Andrew Mace wrote:
>
> On Sun, 9 Nov 1997, Joe Curry wrote:
>
> > msecres@ibm.net wrote:
> > >
> > > A Spitfire is plenty 'o fun, except when you have the 14 inch '74 stock
>steering wheel
> > > under which to fit your damn gangly legs (note correct prepositional
>usage).
> > >
> > > A smaller one sure would make life easier with which to deal.
> > >
> > > What are my options?....
>
> > I put a 75 Spit wheel on my 63, and a 70 GT6 wheel on my son's '66.
> > BTW, the Two wheels mentioned above look almost identical, but the GT6
> > wheel for some reason is about 1 inch larger. Go figure!
> >
> > With that said, I just checked Vickie Brit catalog and their replacement
> > wheels are listed separately between the 62-77 and 78-80 years. So I
> > guess you cannot interchange with later ones. The VB wheels are 14" in
> > diameter. I haven't measured mine, but that sounds smaller than the
> > Stock one I have. They come with a Triumph logo center cap.
>
> I think that 14" is about as small as the wheels got, at least those on
> the original Herald-style steering column. Early Spitfire wheels were
> 16", as were Heralds. Somewhere during or at the Mk.3 Spitfire, the
> wheels were 15". And IMS, it was around 1973 that the 14" steering wheel
> appeared. From about 1977 on, the Spitfire used a steering column derived
> from that of the TR7, and I don't think wheels from these will fit the
> earlier columns.
>
> Years ago, around 1983, we bought a 13" Grant(?) steering wheel for the
> Hardly Boys RaceSpit 4. It came with a hub to fit the original steering
> column, and the horn setup was similar. (Note: the horn button looked a
> lot like the original Lucas item, but they were not interchangeable, and
> the "Grant" one was noticeably poorer in quality. For example, it took
> virtually no time for the logo piece to dislodge itself from the center
> of the horn button.]
>
> --Andy
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> * Andrew Mace, President and *
> * 10/Herald/Vitesse (Sports 6) Consultant *
> * Vintage Triumph Register *
> * amace@unix2.nysed.gov *
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thanks to Joe, Charlie and Andy for their input.
BTW, Joe, there is more legroom under the GT6 wheel, for reasons that
elude me. Clearance there is not the problem that it is with the Spit.
I still would like to find a 13" wood wheel that I can bolt up without
changing out the hub and horn. I feel that it exists.
--
Martin Secrest
74 Spitfire
73 GT6
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