plastic?

[HS30-H]

I've been prompted to start a new thread on this subject after reading - for what seems like the thousandth time - somebody describing the OEM steering wheel on a late 1970 production HLS30UV as "Plastic". 

No. The OEM steering wheel on the '1969 through 1973 production S30-series Z was WOOD. Real wood.

They were manufactured for Nissan by specialist Izumi Motor Co. Ltd, based in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Izumi made a wide range of steering wheels for Nissan, as well as selling their own aftermarket 'sports' stering wheels with a cheeky 'Izumi' engraved script which aped Nardi, one of their inspirations.

Izumi used a patented high-pressure heat moulding process. Real wood fibres, impregnated with resin, were laid - following the grain - in a heated mould around the steel hoop of the steering wheel. High pressure, combined with that heat, moulded the wood permanently around the hoop and cured the resin. The result was a wood steering wheel, complete with finger grips on the rear, with no joints or seams. No splinters.

My theory is that people found them a little 'plasticky' or just couldn't believe they were real wood, and it stuck. After 50+ years it is hard to shake this off, hence me reading a comment on yet another Bring-a-Trailer auction from somebody who is convinced they are plastic.

Evidence: I've cut one up. I'm making a 'special' wheel using this 1970 production Izumi as a base (it was already damaged, so don't weep...) and can therefore show what's under the surface. I'll let the photos speak for themselves...

   

[SpeedRoo]

The wheels are actually a composite using wood fibers as the reinforcing element and the resin being the plastic. It is understandable some people refer to them as "plastic" rather than wood. Generally a "wood" steering wheel would be made up of shaped pieces of solid wood attached to a metal frame.

[HS30-H]

12 minutes ago, SpeedRoo said:

It is understandable some people refer to them as "plastic" rather than wood.

The people calling them "plastic" - I'd wager - haven't seen one taken apart as in the above photos. They call them plastic because everyone else does. As far as they are concerned, there is no wood in there at all. They are wrong.
 

15 minutes ago, SpeedRoo said:

Generally a "wood" steering wheel would be made up of shaped pieces of solid wood attached to a metal frame.

The only difference here is (your qualification of) "solid" wood. The Izumi wheel is wood attached to a metal frame. The part that people are calling 'plastic' is actually wood. Real, as in organic,wood. Look at the photos closely. That's not wood dust, wood pulp or wood shavings (as in MDF, for example), that is clearly grained wood. It splits with the grain. 

Split hairs too much here and you'll find somebody (maybe even me) telling you that your definition of "shaped pieces of solid wood" might also qualify as 'plastic' if they have been stained and lacquered...   

 

[26th-Z]

You are both correct but you are splitting hairs within an incomplete definition, IMO.  There are many ways to process wood, similar to our thoughts of processed cotton or wool.  In the manner of manufacturing a wood steering wheel, Izumi used a processing know in the industry as "oriented strand".  Oriented strand lumber products have been around since the 1940s.  Similar to high pressure lamination techniques, the oriented strand process allows tighter tolerances and strength to a reinforced product like the steering wheel.  And, the end product is seamless.  Great welding photos of the metal rim and spokes!

 

[SpeedRoo]

The steering wheels on my Aston Martins are wood rims, made from shaping a solid piece of wood. These are the traditional style of wood wheels built this way for a hundred years or more. When composites came along and combined resins/plastics with various reinforcing materials the rim was shaped in a mold using pressure and heat. Not many people consider these "wood" in the traditional sense. Hence, its understandable why some people call these plastic...and they are partially correct. I would not consider the wheels in my 240Zs as wood but as a molded composite. Trying to correct people and their use of various naming conventions becomes quite petty, we are all correct but in various different ways.

[HS30-H]

32 minutes ago, SpeedRoo said:

Trying to correct people and their use of various naming conventions becomes quite petty, we are all correct but in various different ways.

So when the guy on the latest Bring A Trailer 240Z auction refuted my explanation, then doubled down with "Steering wheels on Z's are plastic", you think it would be petty to correct him?

That's what I keep seeing. Almost every time these wheels are discussed you see someone - or more - calling them "plastic". It is clear that they think there is no real wood in there at all. Put a few facts in front of them - including the wood composite explanation - and they wriggle with "...yeah, but it's still got plastic in it" or similar.

