Hi Eric!
I've worked with wood since I was 10. I see flow characteristics around the metal part. That would not be the case with wood: you'd see where the grain had been cut to fit. The severed ends of the 'fibers' also don't appear to be wood. They terminate evenly in somewhat rounded ends, and don't show any irregularities. That's not consistent with wood.
So - is it plastic or wood?
--
Tom Bell
It is not wood! But what is it? I don't know! I just saw a '73 240Z that had a fire in the cockpit. The dash, console, and roof were all badly burned. Even the plastic interior bits in the hatch area were melted from the heat. But the steering wheel was okay. I would have thought the heat would have melted it if it were plastic! Maybe it is a space age polymer that was tested by NASA during the Apollo missions. Maybe it is "woostic"! ;)
--
Royce Miller
Here's my steering wheel story: I had a parts 240Z that I had
stripped and was taking to a local junkyard on my trailer. I put
the steering wheel back on the car to steer it off the trailer
deep in the junk yard and then stupidly drove off without it.
At the office they paid me $35 for the car (not bad for a stripped
shell). Then I remembered the wheel, and said I was going back
after it. When I passed the office, I stuck my head in the door
and announced that I had the wheel. Guy at the counter said "Let's
see it." After he pondered it for a minute he handed it back
and said "I'll take $25 for it!"
--
Rob Roy
IZCC #4685, Z.A.N.Y. #18
Just a guess here, but what about some sort of fiber/resin thing-type-stuff?
Perhaps the fibers are in fact wood... spun off via some sorta power
tool, then formed into a circle and pressed in a mold, then filled
with resin? Seems like a good way to build the thing in the first
place, and it'd be 'real' wood for the marketing guys to hooraw
about?
--
Kyle -240Z Club.org
"Momo leather
steering wheel, thank you very much!"
"Pete, Can you remember any other auto maker of that era
that made any thing similar?" -Eric N
Eric,
Nope.
It appears that they used some sort of female mold with probably
dry or wet fibers in the mold, with the steering wheel spokes
already in place. At that point, they would have had to draw in
(vacuum in the mold) and/or inject resin into the mold and let
it cure (possibly under temperature and/or pressure). I've just
described a common composite material construction technique for
this day and age, but I'd think that to be fairly advanced for
30+ years ago.
--
Pete Paraska
co-founder & moderator at Hybridz.org
I suspect the early steering wheels were fabricated from Phoenolic.
Phoenolics have been around for a long time. They are usually
a Phenolic Resin lay-up with either paper, linen or canvas layers.
More recently they have been using fiberglass in the material
laminates. Phoenolics can be worked a lot like hardwoods or plastics
and will take a variety of finishes. They are popular materials
for knife handles and anywhere you need to isolate heat transfer,
like the SU's.
--
Regards, Dick Denno
Group Z Club
I can't settle the dispute about wood or plastic, but I do know
that you can treat it like wood. In my Series 1 '71 Z I refinished
the wheel with a bit of sandpaper, lacquer thinner, wood stain,
and a polyurethane coat. I've received very good comments from
judges at contests. If I had to place a vote, I'd vote plastic.
If for no other reason than assumed cost considerations when designing
the car.
--
Dann Veldkamp
'71 Series 1 240-Z
Indianapolis, IN
You
can break all plastics into two categories. Thermoplastics and thermosetting
plastics. Theromplastics melt, thermosetting plastics do not. They
will degrade ( burnup etc ) with enough heat, but they will not
melt.
--
Pete's Ponies
Mustang RUSToration & Performance
They're made from a very rare tree only found on the Japanese
mainland. The tree's name is Plasticuus Arbormimicus. It's most
outstanding feature is it's ability to resemble expensive woods,
hence it's name.
--
Enrique Scanlon
I used to make knives with a high pressure phenolic resin laminate
called "micarta" for the handles. Paper, wood or cloth
were pressed under great pressure to form the material. Check
out a World War 2 helmet and you will find canvas micarta used
to make the helmet. The process has been around for years. I suspect
those steering wheels came from recycled helmets with a little
wood filler. Very strong stuff!!!!
--
Larry Johnson - Oregon
240Z
STEERING WHEELS: Wood
or Plastic?