1968 68 steering wheel pads

[Tim_morrison82]

I have started collecting a couple of 68 steering wheel pads as I want to eventually reproduce a few of them, and I have noticed that they arent all quite the same... I have 2 pads which are untextured under the trim with scratched in part numbers, and another with the grain throughout.

I am going to assume that the one with the texture all over is a service replacement. it is in reasonable condition compared to the others so I think it is newer.

if anyone has a 68 steering wheel pad with the trim already off, can you share a pic. I dont recommend taking the trim off if its not off already as they shrink and you may not get them back in...

 

[CougarCJ]

I only found one with texture and no part numbers, it is saddle colored.



You are planning on manufacturing them in large quantities? We are not aware of anyone currently reproducing the 1968 center pad.

 

[dalorzo_f]

And you have 3 different molds. I know I have some like the bottom, will dig up the few I have and compare.

Interesting the middle and lower have the same engineering revision (AW) yet are marked different...

As these were not just used on Mustangs (think they were used on Cougars, Fairlanes and maybe maybe a few others) would presume different manufacturers over time and/or different suppliers in different regions.

 

[Tim_morrison82]

I will be happy if I can get a good small scale production run happening, if that works, go larger. but I am only a hobbyist at the moment. being a retailer CougarCJ, how often are you asked for these? I find alot of non 68 owners dont understand why we are chasing things like this, but tgey have not had the inconvenience we have had to endure for so long...

 

[CougarCJ]

These are 1 year only pads, they did come on several different many different car lines. Just with different inserts.
We would sell more of them if I had them listed on my catalog. Currently they are a phone item only, not sure on the price (more than $100 though). Black is most popular, and they are sold without the insert.

 

[whodat]

I have a spare one like the bottom. Actually it's like the bottom one that CougarCJ has.The one on my car came from a donor I found on ebay along with the wheel that had only a hairline crack opposed to the gapping cracks on my original. To reproduce this seems to me you would have to remove everything to see how the metal was formed and then foam and vinyl over it.

 

[Tim_morrison82]

I have ripped the vinyl off a bad one already, and I am after another bad one to rip the steel out of. If anyone has some crap ones, let me know.

technically, they are 2yr items, as 69's used these as standard wheels also. but many would have been replaced over the years with the optional wheel.

pretty much every ford in 68 had a similar wheel, different trim. so there are alot out there, but how many are still in good condition?

 

[Tim_morrison82]

thanks for your pics guys, if you can also get pics of the ends from the underside, there are also changes in the moulds there.

more interested in a shot of each different marked pad, unless you can see that the underside is different in similarly marked topped pads.









please excuse my sexy legs...

 

[Tim_morrison82]

the blue pad you show there CougarCJ, it has a scratched in number in a different side to my Parchment one, and a Black one of Dalorzo_f's i saw tonight.

mine has 1378- BF-"105" (the "quotes" are on the number placed after moulding).
Richards 1378- BF-"08"
Blue one above has 1378-"??" BR-

looks like a different guy on the job that day.

the bottom one on yours looks like it might say BF-1378 then a scratched number at the bottom? can you verify if it looks cast in or applied after?

Cheers

 

[dalorzo_f]

The suffix is likely a date/mold identifier. Would guess it is similar to different cast dates in many parts, no real difference, just a QA/QC marker to identify lots if a quality issue comes up..

 

[Mosesatm]

I have ripped the vinyl off a bad one already, and I am after another bad one to rip the steel out of. If anyone has some crap ones, let me know.

technically, they are 2yr items, as 69's used these as standard wheels also. but many would have been replaced over the years with the optional wheel.

pretty much every ford in 68 had a similar wheel, different trim. so there are alot out there, but how many are still in good condition?

If you still need one I'll send you mine.
C8AA-3E662-AW

 

[Tim_morrison82]

that would be great! I will pm my address.

 

[whodat]

Mine has BF 1378 as well. I tried posting a photo with Tap A Talk but it said I couldn't???

 

[Tim_morrison82]

no idea. I upload photos to photobucket, then copy the img link and paste it in...

 

[Tim_morrison82]

I dont think it worked... did you use the @ symbol?

 

[Tim_morrison82]

found the skin off the pad i ripped off (i thought i must have thrown it out...)

it is also one with the grain throughout and no numbers. this one had a big crack in it and was badly weather beaten and shrunk. once the vinyl is off though the foam looks to have kept good shape.

the parchment pad came off my San Jose car, and i am pretty sure most of dalorzo_f's cars are from there too, however, there is a NOS one and a service replacement one in the mix (can you identify them for me Richard?)

and any other pics that get uploaded, if you know what they have come off, please let me know. more for record keeping than anything.

 

[Tim_morrison82]

in these pics of the pad thats been ripped up, you can see drip marks in a couple of places on the side of the pad, but under the flat section, there are a heap of drip marks. you can see these drip marks visible on the top of the foam also.