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Hot Rods Mystery vintage wood steering wheels....Cragar...Nardi ? Need help with ID

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Black Panther, May 27, 2021.

  1. Black Panther
    Joined: Jan 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,133

    Black Panther
    Member
    from SoCal

    Have a couple of old wood steering wheels I'd like some help identifying. The one on the right is 16" diameter, the wood is made up of multiple pieces like a optional midyear Corvette teak wheel. Spokes look like Cragar. Did Cragar make wood steering wheels? The one on the left, I just took off of a boat I bought at an estate sale. The boat was built in 1963...and the pic is from about then...so the wheel has to be from 1964 or earlier. The spokes are equidistant like a Covico...aluminum and is SUPER light. Has an ebony band. Also 16" diameter. I first thought Nardi..but Nardis don't have spokes like this one does...no markings on either wheel. I thought it might be old Ferrari or similar...but pics I've seen show normal spokes...not Y shaped like this one. 20210526_221435.jpg 20210526_221435.jpg 20210518_164143.jpg
     
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  2. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 12,286

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I hate push starting boats!
    Never see a boat interior laid out that way before. No help on the wheels tho
     
  3. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    cragar.jpg

    early 60s cragar ad, the gold colored one might be wood, since it's separate?

    Dual Ghia

    62 ghia.jpg

    60 ghia.jpg
     
  4. Black Panther
    Joined: Jan 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,133

    Black Panther
    Member
    from SoCal

    The interior on the boat was amazing....very high level of detail. Still all there, but now 60 years later...last few decades covered by a tarp and invaded by mice. What a shame.
     
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  5. Black Panther
    Joined: Jan 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,133

    Black Panther
    Member
    from SoCal

    Squirrel....I thought the one might be Cragar too..but no proof yet. My Bell Auto Catalogs don't go back that far. The Nardi style wheel has unique spokes with a Y shape..not traditional 3, 6 and 9 o'clock.
     
  6. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    I wonder if they made more than one style?
     
  7. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    The one on the right has the same bolt pattern as Most Grant and wheels that bolt to a Grant adapter have.
    This being the backside of a Mooneyes wheel. A lot of aftermarket wheels were made to use Grant hubs back when a custom wheel was the hot lick. You could sell your house brand wheels for less than a Grant wheel and sell the Grant hub to bolt them on along with selling Grant wheels .
    The one on the left does look to be Nardi with the groove that may have held a different color strip in it. They did make some no name wheels for Jaguar and a couple of manufactures.

    In 1966 I had a buddy in Seattle who had a boat similar to the on in post 1. The wildest ride I have ever had on land or water.
     

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  8. Black Panther
    Joined: Jan 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,133

    Black Panther
    Member
    from SoCal

    20210527_160457.jpg The Jag angle was something I wondered about. The guy whose estate sale it was had a series 1 XKE in the distant past. But the mounting pattern for those is different I think. My earliest Bell Catalog is 1968.
     
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  9. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 30,755

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    the cragar wheels were held on to the adapter with 4 1/4 inch bolts when all the other brands used 3

    5E0FBE03-E8F7-4ED3-A1A8-927CEA2AFD10.jpeg
     
  10. Magfiend
    Joined: Sep 11, 2019
    Posts: 432

    Magfiend
    Member

    That page from the Bell catalog is awesome - I have an NOS 13" flat Covico and never knew much about it. Guess it's an F-130 Delux wheel.
     
  11. Do you happen to have a pic of the steering wheel that includes the entire boat? :)
     
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  12. pirate
    Joined: Jun 29, 2006
    Posts: 1,024

    pirate
    Member
    from Alabama

    EMPI 15 1/5” dia, 3 1/2 dish. upload_2021-5-28_11-20-4.jpeg
     
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  13. Dave Mc
    Joined: Mar 8, 2011
    Posts: 2,575

    Dave Mc
    Member

    Nardi wheel in my 33 from Roy Brizio's shop IMG_0514.JPG
     
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  14. Black Panther
    Joined: Jan 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,133

    Black Panther
    Member
    from SoCal

    The Empi wheel is close...but not it. Remember the wheel was made prior to 1963. I really don't think it's a Nardi. I looked at Les Leston wheels..they are from the UK...but no luck yet.

