Steering Wheel Care

[JimBob]

Does anyone have any insight on how to care for the color portion of the steering wheel? I know it's wood and painted, but do we care for it in the same way we do for the body finish (wax, polish, etc.)?

My concern is based on fluids from the palm of the hand prematurely aging the paint...discoloration, fading etc. On my Mustang, the portion of the leather where I held the wheel quickly began to age (within one year), and I had to secure a leather cover for it.

Any thoughts/help would be appreciated.

 

[chryslertcnut]

JimBob,
I'm sure that a coat of good wax will not harm anything on the wood part of the steering wheel. Any wax that gets over onto the leather portion can be brushed off with an old toothbrush after the wax has dried.
A nice pair of good leather driving gloves that are left in the car all the time will surely help extend the life of the leather and the painted part. I have two cars with wood shifters with clear finish on them and all that has ever needed done to them in 13 years is to wash them with a mild soap and dry them. They seem to pick up dirt from somewhere, probably from body oils and dust in the air. The main thing is to avoid any chips in the paint. If you wear a lot of rings, etc, I suggest driving gloves....
George,
'02 Blue/White/ full Blue on order.
'56 Mark II, Cobalt Blue
'57 Country Sedan, Cumberland Green
'57 T-Bird, Willow Green
'89 Lebaron GTC Conv, Black
'89 TC by Maserati, Cabernet, auto
'89 TC by Maserati, Cabernet, 5sp
'93 Ranger Splash, White
NRH, TX

 

[RTBRD_aka_jodrod]

I have been somewhat concerned about that also. I have been trying not to use that portion of the wheel when driving. My biggest concern is scratching the paint with my wedding band.

 

[chryslertcnut]

RTBRD_aka_jodrod,
I don't know if you have a "Car Toys" store in your area but the last one I was in (Seattle area, 10 years ago) carried a reasonable line of driving gloves. They weren't cheap by a long shot, but sure looked and felt good. The pair I liked were basically a finger and palm cover with leather straps fastened with velcro. What little there was to the back of the glove was perforated for air circulation. They came in a small varity of colors, ie, black, brown, white and 2 grays. I don't remember the price, but was somewhere around $25-$30 and up!!!
George
NRH, TX

-

 

[JimBob]

EXCELLENT idea on the driving gloves...that had never occurred to me...just need to find a place here in Phoenix where I can buy a nice pair.

After spending what I did on the 'Bird, $40 for a pair of nice gloves seems nothing!

Thanks again

 

[Gobird]

rtbrd, easy solution, take the wedding ring off. Don't tell Trudie I said that.

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02 T-Bird 9293
69 Vette
73 MGB
97 F-150 4x4
2-Seadoo Jet Skies
a dog a cat and a couple hundred fish in my pond