$600 or $1100 Steering wheel project... exact same result, because I wasted $500

[AZSP33D]

I'm looking for a smaller circumference while keeping a larger cross-section. No one I know makes a replacement that keeps the controls/airbag that's smaller in OD. At least not without a custom 1K price.

Yep... 14.5" OD and 12.0" ID for SE... 14.5" OD and 12.15" ID for ST.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Coming from the ~12.9" OD Sparco 383 in my Z28, made this car's wheel seem like a bus wheel to me, when I first started driving it.

 

[AZSP33D]

So it was asked, let’s see the other recovered steering wheel. Redline steering wheel arrived... the recovered ST wheel... girlfriend looked it over and then said it’s really nice, beautiful stitching. She liked the ST emblem at the bottom as the OEM underneath had a detent for it. Thick supple leather, good feel, yes nicer than the OEM version. Then I showed her the custom Alcantara SE wheel, yeah, no contest, thats much better... she never showed any interest in steering wheel covers before. So I will sell this one in the classifieds, need to figure out how much, I don’t think Best Offer will be well received.

 

[AZSP33D]

So... had the steering wheel done for the M5 since I was very happy with the ST... came out nice but I actually like the “new” alcantara ST wheel better... for reference, 15.0” OD for the M5... 14.5" OD for the Fiesta.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Did they charge extra for that sweet M colors stitching?

 

[AZSP33D]

N

Did they charge extra for that sweet M colors stitching?

Thanks, no, it’s the same stitching method used on the ST version in a single color for the ST, but in the three colors for the M, probably the easiest stitching to do, but the cover has to be nicely glued in place first. The M also requires a lot of work with a specialized thin high density foam. They guy who does these, had a Lamborghini Hurrican wheel he was doing in Alcantara with Orange stitching, looked incredible... it was like concrete stiff and heavy, very nice actually, that feels better to me. Learned a lot about steering wheels lately (and spent more than my mortgage in the last 30 days also).

 

[Wes7]

Is it just the pics, or is the leather puckered and wrinkled at the top of your wheel that redline did? It even looks like the stripe is bunched up a little or something. I was planning to have redline do my wheel at some point, but those pics are giving me second thoughts...

 

[AZSP33D]

Is it just the pics, or is the leather puckered and wrinkled at the top of your wheel that redline did? It even looks like the stripe is bunched up a little or something. I was planning to have redline do my wheel at some point, but those pics are giving me second thoughts...

That’s kind of the whole point. Spend the money once and get it done right (professional such as the business card provided) There’s a foam that needs to be added to the ST Steering Wheel when doing the redline cover for anyone, once the padded leather cover is stripped off, to build it back up. Redline uses a soft foam, so the leather cover isn’t very taught. If you get an SE wheel they may be able to do better. Redline uses “installers” on the US so when I got the cover and foam pieces back the second time from Poland, it was all sent to San Antonio along with the steering wheel and the thread they sent prepaid label.

 

[AZSP33D]

Did they charge extra for that sweet M colors stitching?

This guy took some great pictures of my steering wheel projects it seems.

 

[AZSP33D]

I made new friend half way through this process... and so someone who was also inspired by his work recently, made this video for him, finished it today. Thought I'd share.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=299840697684807

View: https://www.facebook.com/SteeringWheelsArt/videos/299840697684807/