Ok... I like the look of the acrylic inlaid steering wheel. Some cars came with the standard wheel and some came with the deluxe wheel.
From what I have searched on this forum there are only one or two companies or individuals that can do the recasting of the clear acrylic part of the wheel which is what I want. One may be in California (Kochs?) and the other may be in Hemmings?
I have seen some cars with nice recast wheels on Sport Furys ... looking to hear from the experts who know where to go.
'Get your motor runnin' Head out on the highway'
Looking for adventure' In whatever comes our way'
Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild Lyrics | MetroLyrics
I had mine done by Koch's - they are still in business, but I heard they don't do '59 Plymouth wheels anymore. A quick search of their catalog for Plymouths turned up empty...
If Matthew is reading, perhaps he can tell us where Ron (his father) got his.
I will search your posts to see if I can find any photos of your steering wheel.
Keep up the good work with all of the helpful information you guys provide us.
Larry
'Get your motor runnin' Head out on the highway'
Looking for adventure' In whatever comes our way'
Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild Lyrics | MetroLyrics
And here's some comments I made about another potential supplier, not realizing at the time it was the same guy that produced Ron's recast! Looks like Don had moved in the ten years between the two postings.
And some more comments on this subject - Many years ago, 20 or more, I wrote to Robert Hinds when he became the '59 advisor for POC (he had the car now owned by Art Schlacter) and Bob told me he had the wheel done for about $300 (somewhere on the east coast, Virginia maybe?) and the word "Hollywood" comes to mind, same word used in the above link.
Art, if you read this, did Bob give you any info or paperwork about the work he did to that car?
There was a recent eBay auction for the white hardtop that was Tom Fox's first 59 restoration and the ad claims a newly-redone steering wheel by "Dave Crooks" worth %1400. Anyone know of him?? Big price difference.
Lastly, I saw a 61 Chrysler 300G at a show a few years ago, obviously newly redone steering wheel. No one around to talk to but maybe chasing it through the various Chrysler 300 clubs would give some leads.
My own wheel developed one crack about 15 years ago, but it had been garaged for a long time before that out of the sun and everything else about it is OK, just the same degree of yellowing it had when I got it from its first 8 years kept outdoors.
Good follow up on the steering wheel discussion. Yes I also saw the former Tom Fox's first 59 restoration ... a white Sport Fury for sale on eBay. The auction ended on September 4 and the car did not sell.
This was a recent eBay auction for the white hardtop and the ad claimed "This is a beautiful 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury with all of it's original equipment. All component numbers match. It is an older extensive restoration. Since I have had it I have had a Dave Crooks perfect original steering wheel cast ($1400) and have had a new dash and steering horn center pad installed with new foam backing ($1100). The clear in the original steering wheel always cracks and discolors over the years and the foam padding behind the dash pad and horn ring pad disintegrates in time. "
If you search Dave Crooks, he sells sells high end rest-o-mods and custom cars .... not a steering wheel restorer.
