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Stock Tiger Steering Wheel

twautomotive

Donation Time
What is the typical price range for an unrestored stock Tiger steering wheel? I recently got one with a bunch of Sunbeam parts.
Thanks.
tom
 

sunalp

Diamond Level Sponsor
Really depends on condition. A good pic would help to determine.
I've seen decent condition wheels with all the wood intact ,needing refinishing,
going in the $2-300 range ( again depends on condition) and nice refinished
wheels going for about $1000 and up. I know it's kinda vague but without seeing
it 's hard to determine.
Cheers!
Steve
 

65sunbeam

SAOCA Membership Director
Diamond Level Sponsor
What shape is the plastic steering wheel hub in? Pictures of it and the wood wheel would help set a price.
 

jumpinjan

Bronze Level Sponsor
Speaking of these GT wheels, I'm finishing up two of them. And I made up a miter box to cut the wooden grips at the proper scarf joint angles. One wheel was missing some wooden grips and so I had to cut up some spares and glue them. I also had the black inlay replaced at my friend's wood working shop. He has a CNC router and programed it to EXACTLY cut out the inlay groove and I replaced with new inlay!
Jan
 

twautomotive

Donation Time
Thank you for all your replies. I have attached some photos. I'd like to try to restore it. I have a few questions. How should I repair the cracks in the wood? Epoxy, wood putty, wood filler or ??? What is the the inlay made of? Wood (type?), plastic or ??? Epoxy, PC – 7 or ??? on the hub? Tom
P1010353.JPG P1010354.JPG P1010355.JPG P1010356.JPG P1010357.JPG P1010358.JPG P1010359.JPG
 

jumpinjan

Bronze Level Sponsor
Well, I'm not going to make a tutorial on how to do it, but all the wood must be removed and cleaned up. Most likely the round bar that is the ring is all rusted. Then you fit the wood to see if it all fits back again. Don't use any wood filler! Use "clear epoxy" to glue the wood back on. I used C-clamps every 3" around the ring.
It looks like the plastic hub is beyond repair. If you have other steering wheels with better hubs I would use one of those.
Jan
 

jumpinjan

Bronze Level Sponsor
I use T-88 clear epoxy with 1 hour working time..Don't use 5-min epoxy. The inlay is 0.140" wide.
Some GT wheels have three layers of black inlay, then some just have a single layer. I spray automotive urethane clearcoat for the finish. Then sand and apply more clearcoat.....I use automotive clear because it dries fast, its catalyzed, and be applied heavily (many mils of thickness).
Jan
 

Scotty

Silver Level Sponsor
I've always wondered, are the Tiger 'wood' steering wheels more durable than the stock Alpine ones?
 

alpine_64

Donation Time
I've always wondered, are the Tiger 'wood' steering wheels more durable than the stock Alpine ones?
Firstly... The Tiger wood wheel is actually the Alpine GT wheel ( first used on series 3GT)

The hubs are exactly the same between both.
The timber rims will delaminate and split ( especially if the inner metal ring rusts )

The bakerlite ones probably lasted better in some environments... But are now harder to repair.
 

Scotty

Silver Level Sponsor
Firstly... The Tiger wood wheel is actually the Alpine GT wheel ( first used on series 3GT)

The hubs are exactly the same between both.
The timber rims will delaminate and split ( especially if the inner metal ring rusts )

The bakerlite ones probably lasted better in some environments... But are now harder to repair.

I didn't know that o_O. So All the GT's had wood dash and wood Steering Wheels? That's cool! Learn something new everyday.

I'm taking it that the GT's didn't have lids either for the soft tops or were theirs just a little different? I've always loved the occasional seat pads that I've seen on some, it gives the deck a better look imo.
 

alpine_64

Donation Time
I didn't know that o_O. So All the GT's had wood dash and wood Steering Wheels? That's cool! Learn something new everyday.

I'm taking it that the GT's didn't have lids either for the soft tops or were theirs just a little different? I've always loved the occasional seat pads that I've seen on some, it gives the deck a better look imo.

Yes... When s3 came out a GT was a GT as it had the luxury interior..full carpet, pleated door panels, door top rolls, wooden dash and wheel, interior courtesy light, thicker 1/4 window bases to match the rolls, under bonnet insulation, cast exhaust manifold, large intake filter and a rear seat area with no allowance for soft top, just a body coloured hard top.

The later SVGT had a wood venere bakerlite dash as opposed to the plywood laminated dash amd they used the same spec motor as the ST and didnt have the underhood insulation.
 
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