"New" '59 Steering Wheel

["Greg and Russell" <65luxuryliner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mel,

 

It was great to read your email to the list letting us all know about your new steering wheel!  You are the third IML'er to work with Don.  We were the first and Roger Irland was the second.   Don does indeed do excellent work and the quality is up there at the top, that's for sure.  I'm glad you are pleased with the end result.  I still laugh when I think of what the other guy who recasts steering wheels (on the west coast) told Russell.  He was 'positive' that if he made a steering wheel for us, it would be the ONLY one he would ever make for an Imperial.  He just 'knew' that no Imperial people would spend ANY money with him and he would be wasting his time!  Due to his skepticism and unwillingness to work with us, we contacted Don.  The rest is history!

 

Yes the newly recast wheels are expensive and yes they take a good while to actually get back in your hands again.  But it didn't take nearly as long as other things I have had redone (leather interior is one that comes to mind - 17 months of waiting for it) on our '65 convertible!  I have no regrets and will enjoy the wheel every time I drive the car!  The original one was cracked and split beyond hope!  Without Don at D&D Automobilia,  I don't know what  we would have done. 

 

Greg and Russell

Mobile, AL

----- Original Message -----

From: Mel Wyshynski

To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: Monday, May 10, 2004 2:32 PM

Subject: IML: "New" '59 Steering Wheel

Hello All

The following is a brief chronology of events resulting in a new D & D steering wheel for my '59 LeBaron.

 

September 29/03 I mailed my old steering wheel (multi cracks, chrome inserts corroded,..) to Don.

Since then we corresponded many times (mostly by phone).

Don required the old horn ring and the horn switch that fits into the steering wheel. The horn switch was easy but the old horn ring was a little more challenging. I had sent the old horn ring to American Classic Restorations so they would be able to see how the center part of the ring was originally padded. They would then be able to pad the "new" ring I had sent them. As a point of interest they do not do any padding. They send it out to Just Dashes for this to be done. After a number of phone calls we managed to get the old horn ring into Don's waiting hands.

I was sent a number of color samples in order to select the ones that I felt best represented the original installation. Since I live in Canada sending items back and forth is always delayed by those activities involved by the act of crossing the border.

Ultimately the "work of art" arrived here last Friday (May 7/04). Total elapsed time was 221 days.

Was it expensive?.....YES.

My thought on the final product?......Excellent workmanship. I do want to add one qualifier and that is I want to be able to say the same thing 10 years from now.

For anyone looking for this type of work I believe you will be very pleased with Don's craftsmanship.

 

On April 30 I received a call from American Classic that my dash has (finally!) been completed. If anyone sees American Classic's new ads and they include a picture (pictures) of a 1959 Imperial dash it is likely the one they did for me (they said it was their first). I expect it here by the end of this month. I had located a second dash (same color!) and both dashes were shipped on September 29/03. Same date as I sent the steering wheel.

 

I have had a "planning session" with the restoration shop and now have the owner's commitment to get all the work done so I can drive the car at the end of August. Of course he is not the only player involved. The complete reupholstering is scheduled to begin on June 18 and some items have not arrived from SMS, although they have stated that they have been shipped. We'll see. 

 

As the time draws nearer I am getting more anxious.

 

Mel