Kaiser Frazer Owners Club Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: dusty on January 24, 2011, 01:28:46 PM

Title: steering wheels
Post by: dusty on January 24, 2011, 01:28:46 PM

does anyone know if more steeringwheels are going to be made, there in a source off shore making wheels for vintage cars the metal skeleton and the foinshed wheel.

Title: Re: steering wheels
Post by: joefrazer on January 25, 2011, 04:56:33 PM

At the moment, the manufacturing fund has no plans to run more 51-3 pearlite wheels. Obtaining a sufficient number of usable cores is a problem, plus cleaning and prepping them is a real chore.

A few have popped up for sale on ebay from time to time.

Title: Re: steering wheels
Post by: pnw_oldmags on January 25, 2011, 05:12:20 PM

Did the Manufacturing Fund actually make "Pearlite" Steering wheels at one time or did they make solid white steering wheels that were not translucent? 

Correct me if I am wrong but I thought that a 53 Deluxe / Carolina had a solid steering wheel and a Manhattan had a "Pearlite" translucent steering wheel.

Title: Re: steering wheels
Post by: ben-tex on January 25, 2011, 05:57:01 PM

I don't think  the pearlite is available--anyway  the club fund wheel was considered acceptable by the judging rules (?) and I do know they looked good. For sure they were 100 % better than most original wheels on cars. The pearlite starting fading as soon as they got out in the sunshine.

Title: Re: steering wheels
Post by: pnw_oldmags on January 25, 2011, 08:00:00 PM

My old Manhattan had a "Perfect" pearlite steering wheel.  I failed to appreciate it until I sold the car.
My current project has a faded, cracked, split pearlite wheel.  I think I will create a "Bamboo" vinyl steering wheel cover and be happy with it.  Just me.

Title: Re: steering wheels
Post by: kaiserfrazerlibrary on January 26, 2011, 05:56:32 AM

The pearlite wheels were used on the Manhattans and Dragons; other lower-level models had the painted rubber.