Steering Wheel Ideas for the Black Pearl

[Darkwriter77]

Okay, so right now, I have THE ugliest steering wheel to ever come in a Fox Mustang. It's unattractive, uncomfortable, and it keeps making me subconsciously think that I'm driving a Tempo or Ranger or something:

View attachment 259200

This thing is going away soon, one way or another. Sooooo, I'm weighing my options for a replacement steering wheel. Frankenstang is offering me the old wheel out of her Capri, as soon as she finds a suitable replacement. It's basically the same wheel as the one in my notch:

View attachment 259201

Only downsides to this wheel are that my car never came with cruise control, and the '87-'89 wheel might look kinda weird in a four-eye interior (not period-correct). The only four-eye wheel I've seen locally that amounts to squat is a four-spoke wheel out of the same '83 Capri that Lynn got the hood and front end for her Capri, and it's a red wheel - probably would look freaky on a black steering column, unless I painted the column trim pieces red to match the wheel.

As far as stock wheels go, obviously one of those three-spoke SVO-style wheels would be awesome, but I'm not dishing out hundreds for one of those suckers. I'd like to keep this as cheap as possible, somewhere in the $50 to $75 range.

I'd rather stick with OEM wheels if possible, but if all else fails I'd be willing to look on eBay for aftermarket options - Grant, or whatever else. Any suggestions?

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

You've gotta find one of the 3 spoke wheels....best stock steering wheel out there IMO. The GT version is even better if you can find one.

Oh as for price, i've seen the 3 spokes in junkyards...they're not that common but you can find them if you're patient.

 

[stykthyn]

black SN steering wheel

 

[Mustang5L5]

SN might look out of place.

I'd just put the 87-89 wheel on. Wire the cruise bottons up for something else

 

[LiquidGT]

If money is a thing and you want OEM do the 87-89 wheel, it always looked too old and out of place in the areo interior IMO.

Personally I would have to get a Grant/eBay three spoke wheel for comfort; and those style of wheels look best in older interiors anyway.

 

[S&B]

maybe a big rig wheel it would look kinda pimp, downside is you would have to turn it 15 times just to make a right

 

[Darkwriter77]

You've gotta find one of the 3 spoke wheels....best stock steering wheel out there IMO. The GT version is even better if you can find one.

Oh as for price, i've seen the 3 spokes in junkyards...they're not that common but you can find them if you're patient.

That's just the trick. All the 'yards here only have beat-up '90+ and SN95 wheels with blown airbags and/or missing horn buttons. The only three-spoke I've seen on eBay that wasn't insanely expensive was $50, but it looked pretty rough, like a dog had been chewing on it.

black SN steering wheel

I would, but from what I saw, the SN95's have a different steering shaft. I would have to change out the whole column. Plus those wheels usually go for around $100+ with the airbag.

SN might look out of place.

I'd just put the 87-89 wheel on. Wire the cruise bottons up for something else

Toggle buttons for NAWWWWWSSSSS!

If money is a thing and you want OEM do the 87-89 wheel, it always looked too old and out of place in the areo interior IMO.

Personally I would have to get a Grant/eBay three spoke wheel for comfort; and those style of wheels look best in older interiors anyway.

I like the looks of the '87'89 wheel, I just don't like the extra buttons going to nowhere. I saw a no-options wheel listed for $10 the other day on Craigslist, but it was wayyyyyyyyy the hell out in BFE and I haven't had time to drive all over the Valley. Hopefully it'll still be there when I have some free time to do a little more parts-hunting on Friday, I may go that route.

So, y'all don't think an Aero wheel would look out of place on a four-eye, after all?

 

[S&B]

So, y'all don't think an Aero wheel would look out of place on a four-eye, after all?

it would be the first step in the total transformation

 

[Darkwriter77]

it would be the first step in the total transformation

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

 

[aar0s]

+1 on the grant, might be able to find one on the 'bay.

