Ever since I bought this car this was the steering wheel I saw and held. I left it in the car as it was too far gone with chunks missing around the center and the rim. In the years that I spent collecting parts for it I managed to get the correct semi batwing steering wheel for it. In my opinion a steering wheel is the ultimate sign of the restoration quality that a driver sees and feels as soon as he gets into the driving seat. You don't see the wheels or the paint, the engine or the chrome but you hold the steering wheel in your hands all the while you are driving (or at least with one hand depending on exceptional circumstances).
There are several companies that specialise in the restoration of steering wheels for classic cars and there are volumes of information available online for the DIY route.
The market leader in this field is a company called kochs in the US. As with all things quality there is a price tag. To give you an idea a kochs restored wheel costs about US $400. Kochs actually recast your steering wheels if you send them your old one but they also sell them outright. A core costs around $100 for a semi batwing steering wheel.
I was lucky to find a NOS steering wheel..actually two when I was hunting for parts and I bought both. In addition to the semi batwings I also came across a very clean three spoke steering wheel for an oval standard that too I bought and now is on a wall in my man cave.
As the restoration progresses I have ever decided it is time to fit the grey beige NOS semi batwing and start enjoying the feel of a restored car. I had the steering column and the inducator assembly sprayed the same grey beige to match.
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