"New" '59 Steering Wheel

["Mel Wyshynski" <mvwyshy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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