So Ive found tonssss of repair threads on steering wheels but mine is a little rougher then most, but I have to save it. It has none of the grip left. Id like a DIY method or find a company that will restore it. But heres a picture of what i got to work with and this maybe a dumb question but does the horn cap or button just pop out? this is the first one Ive had and dont wont to ruin it.
With no grip left, I would find someone with a big wood lathe and turn a nice wood rim for it. Not original, but it would look cool!
A great candidate for a perimeter rebuild! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=590437&showall=1
The horn button has four tabs that you need to straighten. After you get that out there is a copper inner piece that is crimped to the stainless piece in three places. After removing the copper you can get to the back of the stainless to push out any dents.
It's been a few years ago but I found somebody on the HAMB classifieds selling a few tubular steel "hoops' to be used a steering wheel rims. I bought a 14 incher and bent the spokes of an 18 inch Buick wheel to fit...welded it up for a recessed banjo wheel.
Nick, if all else fails. I have a nice restorable wheel on the Ford Barn. http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=102404
My 38 buick wheel was missing so much of the plastic that I slit some 3/8' hose and applied it to the steel rib using an adhisive to make it set up and not slip. I then bought one of those steering wheel covers that you lace up arount the wheel. It is really confortable now.
It'll take some work, I'm thinking about finding another wheel and switching rims but these are the coolest so it'll be worth the trouble
Now that's the best and easiest fix so far! Never thought about putting another outter on one! I had enough to work with on mine, but the old Austin has such a tiny diameter that a donor outter grip would have been a much better fix! I epoxied mine, and still had to do the rope wrap trick to make it large enough to get a decent grip on it!
You might want to try http://www.garyssteeringwheel.com/ Saw his work at Carlisle show this past week. Good luck! Bruce/CT
An original horn button was part of the light switch rod which is held into the car by a clip down below the steering box. It has to be removed first to get the wheel off. This is not an original unmodified Ford horn button. Your wheel can be recast by a professional with a mold....expensive. Redoing the whole thing with PC-7 by hand can be done I guess but very labor intensive. I have done several but only fixing cracks and a few replacement pieces around the spokes. One of the wheels that I restored was given to me at a flea market by a vendor that knew it was an expensive deal. I used PC-7 to bring it back to life I have not priced one being recast lately but I'm sure it is up there. a 39 that I fixed and yes that is not an original horn button either but it does turn on the headlights like an original. It is an after market horn ring made for a 36 Ford eithe the banjo or the standard wheel. This is the only one I have ever seen I recognized the horn button drawing in the old box. This is a 37 banjo with the horn rod and the wheel removed. Your 39 will look the same with the rod removed. The first one I did 30 years ago I just squeezed the rolled horn rod so that is was a friction tight fit ( I was running a Vega box) Neither were as bad as yours.
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