The Rim-Blow wheel is rare to find ON a Maverick, but was not unique TO the Maverick. It used the '70-up ('69 Rim-Blow is different) wheel found on '70 and newer Torinos & Galaxies, and '71-'73 Mustangs. The Maverick used the Torino-Galaxie pad and emblem, where the Mustang had its own pad and emblem. (Of course, the Mercury equivalents used them too.)
Interesting thread. I'll keep an eye on it for options (factory wheels). I have never been a big fan of the aftermarket wheels.
This is an awesome thread! The original wheel is still in my Maverick, but its hanging in there with a lick and a promise. It's cracked through and through on nearly every part. When I emptied the trunk (which the owner had filled with misc. junk) I found another wheel in there, though its definitely not Ford...and not my style. Still poking around for options.
I keep running across these on ebay....I think it's one of the better looking aftermarket pieces. http://www.ebay.com/itm/BILLET-STEE...es&vxp=mtr&hash=item483f78f486#ht_2916wt_1110
I'm running a 13" Classic Grant wheel . Hard to see the gauges but I like the way the steering feels with less leverage.
What year and what cars can you get the sport wheel from ? I looked at a 77 Mustang and it didn't have a horn. It must have used the turn signal. Thanks Rick
That one didn't have the switch? Mine had that same emblem, and I figured that would be 76...Mine came from a Mustang II guy
For awhile I was running this wheel, from an '80s van, mainly because it had a nice set of cruise control buttons and the proper amount of cheezy wood grain. : http://www.maverickcomet.com/SpecialMav/ModImages/IMG_1118.JPG This fall I decided I wanted something different. I still wanted to retain the original Ford cruise control buttons, so I knew I'd have to get something factory. I searched around and settled for a wheel from a 1989 Thunderbird/Cougar. The trouble was, this steering wheel was not designed for the older style splined steering shaft that is in our cars. Well, really it wasn't in any way designed to fit on our cars. By the time I fully realized how different the wheel is, it was too late...I had already bought a really nice one on Ebay and I decided I HAD to make it fit. Ford switched over to a steering shaft with flat spots on it on the mid to late 80s instead of the splined shaft that had been around forever. Very carefully I used a hardened Dremel bit and made tapered flat spots so I could safely mount the steering wheel with a press fit. Then came the issue where this wheel didn't have the notch to run the turn signal cancelling cam. After some measuring, more dremeling and some epoxy and a small section of perfectly sized Capri Sun straw, I overcame that problem. Next was the electrical "horn ring" on the back of the wheel. This had 3 copper rings for cruise/horn signals to pass through to the column. Our columns have two. After more dremeling, I was able to carefully cut out ring from a small flat sheet of copper (Amazon sells everything!) and use special electrically conductive epoxy (Amazon really DOES sell everthing!!) to modify the 3 rings down to two. After much test fitting and the addition of a spacer ring for the electrical contacts made from Plexiglas, I was able to fit this wheel into the Mav, with horn, turn signals and cruise still properly working working. Oh, I also had to disable the steering wheel lock because the new wheel was not compatible with it. Probably a good idea anyway since the gear shift interlock linkage is no longer installed it could have been a safety hazard. I also installed a "Wheel Skin" leather steering wheel wrap so that the wheel would match my car's yellow and black theme. The picture of the wheel in my car is washed out, but the other picture shows the color better. http://www.maverickcomet.com/ChatUpload/ChatPix/SteeringWheel2.jpg http://www.maverickcomet.com/ChatUpload/ChatPix/SteeringWheel4.jpg That's my steering wheel story. Probably not a recommended mod, since if you are not careful, you could end up with a wheel that comes off while you are driving...and that would be bad. Mine does not, which is good.
I have 2 wheels. The one my Comet came with has a leather wrapping on the wheel but not the same as this its really tight against the handle and sewn, and the other steering wheel I have has cracks in it. However what intrests me is the medallions in the middle of the wheels. Two of mine are different. Is there anyway to tell what year certain ones belong too?
Factory Leather wrapped steering wheels were an option in 74, not very common. The horn emblem varied, depending on what interior option the car came with.
