Hot Rods Little Pages circa '57-'62; popular rod steering wheels were?

The small dia '40 Ford wheel is not too bad looking either.

That's interesting about the fairlane and thunderbird wheels. you would think that if one was smaller it would be the thunderbird wheel.

 

To tell the truth, I'd never measured either of them till Franks post came up. I expected them to be the same size, was really surprised. I know my '57 wheel was out of a HT.

 

I have never compared them at all, I wonder of the sedan wheel is bigger.

 

Well that's what Franks measurement has me wondering? Without the horn ring, '56 and '57 wheels LOOK the same, but???

 

This one have a Corvette steeringwheel.
Not the best pictuers but its there.
And if anybody know wich magasin this is from i like to know it to.

 

AndersF, It was Custom Rodder July 1958

 

Frank i have a steering wheel from a caddy, i am not sure of the year but i think it was on one of the '58 parts cars i had. i measured it it is 17" and comes toward the driver about 4 ". it only has one bar across the middle. i will post a picture tonight.

 

Here is the wheel from the 1930 Chevy RPU built in 59-6o.

Someone here said it was 56 Ford

The builder did cut the late 40s Ford column inner shaft to graft on splines to fit the newer Ford wheel. It was way too far back, at least 6" too long on the shaft. I don't know how he fit in there.
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Well, I am cutting steering wheels apart with a sawzall..

I cut the rim off of a V'd 2 spoke 15-3/4" diameter wheel.

Then I cut the rim off of the 41-48 Chevy 17-1/4" wheel which is also 2 spoke but flat.

I left 1.5" of the spokes still on the smaller rim, and those are angled downward due to the V spokes.

I stuck it together, and ended up with a wheel that is not flat; the outer rim is raised up just enough to give it a bit newer look.

Put it on the car, and it really makes a difference with the pedals, getting in the car is easier, and not blocking the view out the windshield as much. I will shim the column down at bit on the bottom of the dash.

Also found the old horn ring which was a full circle, but half was gone, broken off. It attaches to the back of the wheel, so I will find a way to trim the back and attach it to the bottoms of the spokes. It looks a lot different now. I saw all those horn rings posted in this thread, so I thought that might help, and it does change the look in a good way.
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Post pics of the wheel you are putting together. I'd like to see it.

 

Horn ring on the back is on edsel and squarebird wheels as well, but they don't look like that wheel at all. Wonder if its some sort of Merc wheel?

 

'56 Mercury Monterey has the horn ring on the back, but its the same as my squarebird wheel...


The wheel in the Bakan coupe is always listed as '56 Merc, but I have never seen a stock merc wheel with 4 spokes, pretty sure its actually a mid-fifties aftermarket accessory wheel for merc, it also has the back-mounted horn ring.

 

My camera only works with my PC, but not with this laptop. I don't dare run the PC, because if the computer is on, but NOT online, the wireless activity light is blinking like crazy....so I don't know if it is downloading something, or is someone hacking info out of my PC? But it's not online... Anybody know about that?

The PC is not wireless, it has a cord from the router to the PC. When the activity light is going crazy with the PC offline, it stops blinking when I unhook the router cable to the PC

I never had a Ford horn ring. The broken half ring I mentioned is from the 41-48 Chevy wheel. Right now, that ring has a bell shape under the wheel center that won't fit the Ford column bell. So that's why I never tried it. I am sure I can hack it up and attach it to the bottoms of the spokes, and toss the bell thing.
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I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that what you have is some kind of base-model '56 Merc wheel, and that's why its bigger than my Ford. My guess is a '56 Ford wheel would also be 17.25. I will google some '56 merc interior shots, and see if I can find a wheel like that in a base model '56 merc.

 

cant find your wheel, but I did solve the mystery of the wheel in the Bakan car, somewhere someone along the line got the year wrong, its a '57 Montclair wheel!

 

Tried '55 merc, Frank your wheel is a complete mystery to me...

 

MAJOR moment of inspiration! I was looking at all those Merc wheels that look like my squarebird wheel, just with a different horn button, and it hit me! maybe I could get a horn button from an early/mid fifties olds, and turn down in a lathe, so it would fit in my T-bird horn button! I had been planning on a bullet, because the T-bird emblem just didn't tie in, but this is better. Now I just gotta find a '50 Olds rocket 88 horn button!

324 olds motor, 56 starfire wheelcovers, and the olds 'planet" in the middle of my T-bird horn button! YEA BABY! Sorry for the momentary high-jack, carry on!

 

One thing to always count on.....whatever you can think of, has already been done

I wish I had a pic...I have the olds "planetarium" on my 41-48 Chevy wheel right now .... they come in two sizes, small like that one with blue backround, and the larger one with silver backround which fits the older wheels better. I took my silver one apart and painted the blue, but the "world with ring" are chromed on those.

 

here is the picture. i don't think it is a '58 wheel, but it is only 17".

 

That's a cool wheel!

 

the dark area on the left is green/marble covered. there piece on the right is missing.
do you know what year it is?

 

Used runabout boat wheels were popular on hot rods in my neck of the woods, similar to this one.

 

I used a white '60 Olds "deeeep dish" on my '28 Essex back in the early 60's

 

1960. Really nice wheel. What about one of these Frank?

 

i think he said the dish was too much.
if not the wheel i have is yours Frank.

 

I think it may be a boat wheel, and the boat may have said something like mercury or mercruiser on it making it a Merc Wheel. I have owned a few mid to late '50s mercs and don't recall one with a 4 spoke wheel either.

 

If Frank doesn't want that wheel, please let me know. Thanks.

 

That cad wheel is really cool. I really like the two-tone. The plan for the interior in my '39 is white T&R with pink piping and buttons in a metallic purple car. Wanna rip off something like this.


I could really see that cad wheel in there either pearl white and pearl pink, or pearl white and purple. Maybe the t-bird wheel will be hitting the swap meet table?

 

Anders, I kept meaning to post this ever since you posted, but I keep getting sidetracked hunting for steering wheels.
The Buzz Sawyer car circa 1955, when the original builder Rudy Heredia still owned it, pic from Andy Southards book "Hot Rods of the 1950's". One of the best t coupes EVER in one of the best hot rod books EVER.

 

take a close look, the right side piece is missing, i thought it would be a good "test fit" piece. unless you can make the trim piece or find one. it is just half round so it could be made from wood or plastic.

 

I didn't notice, half blind old fart that I am... I could probably make it in plastic.