-- [ From: Bob Nogueira * EMC.Ver #3.1a ] --
Blake:
I don't know what the black material is in the Brooklands wheel but I do
know that it slowly shrinks up and cracks until it blows away as dust. I
have a Brookland hanging in the garage ( yes "the garage with more parts
than anyone person should have") and over the past five years I have watched
the 'Plastic' shrinks , crack and turn to powder. Several years ago I
repaired my wheel using black Marine-Tex to fill the cracks, sanding and
painting the wheel. It worked for several years but did start cracking
again and some of the Marine-Tex peeled off.
I repaired the wheel again and this last time I used a very thin very
firm foam ( from the local hardware store to cover the plastic rim. The foam
was held in place with gauze golf club handle tape. The tape is also used
as a bandage tape and is self sticking . Over this I sewed on a leather
steering wheel cover I found at Pep Boys. This is not the lace type cover
with holes and lace wrapped around it but a true sew on type cover . The
foam fills out the thin rim of the wheel so the cover fits tight, The gauze
tape holds the foam in place while sewing ( by hand) the cover in place and
prevents the cover from moving once it is in place.
It has worked well for three years, the wheel still has the look of the
original and the extra thickness ( which really brings the wheel back to
just a little more of the pre shrunk size) feels perfect. The total cost
was under $20.00 as apposed to $250 or better for a repro.
Bob Nogueira
-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------
> Date: Monday, 10-Aug-98 11:27 AM
>
> From: LBlake@Newport.com \ Internet: (lblake@newport.com)
> To: MORGANS \ Internet: (morgans@autox.team.net)
>
> Subject: Brooklands Steering Wheel
>
> I've got an original Brooklands steering wheel on which the plastic rim is
> cracked to the core in several places. I'm wondering is there is anywhere
that
> can recast the plastic rim on the original core? Or, any other
suggestions as
> to reconditioning the wheel?
>
> Lee Blake
> '60 +4, 4 pass (still in pieces, but coming along) lblake@newport.com
-------- REPLY, End of original message --------
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