Thread: brookville experience

Tweet

Originally Posted by IC2

I'm surprised that it isn't leather wrapped instead of urethane/vinyl

Then it would not be like the original ...

I spent the day researching steering wheels and learned a lot. The Bell type has the zero dish I need but I ordered the cheap "flat" all aluminum 13" with dragons teeth from Speedway ($50) under the IC2 principle of look and maybe return and also found a four-spoke for a lower price at:

http://www.riley-auto.com/STEERING_WHEELS.html

The three spoke has the advantage of a better view of the speedometer I intend to put in front of the wheel but the Mullens is more expensive. Maybe I will end up with the Mullens three spoke after all but I want to use the Grant three hole setup for which I already have the adapter and a "V8" horn button. The Speedway 13" racing wheel is flat and I found that you can use a Grant adapter and horn button with it. I might get it anodized red if I decide to keep it. I also looked at some "drifting D-wheels" but they require a different adapter. At least with a zero dish I should have an inch or more additional clearance to help entry. I chatted with a tech guy at Speedway whose ride is a '29 highboy and he admitted he has to "squirm" his way into his seat so the '29 is tight and needs every bit of clearance possible. DennyW brings up the idea that a 13" wheel will lead to hard steering when parking but maybe the dragon teeth on the back of the aluminum wheel will help with a good grip. All of this just means that whatever extended experience I had working over, under, in and around that MG midget restoration was just replacing parts that bolt in eventually and is very different from adapting and finding aftermarket parts that fit together. It would definitely be easier to just buy resto parts and bolt them in than have to mini-engineer every part, but that is the way it is and that is why it is so helpful to have experienced Forum folks available for questions.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by Don Shillady

http://www.riley-auto.com/STEERING_WHEELS.html


Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Interesting web site, Don - any idea where they're located?

IC2, they are in Denver. Several years ago my wife figured out that it was easier to get a "call anywhere in the US" phone line than to figure out the individual calls each month so it is easy to call around for info and besides Riley has an 800 number. I did call them and learned that both the four-spoke wheels are three hole fits to a Grant adapter (3196 for GM column) and are flat zero-dish with real rubber rings. The shipping from Denver should be about what it is for Speedway. Today I found a shop at the nearby Hanover Air Park which does powder coating and gave me a quote of $50 to powder coat the aluminum three spoke 13" wheel I ordered from Speedway. Thus I will install the 13" and if it looks good from the point of improving entry/exit from the '29 I can get it powder coated some shade of maroon to roughly match the rest of the car and then add the neat V8 emblem horn button availble from Grant for the 3196 adapter so I might actually come out of this with a nice looking wheel that allows me to get into and out of the '29! Hopefully the car is light enough that parking will not be a problem with a small wheel?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by Don Shillady

IC2, they are in Denver. Several years ago my wife figured out that it was easier to get a "call anywhere in the US" phone line than to figure out the individual calls each month so it is easy to call around for info and besides Riley has an 800 number. I did call them and learned that both the four-spoke wheels are three hole fits to a Grant adapter (3196 for GM column) and are flat zero-dish with real rubber rings. The shipping from Denver should be about what it is for Speedway. Today I found a shop at the nearby Hanover Air Park which does powder coating and gave me a quote of $50 to powder coat the aluminum three spoke 13" wheel I ordered from Speedway. Thus I will install the 13" and if it looks good from the point of improving entry/exit from the '29 I can get it powder coated some shade of maroon to roughly match the rest of the car and then add the neat V8 emblem horn button availble from Grant for the 3196 adapter so I might actually come out of this with a nice looking wheel that allows me to get into and out of the '29! Hopefully the car is light enough that parking will not be a problem with a small wheel?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Thanks Don - I was just too lazy to look up their area code. I did bookmark their site for later reference.
Phones - we generally uses 10-10-987 which I believe is VOIP though I am looking into what Time Warner offers - it does appear cheaper in the long run and when you have kids scattered all over......

I really haven't spent a lot of time trying to get in and out of my car yet with the full top - it may be interesting as I am 6'4" tall but only a little bit too chunky around the belt line.

Not really sure what you can do about parking and low speed maneuvers with a beam front axle. Caster is not easy(almost impossible) to adjust. IFS should allow me a bit more adjustment. That Speedway wheel and PC should look great. What are you going to do - strip the covering before PC then reinstall or is it solid aluminum?

