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Had my steering wheel restored, review #1669135
09/08/14 09:56 PM
09/08/14 09:56 PM
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,145
M
McCandlessboy Offline OP
super stock
McCandlessboy  Offline OP
super stock
M

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,145
http://www.stwheelz.com

Email: stwheels@shaw.ca

I contacted doug about redoing a steering wheel for an imperial. Sent it to him and let him do his work. To say I'm happy with the work is an understatement. Just got it in today, SUPER happy. Here are pictures from him during the process:




Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: McCandlessboy] #1669136
09/09/14 05:18 PM
09/09/14 05:18 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
stwheels Offline
top fuel
stwheels  Offline
top fuel

Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
Thanks Mike, it was a pleasure working with you on this project and I'm very happy you like the results

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152691179416738.1073741849.200617011737&type=1

Here's a link to an album on my "The Steering Wheel Guy" facebook page with tons of pictures of your wheel to show how the transformation took place from start to finish.

There are lots of pictures of other wheels I've restored on there too.

Doug Lepak
The Steering Wheel Guy
stwheels@shaw.ca
www.stwheelz.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Steering-Wheel-Guy/200617011737


Doug Lepak
Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: stwheels] #1669137
09/09/14 09:24 PM
09/09/14 09:24 PM
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,810
New State
kidmopar Offline
master
kidmopar  Offline
master

Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,810
New State
W O W !

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: kidmopar] #1669138
09/09/14 10:11 PM
09/09/14 10:11 PM
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 641
western australia
1
1cuda Offline
mopar
1cuda  Offline
mopar
1

Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 641
western australia
that is spectacular-i`d remove the television and look at that all night...1961 styling was futuristic...unreal.

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: stwheels] #1669139
09/09/14 11:55 PM
09/09/14 11:55 PM
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 287
Greenville, N.C.
BarrsRestoration Offline
enthusiast
BarrsRestoration  Offline
enthusiast

Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 287
Greenville, N.C.
That is beautiful work!

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: BarrsRestoration] #1669140
09/10/14 12:05 AM
09/10/14 12:05 AM
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,193
NEW JERSEY
AARCONV Offline
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AARCONV  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 5,193
NEW JERSEY
Excellent work Doug Again..
Still Loving My Rimblow..

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: AARCONV] #1669141
09/10/14 12:19 PM
09/10/14 12:19 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,336
South-Central (Sebring), FL
Commando1 Offline
master
Commando1  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,336
South-Central (Sebring), FL
I'm with the rest. Great work!

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: McCandlessboy] #1669142
09/10/14 02:22 PM
09/10/14 02:22 PM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,315
St. Louis, Mo
3
318 Stroker Offline
master
318 Stroker  Offline
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3

Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,315
St. Louis, Mo
After looking at the "before" pic of your wheel, I didn't realize you were restoring "Miss Belvedere"...

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: AARCONV] #1669143
09/11/14 03:28 PM
09/11/14 03:28 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
stwheels Offline
top fuel
stwheels  Offline
top fuel

Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
Quote:

Excellent work Doug Again..
Still Loving My Rimblow..




Thanks everyone! Hey Al, I hope you're putting lots of miles on that saweeeeet Cuda! Man, how many years ago did I do that rimblow for you? It's definitely been a while eh?

Here's an article I wrote for Canadian Hot Rods magazine that goes through my repair/refinishing process.


Doug Lepak
The Steering Wheel Guy
stwheels@shaw.ca
www.stwheelz.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Steering-Wheel-Guy/200617011737

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: stwheels] #1669144
09/11/14 03:28 PM
09/11/14 03:28 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
stwheels Offline
top fuel
stwheels  Offline
top fuel

Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: stwheels] #1669145
09/11/14 03:29 PM
09/11/14 03:29 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
stwheels Offline
top fuel
stwheels  Offline
top fuel

Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: stwheels] #1669146
09/11/14 03:30 PM
09/11/14 03:30 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
stwheels Offline
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stwheels  Offline
top fuel

Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
page 4 .... I know it's not a Mopar wheel but it shows the kind of damage and warpage that can be repaired plus the quality of finish you can expect on your wheel.

