New steering wheel $1500???

[Polishmeatballpizza]

I know I don't need one yet,  however, I was at the Grand National Roadster Show today, and stopped by a booth where they do steering wheel restorations. The guy told me it would be $1300 if I had a core. Wow. REALLY?

[elagache]

Dear George and mid-60s Buick restorers,

I know I don't need one yet,  however, I was at the Grand National Roadster Show today, and stopped by a booth where they do steering wheel restorations. The guy told me it would be $1300 if I had a core. Wow. REALLY?

I haven't checked the prices, but unfortunately, restoring a 1965 Buick steering wheel is particularly difficult.  I don't know if you saw the steering wheel that Loren sold recently:

http://65gs.com/board/index.php?topic=3263.msg22464#msg22464

Loren sold it for $450 and it sold literally within hours.  That was only the steering wheel and not the chrome horn bar.  If the fellow proposing to restore your steering wheel was going to restore everything, $1300 might not be completely outrageous. 

That's why I went another route and adapted a Grant steering wheel.  These days the Buick rally steering wheel is also reproduced which is more authentic but alas clearly not original.

It doesn't exactly feel that way, but our cars are over 50 years old.  When I first started taking car of my trusty wagon, the car was only 30 years old - it didn't seem to difficult.  If back then, somebody had offered me a 1940s Buick, I would have run away screaming.  We all need to have that reality check - a 50 year old car is one for which some parts are going to be very hard to find.

Oh well, . . . . Edouard

[Mark Ascher]

George,

Depends on the condition of the wheel. Can you post a few pics?
You can have them restored, but they will always crack again to some extent.
I think plastics technology is much better now than the mid-60s.

Mark

[WkillGS]

Was it Quality Restorations from San Diego?
They can recast them. There isn't a price on their webpage.
http://qualityrestorations.com/buick/nggallery/page/2

Koch's Steering Wheel Restoration has a 64-65 mold but also doesn't list a price. Many other wheels are in the $300-900 range.
http://www.kochssteeringwheels.com/productcart/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=2

Another alternative is to use a later rally wheel or a repo wood rimmed wheel.

[Loren At 65GS]

Walt, thanks for the source.

I contacted Koch today for some information.  The mold they have is correct for the "Deluxe" steering wheel used on  '65 and '66 Skylark / GS. It was also used in '64 as an upgrade.

Cost is $450/ wheel and they would use your core. This includes painted to your color in a baked urethane.

I inquired about a discount for a multiple order made at one time. There is a break at quantities of 5 and then at 10.
Return shipping cost would run $40- $60 with insurance per wheel.

Turn around time is 10 to 12 weeks.

 Loren

[Loren At 65GS]

I know I don't need one yet,  however, I was at the Grand National Roadster Show today, and stopped by a booth where they do steering wheel restorations. The guy told me it would be $1300 if I had a core. Wow. REALLY?

George,

  I think the person you spoke with may have been with Quality Restorations. 

I called today and spoke with Dennis. The process used by Quality Restorations [QR] is different then Koch in that QR casts the color in the plastic at the time of molding. Then there is hand work of sanding and polishing the wheel. With this, the color goes all the way through ton the frame. They offer a lifetime warranty. Cost is $1300 and you supply a core.
With the Koch wheels, it is painted after the casting is done.

Just some more information,
 Loren

[elagache]

Dear Mark, Walt, Loren, and mid-60s Buick restoration "perfectionists,"

Thanks for all the interesting info!    You always learn more when you come to "real source of expertise!"

Unfortunately even if you restore the plastic part of the steering wheel, your car will still look crummy until you restore the chrome horn bar.  That sure looked impossible to me when I hit this problem a few years back.  Still, the chrome parts should be straightforward to apply a fresh layer of chrome.  Certainly Custom Metal Finishing ought to be able to get that job done.  That leaves putting back the paint behind the world "Buick."  Loren, have you thought to ask your airbrush master if he could manage to successfully mask the horn bar?

This is all purely hypothetical and "pie in the sky," but it doesn't seem as impossible as I thought it was just a few year ago.

Food for thought . . . . . . Edouard

[Loren At 65GS]

I haven't looked into redoing the horn bar. I'll have to inquire.

 Loren

[WkillGS]

Walt, thanks for the source.

I contacted Koch today for some information......

Loren, I had found both of those wheel restorers in a quick Google search. I can't personally recommend either of them since I have no experience with either.
I'm glad you did contact them to get additional information. Koch sounds like it may be a very good option considering you get all new plastic. Price seems fair considering all the labor that is involved.

[elagache]

Dear Loren, Walt, and mid-60s Buick perfectionists,

I haven't looked into redoing the horn bar. I'll have to inquire.

Thanks Loren!    The 1965 steering wheel was a very important component in setting the feel of the dash.  Given the desire for authenticity that folks on this board have, it is only a matter of time before someone will want to go the whole nine-yards in restoring the steering wheel.  So if a scheme could be found to restore the horn bar, that would be one step closer to a car that would win a BCA award.

Cheers, Edouard

[Polishmeatballpizza]

Thanks for the replies. I have a long way to go before I need one, I was just wondering. I guess they are pretty rare.

I don't have an original, there was a crappy aftermarket on the car when I got it.

[Loren At 65GS]

Thanks for the replies. I have a long way to go before I need one, I was just wondering. I guess they are pretty rare.

I don't have an original, there was a crappy aftermarket on the car when I got it.

It isn't so much that they are rare, but more that they all crack. 

  Loren

[SBRMD]

Loren, how much of a break in price is given by Koch for the quantities mentioned?

Also, did they tell you what kind of plastic they use?  Ability to resist cracking, vs the original material?

Thanks in advance?

PS:  Why did Frank stop doing his wheels?  Where is his mold?

[Mark Ascher]

There is another company, D and D Automotive, that does wheel recasting and other plastic casting work.
Brian Stone had his wheel recast in red by them, and it is a beauty. Not cheap though, I think it was in the range
mentioned for Quality (Walt's post  on 1/30/17).

Mark

[Loren At 65GS]

Loren, how much of a break in price is given by Koch for the quantities mentioned?

Also, did they tell you what kind of plastic they use?  Ability to resist cracking, vs the original material?

Thanks in advance?

PS:  Why did Frank stop doing his wheels?  Where is his mold?

When I contacted Frank, he did not want to elaborate on his decision and I was given a flat NO on purchasing the mold.
That is about it on that

On Koch's

A quantity of 5 - 9  would run $400 each plus the return shipping.

A quantity of 10 and more would run $375 each plus the return shipping.

Shipping is estimated at $40 - $60 with $1000 insurance.

I originally did not get any information on the type of plastic.

So, I called again today and have some answers.
The folks at Koch's seem very friendly and willing to help.

The wheel is recast in a poly urethane plastic which has a UV stabilizer in it.  It is then finished in your color choice with a poly urethane paint.

They guarantee their work with a  life time warranty.
Turn around time is 8 -12 weeks , pending time of year.

Loren