VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 1930 Steering Wheel??

I was researching information about my 1930 Four Door Sedan in George Dammann's book "75years of Chevrolet". He indicates that the 3 spoke steering wheel was introduced during this production year. My car has a wooden 4 spoke wheel. In the book "A Pictorial History of Chevrolet 1929-1939" while there is no mention of steering wheel, all the pictures indicate a 4 spoke wheel. What is correct? Was the steering painted black or was it natural wood color?

The four spoke wheel with the wood rim was used in 1929 and 1930. The wood rim was painted black, it was not natural in color. The three spoke rubber type of steering wheel was used in 1931, not 1930.

Also, for 1929-30 two types of wood steering wheels were used. For the passenger cars and trucks the wheels were identical except that the cars had rubber sleeve covers over the four spokes and the truck wheel did not. The aluminum steering wheel hub bezel used on both wheels was the same in appearance except that the bezel used on the passenger cars was higher to allow clearance for the rubber sleeves that were used the four spokes.

That was one of the things I miss most from the '29 (3 window) that I traded, it had the most perfect, beautiful, big, fat, wooden steering wheel. Wanted to keep it and hang it on my office wall just for its' beauty.

JYD
It's interesting to read your comments re the finish on the wood steering wheels. For many years I thought they came in natural finish with a clear cote. Until I purchased a 27 steering wheel that has a leather cover sewn over the wood rim, probably from day 1. It has shrunk over the years and the leather parted at the join, so now you can see about 3" or the wood rim.

The colour is black as mentioned but I don't think the black was a solid colour. It appears to be a stain like finish that dosen't penetrate the timber.

On my original 28 the wood rim is now in a natural raw wood state as all the black "stuff?" has worn off. You can still see traces of it around where it is attached to the spokes, where your hands don't fit.

If it was a solid paint I don't think it would wear in that form. Any further comments re this black finish would be most welcome

Chris

According to the 1928 SALES DATA book: steering wheel, finished in Brown and equipped with rubber grips.