Doug Lepak
The Steering Wheel Guy
stwheels@shaw.ca
www.stwheelz.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Steering-Wheel-Guy/200617011737

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: stwheels] #1669147
09/11/14 04:22 PM
09/11/14 04:22 PM
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,848
Memphis
HemiRick Offline
master
HemiRick  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,848
Memphis
How do you keep the original plastic of the wheel from continuing to shrink......I repaired a wheel and 3/4 years later the cracks had reappeared as wheel kept shrinking.....


Take care,
Rick
68 Coronet R/T 440 & 68 Charger 528 Hemi,and 5 Challengers! 6 cyl, 318, 360, 383, 451
Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: HemiRick] #1669148
09/11/14 05:52 PM
09/11/14 05:52 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,135
Kingsburg Calif.
Quikshft Offline
master
Quikshft  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,135
Kingsburg Calif.
I think a good restoration involves actually replacing the original plastic.

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: HemiRick] #1669149
09/11/14 06:03 PM
09/11/14 06:03 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
stwheels Offline
top fuel
stwheels  Offline
top fuel

Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
Quote:

How do you keep the original plastic of the wheel from continuing to shrink......I repaired a wheel and 3/4 years later the cracks had reappeared as wheel kept shrinking.....




Great question Rick!

Because the resin I use flows under the material the wheel is molded from, it fills in any gaps along the steel core under the plastic so there's nowhere for the plastic to shrink to anymore. Next the wheel is wrapped in random weave carbon fibre cloth and more resin, forming a carbon fibre shell around the outside of the wheel eliminating any expansion and stabilizing the plastic.

I'm guessing you filled the cracks with an epoxy putty that expands and contracts at a different rate than the plastic, bakelte or hard rubber the wheel is molded from... all the epoxy does is fill a gap... I'm actually filling the crack and then building a complete shell around the wheel.

About 25% of the wheels I repair are wheels that have been previously repaired by other shops or the customer using epoxy putty.

Lots of work but the results speak for themselves

Here's a 58 Desoto wheel as it came in from a customer in Florida... he started to repair it himself .... YIKES!

Doug Lepak
The Steering Wheel Guy
stwheels@shaw.ca
www.stwheelz.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Steering-Wheel-Guy/200617011737

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: stwheels] #1669150
09/11/14 06:07 PM
09/11/14 06:07 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
stwheels Offline
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stwheels  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
Same wheel after removing the epoxy, bondo, cake mix and whatever else he used to get it to the state of the previous picture, then using resin to fill in and repair the damaged and missing sections of plastic. Next it was wrapped with carbon fibre cloth and several coats of resin,then sanded smooth in preparation for paint...

Doug Lepak
The Steering Wheel Guy
stwheels@shaw.ca
www.stwheelz.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Steering-Wheel-Guy/200617011737

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: stwheels] #1669151
09/11/14 06:08 PM
09/11/14 06:08 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
stwheels Offline
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stwheels  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
... and here's the finished product back in the customers car...

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: Quikshft] #1669152
09/11/14 06:35 PM
09/11/14 06:35 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
stwheels Offline
top fuel
stwheels  Offline
top fuel

Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,947
Edmonton , Alberta , Canada
Quote:

I think a good restoration involves actually replacing the original plastic.




Ha Ha Ha ... There are lots of ways to do a good job ... recasting is only one way and requires tons of room to store molds that you may only use once in a lifetime, but that's the only way to restore wheels with the clear plastic sections in them...

I work on lots of that style wheel but the clear sections get painted an opaque secondary or contrasting colour.

Here's what was a wood grain wheel finished in gloss Black with the stainless spokes...

Doug Lepak
The Steering Wheel Guy
stwheels@shaw.ca
www.stwheelz.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Steering-Wheel-Guy/200617011737

Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: stwheels] #1669153
09/24/14 02:29 AM
09/24/14 02:29 AM
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 187
Las Vegas
LVSRT10 Offline
Not the new guy anymore!
LVSRT10  Offline
Not the new guy anymore!

Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 187
Las Vegas
Quote:

cake mix





Re: Had my steering wheel restored, review [Re: LVSRT10] #1669154
09/24/14 10:49 AM
09/24/14 10:49 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,666
North Dakota
6PakBee Offline
I Live Here
6PakBee  Offline
I Live Here

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,666
North Dakota
I know, I know, if you have to ask you probably can't afford it but I will anyway. What is the 'typical' cost to refurbish a Mopar woodgrain wheel without rimblow.


"We live in a time when intelligent people are being silenced so that stupid people won't be offended".
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