Hot Rods Need to try to identify a steering column....

A good friend of mine owns the ex-Pat Ganahl '40 Ford Tudor......he needs to try to identify what the steering column came out of.....he does know this about it:

Tilt column, automatic shift with Drive and two lower ranges on the selector. It locks with the ignition key , has a hazard warning pull out tab on the lower right just below the steering wheel and the turn signal lever also is used to actuate the tilt feature. My guess is it is something in the mid 70s but don,t know.

The car is HAMB friendly, even though the column isn't, but he needs a rebuild kit for this steering column......



Any help out there? Thanks everyone....

CB

 

Sounds like a basic GM tilt column made by Saginaw. GM dealers have the parts.

 

Yup, mid 70s, they started using the column mounted dimmer/wiper switch around 1977 so if it doesn't have the dimmer, it's older, if it does, it's newer.

I don't know about a "rebuild kit", usually they just need the 4 internal screws tightened and loctited, a new lock cylinder, and maybe some turn signal switch cancelling cam spring repair. Along with cleaning/lubing the bearings and Ujoint and the lock mechanism.

 

Thanks for the feedback, guys.....I will pass along your advice....

Anybody else have anything further?

CB

 

I sent your comments to my friend but he wrote back saying this:

"Positive it is a Ford Product. Could be Mercury, Torino , T-Bird etc. If I had numbers I could cross reference. That was part of my question. Where would the numbers be. There is no steering box, it is now rack and pinion."

I can't get a picture from him at this time........any other ideas?

CB

 

a picture of the column might be helpful

 

Also look around on the column jacket for a date stamp...if you can date the thing, that at least cuts the possibilities way down.

 

sounds like a perfect opportunity to put a stock column back in and ditch the tilt crap! just sayin.

 

This points out a problem with these cars that I have always thought was important, documentation.
A book with all the parts and sources, years etc. should be kept and always go with the car to a new owner.
Would make things a lot easier.

 

If you are correct about the turn signal and tilt using the same lever it's not any GM I've ever run across

 

Anyone thought to ask Pat? He's out there somewhere -

 

Ya know what? I do remember some Ford ones tilt when you work the turn lever. I'm thinking -70s or later....

 

sorry I didn't catch the thing about a single lever. Fords used that setup in the 70s-80s. As mentioned, pictures would be helpful in identifying it. Even so, a competent mechanic should have no problem taking it apart, fixing what needs fixing, and putting it back together. It's just a steering column.

 

Also, study post #8...there's no column and wheel in existence that looks better than '40 Ford, and it is hard to find anything uglier than a tilt column in anything but a '70's barge.

 

This is a bit old, but we just got back from a 2-week vacation/work trip around the SW U.S., traveling 2-lane highways and photographing cars for Lost Hot Rods II book.

I didn't own that '40 sedan very long, and I basically "finished" it for the person who bought it just as I was completing the paint job. It had an old 303 Olds, '39 trans, and definitely a stock '40 steering box, column, and wheel when I sold it. But within about two weeks the new owner took the car to Art Chrisman, when he had just opened CARS, and had him completely rebuild the car with a smallblock Ford engine, IFS, a couple of NOS fenders, and who knows what else. Knowing Art, I'd assume the steering column is a Ford product, and I'd guess '70s era. Art is just getting back to the shop after some serious illness, so I wouldn't bother him about it, since I doubt he'd remember exactly. And I assume the car's been rebuilt at least once or twice since then.

So I assume this car is in new Jersey now?

Good Luck, Pat Ganahl

 

Pat.......yes, the car is in Ventnor, NJ......the owner is still Paul McQuade, who lived in California for about 25 years.......he brought the car back here with him where it has been ever since........

You are right on the money about the changes Art did to the car after Paul bought it....still has the SBF, but has a pretty wild cam in it now and a reworked exhaust system.....it's also been repainted...the black paint on it is really killer.....

Paul is still quite close to Art and Mike and recently visited with them out in CA....this was before Art became ill, but I know Paul keeps in touch with them by phone fairly regularly.....

I think the steering column has been identified as a 70's T-Bird column....

If you should want to get in touch with Paul for any reason I can make that connection for you.....

All good wishes,

CB