IC2, You might test entry/exit before you finalize everything. My restorer friend down the street warned me about A roadster space and took me about a mile away to a guy who has a restored '30 roadster and they warned me about the tricky entry which I found to be true; especially with the top up. The original four-spoke A wheel is pretty large and the top is low so it was not easy to get in or out, but my tilt column is probably not at the optimum position although after painting it for the third time I really don't want to mess with it more so the only answer is to use a smaller flat wheel. I am only about 5'10' and it was marginal for me so maybe you should check it out. The cockpit space is one of the big advantages of the '32 roadster. With Brian Rupnow's Pickup his doors are really from a sedan and I think a little larger than the roadster doors as well as the fact that his bucket is made from the rear of a sedan so he could gain some space to the rear. As far as I know the Speedway flat wheel is solid aluminum with a "satin" brushed finish but there may be some preliminary step for powder coat adhesion; I am willing to use sandpaper if necessary but the wheel won't be delivered until Friday of this week or maybe Monday so I will have to look at it closer when it arrives. The most important part is being able to get in and out of the car! Thus I am getting a smaller wheel close to body color for about $100 for the coated wheel, $12 for the V8 horn button and about $12 for the Grant adapter but being basically cost conscious, the fit is the most important thing. For the money, the Riley Bell type four spokes are very good but I think the slightly smaller 13" rim will help getting my physique between the door and the wheel AND with powder coating I can get a color which comes close to the body color. I am working on readying the top of the column for the wheel today and as you reminded me I am painting the little round cup at the top of the column with a rattle can color which I have found is very close to the body color, including the little metal flecks. Yesterday I bought two more rattle cans of that color so I am set for little touch ups like the heads and nuts of bolts that come through the firewall etc. I usually paint the bolt heads and nuts with the touch up color but the threads which show can be touched up by spraying my index finger and then applying the paint to the threads with my finger; it seems to work for me.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by Don Shillady

IC2, You might test entry/exit before you finalize everything. My restorer friend down the street warned me about A roadster space and took me about a mile away to a guy who has a restored '30 roadster and they warned me about the tricky entry which I found to be true; especially with the top up. The original four-spoke A wheel is pretty large and the top is low so it was not easy to get in or out, but my tilt column is probably not at the optimum position although after painting it for the third time I really don't want to mess with it more so the only answer is to use a smaller flat wheel. I am only about 5'10' and it was marginal for me so maybe you should check it out. The cockpit space is one of the big advantages of the '32 roadster. With Brian Rupnow's Pickup his doors are really from a sedan and I think a little larger than the roadster doors as well as the fact that his bucket is made from the rear of a sedan so he could gain some space to the rear. As far as I know the Speedway flat wheel is solid aluminum with a "satin" brushed finish but there may be some preliminary step for powder coat adhesion; I am willing to use sandpaper if necessary but the wheel won't be delivered until Friday of this week or maybe Monday so I will have to look at it closer when it arrives. The most important part is being able to get in and out of the car! Thus I am getting a smaller wheel close to body color for about $100 for the coated wheel, $12 for the V8 horn button and about $12 for the Grant adapter but being basically cost conscious, the fit is the most important thing. For the money, the Riley Bell type four spokes are very good but I think the slightly smaller 13" rim will help getting my physique between the door and the wheel AND with powder coating I can get a color which comes close to the body color. I am working on readying the top of the column for the wheel today and as you reminded me I am painting the little round cup at the top of the column with a rattle can color which I have found is very close to the body color, including the little metal flecks. Yesterday I bought two more rattle cans of that color so I am set for little touch ups like the heads and nuts of bolts that come through the firewall etc. I usually paint the bolt heads and nuts with the touch up color but the threads which show can be touched up by spraying my index finger and then applying the paint to the threads with my finger; it seems to work for me.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Don,
It probably wont be much harder to get in or out with the top on then, let's say my long gone '86 Mustang GT. Since I do have a tilt column and since I'm only about 5-6 inches from the floor on my Gloide Engineering seats, can put my leg out and slide my skinny buns out. I did a lot of personal body space fitting before the top and it was fine.

As far as cockpit size, the '31 is only a very little bit shorter then the '32.

Make sure you have your camera ready - we all want to see the finished wheel

My car work today is non existent - I'm trying to put my camper back together - the water pump 'died' and almost the entire front seating area had to be disassembled to replace the @#$%$# thing last fall. If another one fails, for sure it wont take a major disassembly after my mods. And the computer is on the way to the basement when I go for tools or pieces so I'm keeping "in touch".