    The only period pics I have of the boat, have bikini babes hanging all over it. Don't want to offend the easily offendable. Current pics are sad...

    I just remembered there are the two oldest pics showing the first iteration with the Cadillac motor..which I did find parts from at the estate sale too.

    20210520_150249.jpg 20210519_124440.jpg
     
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  15. Black Panther
    Joined: Jan 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,133

    Black Panther
    Member
    from SoCal

    The Weiand valve covers from the Cad engine in the boat. All I did was rinse 50 or 60 years worth of dust off of them.. 20210501_125836.jpg
     
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  16. I am not easily offended :D but I would love to see a current pic ...

    Is it restorable?
     
  17. That boat is rad.


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
  18. Black Panther
    Joined: Jan 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,133

    Black Panther
    Member
    from SoCal

  19. Much appreciated, unfortunately I am not even in the US but that is one cool boat.
     
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  20. Damnit....I wish I was a lot closer


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
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  21. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki





    upload_2021-5-30_4-13-56.png
    Hello,

    During our 2nd 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery days, we were happy with the look and presentation of the red sedan delivery when we arrived anywhere for family events or photo shoots. It took us almost 6 months to get it safe and handle/brake well. but the basic hot rod motor/driveline, etc was there, it just needed some repairs and replacing a lot of parts.
    upload_2021-5-30_4-14-30.png

    We were young enough to experiment with different cars and since we had a cool sedan delivery, we ventured outside of the hot rod world. Our neighbor had a nice sporty car for he and his wife. So, anytime we went somewhere for dinner or cruising around, we both had to drive our own cars. The sedan delivery was a two seater and so was our neighbor’s sporty car.

    He had changed his stock sporty car steering wheel to a wooden one. It was a Nardi. It made the interior look pretty good. As we continued to go places with our neighboring couple to various car events(hot rod shows to brand specific sporty car events), the idea of having a sporty car was getting to be appealing to my wife. For us, we had a huge rear area in the back of the sedan delivery for whatever stuff we had to transport, in our family inventory.

    Our conversations presented itself when our neighbor mentioned a nice sporty car similar to his for sale in So Cal. That made my wife’s eyes open wider. We did not need a rear seat area for additional family members as we were 20 somethings and a two person car would fit right into our inventory and lifestyle, as long as it was reliable.

    So, we went to look at it and instantly, my wife and I were proud owners of a fairly pristine sporty car. When we got it home, it looked nice sitting next to our 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery in the carport. the color was a similar orange-red, so the carport was colorful to say the least.

    Jnaki

    Since our neighbor had his Nardi steering wheel, my wife wanted to go see some new styles. We saw a bunch at the dealer and individual sporty car accessories stores. She liked the deep dish version, but that would not fit in the sporty car with clearance for the driver. It was too deep. But, I had considered it for an addition to our Ford Sedan Delivery as a nice custom touch. It was going to be our choice, until I saw and purchased a 4 spoke Moon Equipment black/chrome steering wheel.
    upload_2021-5-30_4-15-25.png
    NOTE:

    Your old wheel looks like a Nardi 3 spoke and with the addition of the narrow openings, looks similar to yours. One question, we had a friend with a Howard 18 foot boat with a big Ford motor. We spent many fun times water skiing all over the LB Harbor and at the Parker Dam back in those early days. But, a wooden steering wheel on a moving boat on the water? And spray washing it after our skiing adventures? His black large diameter Moon black 3 spoke worked well in all conditions without any worries. So, it takes all kinds of choices to make this world…YRMV







     
  22. bubba67
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 1,842

    bubba67
    Member
    from NJ


    Wait, bikini babes offend some people ???
     

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