Does anyone know how the fordite steering wheels were originally finished? Were they painted, sealed with shellac, or left bare? The wheel in my 23 runabout is pretty faded and leaves a nasty, tacky black mess on my hands when it's humid outside. I want to restore the wheel rim, but I have no idea how it was originally done.
Thank you,
Stephen
Steering wheel question
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Stephen_heatherly
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DanTreace
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Re: Steering wheel question
The molded wheel rim was spun in polishing wheel to bring it to a bright shine.
You can do the same with fine finishing grit paper, wet-dry, use some water and polish away. Clean well first with soap and water to get all the old crud off the surface, then proceed to polish. Last finish in say 1500 to 2000 grit. Then add your favorite car wax to spiffy up the shine! The wax helps prevent the material from leaching out the black goo that can sometimes appear in hot weather and rub off on your hands.
If you wish, instead of wax, clean the polished surface with alcohol then spray a thin coat of clear gloss enamel , looks good for a long time, then it wears in spots, so you have to re-coat.
You can do the same with fine finishing grit paper, wet-dry, use some water and polish away. Clean well first with soap and water to get all the old crud off the surface, then proceed to polish. Last finish in say 1500 to 2000 grit. Then add your favorite car wax to spiffy up the shine! The wax helps prevent the material from leaching out the black goo that can sometimes appear in hot weather and rub off on your hands.
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TXGOAT2
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Re: Steering wheel question
Later model Fords had the Fordite steering wheels painted. It usually began to wear off fairly quickly, revealing the dull black material underneath. The bare material could absorb dirt and grease from people's hands and get a gummy feel. It might be difficult to get paint to stay on an old wheel rim. I'd try cleaning and polishing, then applying a clear wax. The wheel rim on my car is somewhat dull looking, but it does not leave any residue on my hands. I don't believe it is painted. Steering wheels in old cars that had sat out in the weather for years would leave sooty black residue on hands. The later model wheels with colored plastic rims will develop huge cracks under the same conditions.