I don't think my new OCC likes Texas....

So I came out of the office today after work to another surprise. I've still not tinted the windows, but have a sun shade in the windshield to protect the dash. Anyway the car was facing north all afternoon, the afternoon sun shining through the driver's side windows. Well I've never seen such a thing, but the steering wheel leather from the top of the wheel to down below the door edge was in the full sun, and it now has cracks ALL over it.







What a bummer!

I know the car was always garaged before I got it. It was 95 and sunny when I came out this afternoon. Car had been in the sun all afternoon.... I guess the steering wheel leather shrunk? Never seen something like this.

I got home and SOAKED the wheel in leather conditioner. It looks better now, but the cracks are still there, and my towel came away blue after rubbing the leather.

Guess I'll be looking for a new wheel soon. If the seats start splitting next I'm going to scream...

-Mike

That larger scratch in the last pic was there already....it's right at the top of the wheel....all the cracks are new though.

you'll have to scrap it


I'll be there in three weeks to pick it up

buickestate wrote:

you'll have to scrap it


I'll be there in three weeks to pick it up

I'd ask you to find me a clean Canadian steering wheel but I have a feeling it'd shatter the first hot day in the sun!

I actually have a red OCC wheel up here....

Mike,you are picking this OCC to pieces and its not going to end nicely!Your OCD is kicking in big
time and you're finding problems that are not there.Go ahead and put the car up for sale because
no matter what,you will never be happy with this car!Come-On a cracked leather steering wheel on a 20 year old car is NORMAL!

Both of my OCCs have either cracked or totally rotted leather. You can get them rewrapped for about $250. I carefully took the remanants of the leather off of one wheel, and was going to use it as a template for rewrapping it myself, but do not have the initiative to complete the job after putting aftermarket wheels on both cars.

Flasheroo wrote:

Mike,you are picking this OCC to pieces and its not going to end nicely!Your OCD is kicking in big
time and you're finding problems that are not there.Go ahead and put the car up for sale because
no matter what,you will never be happy with this car!Come-On a cracked leather steering wheel on a 20 year old car is NORMAL!

I know, I know. BUT other than the spot on the top of the wheel, the leather on this steering wheel was in great shape just over a week ago when I bought the car. That's what's frustrating. I soaked it with leather conditioner last night, and this morning the cracks are not so noticable.

Oh and the leather on my Cutlass wheel is still perfect. 24-years old.

I've about decided to find another wheel like I have on the Cutlass. I think it'd look sharp on the wagon, it's the same color. I had the same wheel, in maroon, on my 89 OCC, and loved it. These pop up in the salvage yards often, and I won't miss the air bag.

Sorry to hear that Mike, that is a bummer......and I know how you feel when you just buy a nice car and something happens to it! Perhaps this is the one bad thing that happens to your car.......much better than a fender bender!

I will say that the Cutlass wheel is a great idea, gives it a sporty feel.

Yea Mike I have 2 of those wheels!You wont like either of them because it looks like somebody
been using them to steer with!

Flasheroo wrote:

You wont like either of them because it looks like somebody
been using them to steer with!

You mean to tell me that people really still do that when they drive a car these days? I thought everyone was texting, eating, doing their hair, catching up on the latest episode of their favorite TV show, reading the paper, shaving, smoking, listening to headphones, welding, learning another language, doing the dishes, or overhauling the engine while they drove?

What a bummer. I suppose it's about what you'd expect 20 year old car surfaces to do, though. Doesn't make it any easier, I know. I'm more worried about how the airbag cover itself seems to distort.

While I'm not totally sold on the idea of replacing the steering wheel with another, maybe doing so is the best option.

People say that you should spend good money on a bed because you spend roughly 1/3 of your entire life on it.

It may be correspondingly true that you should spend good money on seats and a steering wheel since you spend a lot of your life interacting with those two pieces as well.

So if you drop a couple hundred bucks releathering or redoing your steering wheel, it may be worth it.

sherlock9c1 wrote:

People say that you should spend good money on a bed because you spend roughly 1/3 of your entire life on it.

It may be correspondingly true that you should spend good money on seats and a steering wheel since you spend a lot of your life interacting with those two pieces as well.

So if you drop a couple hundred bucks releathering or redoing your steering wheel, it may be worth it.

I'm not crazy about the airbag wheel. Am going to hit the salvage yards soon in search of a blue 2-spoke Olds wheel like I have on the Cutlass. Bet I can find one in a Toronado or something.

-Mike

Does removal of the airbag not trigger an idiot light on the dash?

If you were to re-wrap your wheel...where would you send it? I really want to redo the one in Jade...

Idiot light can be fixed, pull the bulb!

brokecello wrote:

If you were to re-wrap your wheel...where would you send it? I really want to redo the one in Jade...

Idiot light can be fixed, pull the bulb!

Correct, will pull the air bag light.

I had the steering wheels on the 79 Vette and the 89 OCC recovered at a place in Dallas. It's not cheap but they do fantastic work. I'm not going to have the air-bag wheel recovered, because I don't like the design and the shrinkage of the bag's cover itself. Will find one of those two-spoke Olds Sport wheels and send it in for a new wrap if needed. The place in Dallas has a pic of my wheel on their website, calls it a Cutlass 442 wheel.
http://www.dallassteeringwheel.com/sw17.htm

There's actually two of those wheels on Ebay now, but both need to be recovered, and I can get them at Pick-N-Pull or Wrench-A-Part for $10...just gotta find one!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1988-Oldsmobile-Toronado-Trofeo-Blue-Leather-Steering-Wheel-with-Horn-Cap-/261086007573?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cc9f05115&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/81-87-Olds-Cutlass-442-Leather-steering-wheel-/320976142394?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4abbab403a&vxp=mtr

-Mike

uxwbill wrote:

What a bummer. I suppose it's about what you'd expect 20 year old car surfaces to do, though. Doesn't make it any easier, I know. I'm more worried about how the airbag cover itself seems to distort.

While I'm not totally sold on the idea of replacing the steering wheel with another, maybe doing so is the best option.

GM used a sharp three-spoke steering wheel on the Luminas that is a popular mod on Caprice wagons. I know a lot of folks have added them. They are solid rubber though, not real leather, but it's a sharp design.

That is my car.

lol

Mike, don't take this wrong, but with guys our size, I'd rather have an airbag there helping to stop us in case of an impact. Just something to keep in mind.

Question? Why can't they put the seam in the leather on the back of the spokes instead of the front? I think it would look a lot nicer that way.

scoffman wrote:

Question? Why can't they put the seam in the leather on the back of the spokes instead of the front? I think it would look a lot nicer that way.

They just re-do it like the factory did. The blue wheel on my Cutlass is original. Notice it's the same way.

-Mike

brokecello wrote:

If you were to re-wrap your wheel...where would you send it? I really want to redo the one in Jade...

Idiot light can be fixed, pull the bulb!

Sending mine here Chris

http://www.craftcustoms.com/pages/Wheels%20Leather.htm

I have a mint SS wheel that I was going to dye red.

I like the fatter 1a2 in my car now,so I would prefer it redone.

Funny how it's in Dallas too....well Rockwall, a Dallas suburb

Love my new wheel. Do not miss the ugly airbag wheel a bit!