Removing Leather Wrap from Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel.

[slack]

Hey Guys,

I was wondering what it would look like if I took (what's left) of the leather wrap off my steering wheel. It's nasty, sticky and falling apart. I don't really like steering wheel covers but I guess I could go that route if need be.

Thanks.

[86VickyLX]

it's thin, theres holes in the wheel where the spokes attach.

[87gtVIC]

Pick up a wheelskins wrap if you can. Ask for an extra stitch kit and do the baseball stitch.

http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthread.php?26257-My-1987-Two-Door-Crown-Victoria-AKA-THE-BROWN-BLOB&p=627168&viewfull=1#post627168

[HiFiMerc]

I have a thread about replacing that with something without leather.

Wheelskins was mentioned there too. Here is the thread in case you're interested.

http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthread.php?50231-What-else-has-it

[Mainemantom]

I have some of the old school style lace up rubber steering wheel covers available. Tan, blue, black red. All new.

[PICKUP6772]

Here's the wheel in my 89 GM. I took the wrapping off a couple of years ago. I actually got the remaining glue off using NOXON metal polish. I think it had to do with the ammonia in the product. Wheel came out nice, and clean. If you didn't know it had a leather wrap, you'd have thought it came from the factory that way. As for the wheel being too thin, I grew up on 60's, and 70's car, so it didn't feel weird to me. Could have used the little extra thickness after I did the steering box conversion, though. Would have made the transition a little easier.



MIKE

[L1011tristar17]

I didn't grow up on older cars, but I must say that I also like thin steering wheels better. On the older wheels you can put your hands comfortable at whatever position on the wheel. Hard to do that on the beefy steering wheels they put on newer cars.

[87gtVIC]

That looks great Mike.

[sly]

yeah, hearing people talk about steering wheels being thin in panthers makes me laugh. I remember those half inch diameter pencils they used to call steering wheels in the older cars and classics. THAT'S thin. The stuff we have now is friggen HUGE.

[Mainemantom]

That steering wheel looks much better than the factory leather wrapped. Really clean looking.

[slack]

Thanks for the all the replies guys. It gives me a lot to think about.

Here's the wheel in my 89 GM. I took the wrapping off a couple of years ago. I actually got the remaining glue off using NOXON metal polish. I think it had to do with the ammonia in the product. Wheel came out nice, and clean. If you didn't know it had a leather wrap, you'd have thought it came from the factory that way. As for the wheel being too thin, I grew up on 60's, and 70's car, so it didn't feel weird to me. Could have used the little extra thickness after I did the steering box conversion, though. Would have made the transition a little easier.



MIKE

That looks awesome. I agree, the thin wheel doesn't bother me. My '84 Chevy, '82 Deville and '84 Fleetwood all had pencil thin steering wheels and I loved it. I always thought the CV wheel was a bit thick as it is actually.

Maybe I could pull it off and do a wheel cover if that doesn't pan out? I'm not sure if it would be too thin at that point though.

[PICKUP6772]

That looks great Mike.

Thanks, Dave. The cover went to shyte a few years ago. Being this is my DD, and I'm a bus mechanic, and half the time I'm rushing out of work to get my daughter for Dance/Girl Scouts/ NJROTC, I sometimes don't have time to wash up. The leather cover did not get along too well with oil/grease/diesel fuel, etc.

MIKE

[sly]

I need to get a new cover for my 88. The color matched leather slip on style cover is getting loose and frayed.