RE: Wow, my steering wheel looks bad!

["Ian Lomax" <sfalfisto@domain.elided>]

I've done it, it's not hard, just time consuming.  Getting the old finish
off requires sanding.  I have no idea what it is, but nothing will strip it
except sandpaper.  It's genuine wood under there alright (the later GTV^
wheels might be fake, but the spider wheels are real).

I refinished mine with marine varnish, since it's similar conditions (sun,
etc.) and it's a bit dinged up four years later, but nothing another coat
and a bit of sanding won't fix.

Put on as many layers of varnish as you want, I sanded the runs between
coats with 600 grit wet i think.  Then go to 1000, then rubbing compound and
finally polishing compound, and it'll look fabulous and you'll be proud as
hell to drive it and hold it.  AMHIK.

Have fun, and go for it!

Ian Lomax
71 Spider (plastic wheel on wall, wood wheel on car, needs shift knob to
match)

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-alfa@domain.elided [mailto:owner-alfa@domain.elided]On Behalf Of
Tony Martie
Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 8:39 AM
To: alfa@domain.elided
Subject: Re: Wow, my steering wheel looks bad!


Plastic!?  Are you sure?
It is the stock "Personal" wheel, but I only question this because the
sharp edges where the spokes meet the "wood" are very worn and look and
feel just like wood.  Bordering on splintery.
Anyone?
~Tony Martie
On Wednesday, September 18, 2002, at 10:03 AM, James Montebello wrote:

>
> The steering wheel, if stock, isn't wood.  It's a dull wood-grained
> plastic with a shiny, very heavy coating that looks like urethane.
> It's possible that all of the coating on yours has chipped away, as
> it's vulnerable to sun damage.
>
> james montebello
>
> On Wed, 18 Sep 2002, Tony Martie wrote:
>
>> I just installed my beautiful new super-shiny wood shift knob with the
>> serpent eating the poor Alfa owner (that's what a friend liked to say
>> back when I was fixing everything on my then basket case Spider) which
>> was purchased from Mastro. Very nice by the way.  Anyway, I now
>> realize
>> how rough my original wood steering has gotten.  It looks really bad
>> in
>> comparison.
>>   I know this was covered extensively before, too extensively as I
>> recall, but I was wondering which refinishing method and or products
>> will help me achieve a finish something like my new shift knob.
>>   I recall someone spoke highly of a product for marine
>> applications(?).
>> I am familiar with the methods of getting a paint job smooth, but it
>> seems like wet sanding a steering wheel successfully would be
>> difficult
>> with all those bumps and edges to sand through.
>>   Any tips greatly appreciated.
>>
>> Tony Martie
>> 78 Spider
>> shiny knob, rough wheel
>> --
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