 

[LaserSVT]

 

[LaserSVT]

Here is a nice alternative for $25 shipped.
APC can use the Grant horn buttons and Grant makes one with the Tri-Bar Pony on it to make it custom I think the button is $20-$30, I forget how much the adapter plate costs.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Now here is the wheel you want, it may go for under $100
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/80s-...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Must...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

If you go with an aftermarket wheel then I would highly recomend you buy this hub. It will fit any of the 5 bolt wheels and this piece (I think) cost like $100 normaly so for $20 OBO is a good buy.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1979...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

[FrankenStang]

it would be the first step in the total transformation

 

[Kevins89notch5.0]

Yup, a 3 spoke, like I had in my 84 capri, is the only option!

 

[Darkwriter77]

Anything made of steel or aluminum (even hard plastic) is a major no-no when it comes to interior parts out here in AZ. Hell, even when I lived in MO, that Bullitt shift knob I had one time just about burned a scar of the shift pattern into my palm when I put my hand on it on a hot summer day (kinda like the Nazi grabbing that red-hot amulet thing in "Raiders of the Lost Ark").

Most OEM steering wheels are made of some squishy, soft foam stuff or some kind of rubber or whatever, so they're usually fine as far as summer days go, but this one is about as bad as they come. It's some really hard kind of rubber or plastic that get searingly hot. I have one of those slip-on covers made of leather on the thing right now to help with that, but it's uncomfortable as hell because it makes the wheel way too fat, and even with the "shims" I made ( 5/8" heater hose slit up the side, goes between the wheel and the cover) to make the thing fit more snugly, it still feels all loose and funky in your hands when you drive.

I've seen wheels as cheap as $7 (plus $15 shipping) on eBay that didn't look too bad, but they're some knockoff ricer brand even more unknown than APC. Anyone ever tried one of these? I know they wouldn't be as fancy as a brand-name wheel like Momo or whatever, but if it fits and looks halfway decent ... meh. Maybe?

 

[Darkwriter77]

Here is a nice alternative for $25 shipped.
APC can use the Grant horn buttons and Grant makes one with the Tri-Bar Pony on it to make it custom I think the button is $20-$30, I forget how much the adapter plate costs.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Now here is the wheel you want, it may go for under $100
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/80s-...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Must...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

If you go with an aftermarket wheel then I would highly recomend you buy this hub. It will fit any of the 5 bolt wheels and this piece (I think) cost like $100 normaly so for $20 OBO is a good buy.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1979...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

I can't view those eBay links at work, but I think those are probably the same wheels I was looking at the other night. Only thing is, with all those adapters and spacers stacked on there, it'd probably put the wheel too far away from the turn signal lever and stuff. Actually, Lynn might want to go that route, though, because the wheel she has on her Capri right now is WAY too close to the turn signal lever (you can barely get a finger between it and the wheel), so that would put it far enough away that it would be a better fit.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I would, but from what I saw, the SN95's have a different steering shaft. I would have to change out the whole column. Plus those wheels usually go for around $100+ with the airbag.

It's not that complex. The wheel will bolt onto the older shaft. It's just more of a question of the wheel matching the rest of the interior.

I got my setup for ~50. Airbag not pictured, but you can get non-mustang airbags for the same wheel for ~$10

If i didn't want to hang onto my 87-89 NON-Cruise wheel, i'd sell it to ya cheap. Sorry

 

[Darkwriter77]

Damn. So, you can just poke an SN95 wheel right onto the old shaft? From when I looked at 'em in the junkyard, it looked like they had a different shape to the shaft and the hole in the wheel. I mean, I know the bolt is what holds it on, but it didn't even look like it would go on the shaft at all...

Oh well. Well, that does open up a lot more options for me, then. The 90-97 Crown Vics use the same exact wheel as the late Fox and early SN95 wheels, and there's ALWAYS a set of those sitting in the local 'yard ... but, alas, they're always friggin' BLUE.

Anyone ever had any luck with painting a steering wheel? Seems to me it'd probably rub right off in a week or less...

 

[Mustang5L5]

Pretty much direct bolt on. I had to modify stuff to make the horn work though

http://forums.stangnet.com/763027-sn95-steering-wheel-into-87-89-fox.html

 

[QUICK91LX]

I've got this wheel in my garage doing nothing...not sure if i will ever use it or not...

And, for the record, both the Tempo and Ranger of the same era had better steering wheels...lol


Tempo:

Ranger: