While looking at the prices of flaming river, limeworks and others, yet again went to the salvage yard with my tail between my legs looking for a bargin. I found this chevy steering column out of a mid sixty's school bus(manual trans) for 20 bucks. Reminds me of the 56-62 vette columns. Had to extend the metal case that surrounds the turn signal switch, and modify a grant steering kit to make the vette wheel/hub fit right. Diameter is 2" tubing, and a chevy 6 cylinder 292 aluminum racing rod with a rubber gasket fits perfect as a column drop. Steering wheel is a snag from craigslist, plastic cracked. Easy fix. All in all, not a lot of $$ invested, but a blast to build.
I like the look should fit right in with the inside . Flat Vette wheel looks very vintage was a good choice.
I am using the same column. I was wondering if you had any of the turn signal wiring figuired out? I pulled mine out of a 61 chevy c50. I have a few 61 chevy pickups figuired I could look at them but the wire colors are different. Any help would be appriciated.
Haven't got that far, with all the truck resto sites I'm sure I can get the other half of the harness.
isnt fun to build something and be able to look back and say "yep thats gonna work PERFECT". nice finished product
I almost bought a new 15" wheel, but I am trying to use as much vintage parts as possible. Even the wheel I have, up close has some small scratches in the stainless. Plan on leaving them there for character. Trying to build a car that would have been built in the early 60's time period. Yes blitz, I know exactly what you mean. My old boss's catch phrase was " I love it when a plan comes together".
A friend of mine liked those Flaming River columns with the stainless but didn't want to spend the money, he dug up a column similar to yours and cut some stainless exhaust tubing to slide over it, notched for turn signal clearance and polished. Looks like a chromed column, worked really well and I doubt he's got $50 in the whole thing. Great minds think alike, I guess.
i have fixed signals in many columns remember what goes in and what you want out basicly a hot lead into flasher flasher to switch then at rest .. no connection right turn .....two contacts will touch left turn...... two contacts will touch two -4 wires out to sockets thats grounded.. well the taller element in dual element bulbs is the brake /turn the shorter element is tail park/ lamp wire coming out are color coded like trailer wiring yello green brown white now if parking lites are in the system the contacts are doubled .. so parking lites are never cut out of the loop i have raised the contact areas up by wrapping a fine wire from a small electric motor( slot car ) around the base .. these conatcts get worn....mostly the right ...and they can be switched around remember the wire color will change reassemble with the proper electric lube and write down the wire colors codes all this can be done out of the car using a battery charger and a test light or two really easy the contacts are just the opposite of where you would think it will be remember your brake lites may go through this switch and your tail/ park lamps too