I'm pushing back on that. 

1 hour ago, 26th-Z said:

You are both correct but you are splitting hairs within an incomplete definition, IMO.  There are many ways to process wood, similar to our thoughts of processed cotton or wool.  In the manner of manufacturing a wood steering wheel, Izumi used a processing know in the industry as "oriented strand".  Oriented strand lumber products have been around since the 1940s.  Similar to high pressure lamination techniques, the oriented strand process allows tighter tolerances and strength to a reinforced product like the steering wheel.  And, the end product is seamless.

Thanks. Next time somebody says "Steering wheels on Z's (sic) are plastic", you'll hopefully step up to the plate and introduce them to the pioneering 19th century WPC work of Michel Thonet, John Henry Belter and Isaac Cole as well as Mr Armin Elmendorf and his 1960s OSB patent.

Or you could just sit back and let me shout "they are WOOD!" at them...

[26th-Z]

Well, hold on there, Roo.  If they were made from one solid piece of wood, they would show end grain which they do not.  Further, the grain on the steering wheel does not run perpendicular to the circumference of the wheel, rather parallel to it.  Thus your Aston Martin wheel is made from a number of wood pieces, front and back, around the rim. 

[SpeedRoo]

@26th-Z a solid piece of wood rather than wood fibers or sawdust. As you say the wood is cut and shaped to fit around the wheel frame; it is not a molded composite of plastic and wood like the Datsun one.

[HS30-H]

3 hours ago, SpeedRoo said:

...it is not a molded composite of plastic and wood like the Datsun one.

Here's a question. Straight, no spin.

Just how much wood do you think is in the rims of these wheels? What percentage of wood, what percentage of "plastic"? What proportions.

Ballpark will do. You'll be guessing, of course. So ballpark is OK.

 

 

I'm looking at the pieces I've chipped off the wheel, and whatever "plastic" is mixed in there is pretty scarce. Most of it seems to be confined to the outer surfaces. I can sand through the shiny stuff and get to the underlying layers of (what I'm calling) wood fibre, and that wood fibre reacts differently than the shiny stuff does. It sands like wood. I splits like wood. It splinters like wood. To all intents and purposes it behaves like wood. 

The majority component of the wheel rim is wood. In composite form, yes. Of course. I've been pointing that out for years. But wood nonetheless.    

[kats]

Hi Alan, that is a great anatomy of our steering wheel. It is wood !Even it appears wood more than I  expected.

I remember when I asked if our steering wheel is wood , Mr.Matsuo said it is wood compressed with a very high power added some plastic (or a kind of material) . 
 

Alan , do you see “compressed “ phenomenon like Mr. Matsuo said ? I think Datsun 510 has a same steering wheel, I am curious about if there are any discussions about same thing among 510 owners ?

I want to ask it directly to an engineer of IZUMI but maybe impossible…

Kats

[Mike]

No matter what material, those photos could almost be turned into a piece of art!  Very well done!

Mike

[HS30-H]

8 hours ago, kats said:

Alan , do you see “compressed “ phenomenon like Mr. Matsuo said ? I think Datsun 510 has a same steering wheel, I am curious about if there are any discussions about same thing among 510 owners ?

I want to ask it directly to an engineer of IZUMI but maybe impossible…

Hi Kats. I remember having a similar conversation with Matsuo san, but I have also seen a period (early/mid-1970s?) Japanese magazine article which covered Izumi and their factory. Kind of a tie-up with their aftermarket wheel advertising. It would have been in Motor Fan, Motor, Driver or one of the similar Japanese monthlies and weeklies. I will see if I can find it again.

Yes, Izumi used similar techniques to make the 'wood' steering wheels of 510 Bluebirds, C10-series Skylines and several other models, as well as the vinyl/'leather' covered versions. Their simulated-leather moulded vinyl wheels - complete with faux hand stitching detail, as seen on the 'Datsun Compe' wheels - are also rather clever.

Izumi. An interesting company using technology to volume produce products that gave an Italianate 'hand made' feel. It makes me sad to see their fine work dismissed simply as 'plastic'.