Author Topic: Rim Blow steering wheel copy  (Read 2104 times)

Offline JoeGrapes

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 508
Rim Blow steering wheel copy
« on: August 19, 2014 - 03:09:37 PM »
I just finished my Rim Blow steering wheel copy. I took a Grant 246 wheel, painted the back half of the wood black and modified a repro Rim Blow center to work like a horn button. Looks pretty good. And for about $1200 less.




Offline dfrazz

  • 1970 Cuda - 1968 Charger
  • Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 4070
Re: Rim Blow steering wheel copy
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2014 - 04:08:58 PM »
That is sweet Joe!!  :cooldancing:

I need a new wheel for my Chally and would love to do that if I was as crafty as you. 

Offline Cudaragtop

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1437
  • Woulda Shoulda Cuda! Randy
Re: Rim Blow steering wheel copy
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2014 - 08:20:55 PM »
I like it!  :clapping: Well done.  :2thumbs:
- Randy D.
1 of 88 1970 340 4-Speed 'Cuda Convertibles
69 Barracuda Fastback Project Album https://goo.gl/photos/XjsAsx4LDo7psimU8
----o00o--'(_)'--o00o----

Offline Sean

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 625
    • My Cuda Restore
Re: Rim Blow steering wheel copy
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2014 - 08:09:20 PM »
Very nice!!!  Well done!

Sean

Offline Adam

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 21
Re: Rim Blow steering wheel copy
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2014 - 10:51:52 PM »
Nice!  The real wood looks better than the factory plastic.

Offline JoeGrapes

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 508
Re: Rim Blow steering wheel copy
« Reply #5 on: August 21, 2014 - 10:35:32 AM »
Thanks everyone for the compliments. The hardest part of this little project was spending $200 on the repro center cap. But it looks better than the plain one.

Offline miketyler

  • Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 2561
    • www.miketyler.net
Re: Rim Blow steering wheel copy
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2014 - 07:32:38 AM »
I responded to your other post and hadnt realized you already had installed it. Wheel looks good. How is the quality of the cap? All metal construction? I am looking for one for my wheel.
72' Cuda restomod
70 Mustang Mach 1
07' Toyota Tacoma Prerunner Dbl cab in Speedway Blue!
01' Honda 1100 Shadow Sabre
96' Seadoo Challenger

Offline JoeGrapes

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 508
Re: Rim Blow steering wheel copy
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2014 - 07:53:24 AM »
The quality of the Grant steering wheel is ok, not great but acceptable. The spokes are just lightly polished bare steel and the wood is fine but slightly bigger in OD and ID than the steel it's screwed to. Since the original Rim Blow wheels were plated a satin finish I painted the spokes with chrome bumper paint I had laying around. The cap looks nice. The black insert is rubber and the fish looks like plated steel. The outer ring is plastic and there is a steel disc inside that every thing is screwed to. I took the metal ring off the original horn since it will make the center cap sit to high when you snap it on the switch. Then I took the steel disc out of the center cap and made up a smaller dia plastic disc to fit against the inside of the black rubber center. I drilled 3 holes in the steering wheel to match the holes in the outer ring of the cap and used longer screws to fasten the cap to the wheel. Now when you push on the black rubber center the horn beeps. 

Offline Adam

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 21
Re: Rim Blow steering wheel copy
« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2014 - 10:00:03 PM »
The original center caps were plastic too.  Be careful honking the horn, a lot of people bang on the original center cap and break the fish, not realizing it was a rimblow.

Offline Cudaking71

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 43
Re: Rim Blow steering wheel copy
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2014 - 02:20:14 AM »
Looks ok ,but i would have taken it a step further by staining the would then clear coating it many times! Just a thought?did it for a frieand ounce and it cameout amazing!

Offline JoeGrapes

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 508
Re: Rim Blow steering wheel copy
« Reply #10 on: September 14, 2014 - 12:34:08 PM »
I know the wood looks lighter in the pic because of the flash but the color actually matches the rest of the wood grain pretty good so it didn't need staining. I did clear coat it so the wood would stay clean.