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

[Zed Head]

22 minutes ago, HS30-H said:

like plastic to you, then I can't help you.

Not me.  You're projecting that other guys comments on to me.  I don't need help.

[HS30-H]

2 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

Not me.  You're projecting that other guys comments on to me.  I don't need help.

"...so good that the final product seems like plastic."

[Zed Head]

8 minutes ago, HS30-H said:

"...so good that the final product seems like plastic."

To the guy on the BATS discussion.

Never mind. 

Edited August 9, 2022 by Zed Head

[HS30-H]

3 minutes ago, Zed Head said:

To the guy on the BATS discussion.

You're so focused on feeling superior that you can't even understand a simple comment.  It's truly ironic.

You might be advised to qualify who you're talking about with the "feels like plastic" thing. You left plenty of room for crossed wires.

And sorry if I come off as "feeling superior". Don't want to step on your toes for that mantle.

 

[Zed Head]

The technical parts of the thread were interesting.  Thanks to all that contributed.  

It's still an interesting topic.  I'd like to see the instructions for building the steering wheel, from the factory.  That would be cool.  You can see that they covered up a pretty ugly piece of steel.  The welds aren't even very good.

[26th-Z]

So what specie of wood do you think was used?  There was a mention on BaT about walnut and maple shift knobs.  I really doubt the maple and would suggest light walnut.  Walnut comes in a range of color, light to dark, red to brown, and the grain is quite distinctive.  Walnut might explain the various colors of the steering wheel as well.

[HS30-H]

1 hour ago, 26th-Z said:

So what specie of wood do you think was used?  There was a mention on BaT about walnut and maple shift knobs.  I really doubt the maple and would suggest light walnut.  Walnut comes in a range of color, light to dark, red to brown, and the grain is quite distinctive.  Walnut might explain the various colors of the steering wheel as well.

I suggested Indian Rosewood earlier, but Walnut seems very likely too. Izumi would surely have needed a good, uniform quality, supply. We have noted rim colour differences - lighter in the early factory publications - before on this forum.

I'd consider giving a sample to a wood expert or scientist for identification/appraisal, if I can find one.

Izumi themselves - of course! - could have answered just about every question we have here, but contact after the Autoliv takeover might make asking difficult.  

[HS30-H]

4 hours ago, SpeedRoo said:

Interesting that Nissan/Datsun never referred to it as a wooden steering wheel in their sales brochures of technical publications. Jaguar refer to theirs as "wood-rim" steering wheel. The 240Z brochure refers to it as "Racing type" steering wheel.

From the 1970 Nissan S30-series Fairlady Z model range brochure. 'INSTRUMENT PANEL' double page picture and dash layout explanation.

Item No.18: Written in Katakana: 'WOOD RIM STEERING WHEEL'.

 

[SpeedRoo]

1970 Datsun 240Z brochure. 

[kats]

Hi Alan, I show this before you do .

From a サービス周報(Service bulletin) 昭和44年11月 ( November 1969 )

page 27,

ステアリング　ホイール　木製

(Steering wheel.  Wood )

シフト　レバー　ノブ　　木製

(Shift lever knob.    Wood ) 

page 130,

握り部分を木製にし、スポーティムードを出しました。

(The grip is wood , to show sportier mood )

Kats

[kats]

From my best treasure of all .

1970 PRESS INTRODUCTION 

“ FOR RELEASE PM’s WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1969” .

Kats

 

Edited August 10, 2022 by kats

[SpeedRoo]

@katsthanks for showing those. I wonder why Datsun didn't describe it as a wood steering wheel in the English language brochures and handbooks/parts books. You would think it would be a selling point. Even R&T 1970's test refers to it as simulated wood but with real wood for the gearknob. Car Magazine in 1972 refer to it as imitation wood as well.