260ZRED Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 tried searching... I must be blind? or no one has posted anything? Is there any advice on how to go about restoring a fake wooden wheel? (from a 260z but 70-78 is all same) I really want to learn to do it myself! thanks for any ideas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 There was something somewhere about refinishing the plastic steering wheel. A search might reveal something. But if you have a decent looking steering wheel, you can just tape the faux wood off and sand down the metal, then repaint. I did just this and I have had quite a few people wondering where it was refinished at. Just a thought. !M! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260ZRED Posted November 9, 2004 Author Share Posted November 9, 2004 my fake wood sucks as well.. I tried searching can't find. Going to experiment on my own I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zcarnut Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 From our club web site: Refinishing 240Z steering wheels 1. Remove the steering wheel. Gently pry up the horn pad and remove the 22mm nut. The wheel then can be nudged off. This will also give you access to clean out with WD-40 the little turn signal return springs/levers that may be gummed up and making you do the old manual return on your turn signal lever. 2. Using a medium to fine grit sponge sand paper that you can get in any hardware store, gently sand off the 20+ years of built up dirt off the wheel. Be careful not to sand off the wood grain on the plastic! Clean up using rubbing alcohol. 3. Sand the metal spokes with fine grit wet sandpaper (the black/gray stuff) to remove any corrosion or rust. 4. Using masking tape, tape newspaper around the wheel part being very sure to cover all the plastic/wood part of the wheel. 5. Hang the wheel from a tree limb outside with a piece of coat hanger or cord and put three to four coats of semi-flat black paint on the spokes. Allow each coat to dry a couple of hours and use several light coats multiple times instead of one thick coat to get a professional look. 6. After the spokes are dry (overnight is best), tape a covering of newspaper over the spokes. 7. Here is the tricky part. Purchase at the hardware store or Wal-Mart a furniture scratch pen. These look like a big brown magic marker. I like the dark walnut color. Use the scratch pen that matches the grain pattern and color of the steering wheel. If you get too much on one spot you can use the pen to smooth out and blend the color. Add a few darker lines in the grain pattern on the plastic to make it look more like wood. 8. After the ink is dry, use a thick UV Protective Spar Varnish applied with a loaded 2" paintbrush. The first coat is critical, apply gently and don't be afraid to put it on heavy. Try not to dab around too much as the scratch marker ink can come off. The ink will mix with the varnish a little bit and add to the wood tones. 9. Add 2-4 more coats of the varnish, sanding with very fine paper (300 to 400 grit) between coats. Touch up any spots that you sand down too much with the scratch pen before applying the last coat. 10. Re-install the steering wheel. The finished product will look better than original without looking non-OEM. The UV protectant varnish will keep your wheel looking good for the next 20+ years. The varnish will last longer on the plastic than it would have lasted on real wood. The end result looks like hand rubbed walnut that would have cost two to three hundred bucks to purchase and then not look original. If you have an artistic flair and want to experiment with different shades of the scratch repair pens you could get some pretty exotic wood looking combinations on the finished product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SportZ2 Posted November 10, 2004 Share Posted November 10, 2004 There is also a very detailed how-to in the Fall 2001 issue of Sport Z Magazine that explains it from start to finish with pictures. I know this is a shameless plug, but what the hell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
260ZRED Posted November 10, 2004 Author Share Posted November 10, 2004 thanks for the great info. I'm going to get started, will post some pics when Im done. Can I ask where/how you found this info? I tried searching everywhere couldnt find nothing.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zcarnut Posted November 10, 2004 Share Posted November 10, 2004 Can I ask where/how you found this info? I got it from either the “main” Z car mailing list (IZCC) or the 240Z mailing list. BTW, there were at least three different steering wheels used by the 1970-1978 Z cars. Only the 240Z used the fake wood one. The 260Z had a steering wheel with a soft foam cover (terrible feeling, IMO), and the 280Z used a vinyl covered. However, the different wheels could be swapped amongst the early Z car models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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