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How to repair broken/cracked plastic steering wheel?
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Author:  1966DartConvertible [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 7:51 am ]
Post subject:  How to repair broken/cracked plastic steering wheel?
As the title says really...

Im planning to restore the car and this steering wheel just will not do.

Image

As you can see the area where the left spoke meets the center is broken and the right spoke is cracked. The center emblem and horn ring i can buy off Ebay I think.

Secondly, if you look at the picture above, along the perimeter of the dash where it looks kinda Gold is supposed to be CHROME! How do you chrome a plastic trim? The closes thing i could think of is to paint silver (which is not the same).

What's your advice?

Syed
Author:  newpoppop [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:10 am ]
Post subject: 
i saw a company that does plastic rechroming. it was at carlisle chrysler show, that stuff looked great... i am sure it was expensive too, but was worth it in my opinion. I will look through the brochures that I saved... will post when I get an answer...
Author:  1966DartConvertible [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:42 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
i saw a company that does plastic rechroming. it was at carlisle chrysler show, that stuff looked great... i am sure it was expensive too, but was worth it in my opinion. I will look through the brochures that I saved... will post when I get an answer...
Thanks but... bare in mind I am 5000 miles away...

Was looking more of a DIY solution...
Author:  64 Convert [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 9:16 am ]
Post subject: 
I repaired my steering wheel with epoxy seven or eight years ago. It's just now beginning to crack in those locations again.

Rechroming plastic is not a DIY operation, as it takes special equipment. I've used model maker's chrome paint, but it's really nothing more than a bright silver. It's an improvement over the yellowed effect, but not by much.

I bought my rechromed dash from Mr. G's, in Fort Worth, TX. It was on an exchange basis and I was very satisfied with what I got. If I remember correctly, it was around $250 for the pieces I needed.
Author:  KBB_of_TMC [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 11:03 am ]
Post subject: 
I've been pleased with POR15 products, and they have a kit to fix steering wheels w/ a 2-part putty, but I've never tried it myself:
http://www.por15.com/STEERING-WHEEL-REP ... info/SWRK/
Author:  J. Goodman [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 1:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Steering Wheel Repair
When I bought my 64 Dart, the steering wheel looked just like yours. Taking the advice of a fellow Tidewater Mopar Club member, I went to Ace Hardware and purchased a two-part kit named PC-7 Expoxy or something close to that. It comes in two parts: A - Exposy Paste; and B - Bond-Seal-Fell. It is extremely easy to work with. I cleaned up the gaps and broken pieces of the plastic around the spokes and center of the steering wheel as best I could and began layering in the epoxy. It hardens relatively quickly and then can be sanded. After a very short while, I applied rattle can paint and the wheel looks brand new.
Author:  GTS225 [ Wed Sep 29, 2010 3:43 pm ]
Post subject: 
WOW! Malaysia is a fair distance from here.
Concerning your dash "chrome"....you can send it out to get "vaccuum metalized", but it could get pricey, as most companies will do needed repairs and smoothing before doing the process, but it comes out GREAT. The entire instrument cluster housing would end up being "chromed", and you would then have to mask and paint the area that are colored.

A different process you could try comes from the plastic model world. There is a product called "Bare Metal Foil" that you can get in copper, brass, chrome, and I think a brushed stainless look. It's actually a very thin metallic film that has an adhesive backing that you can buy in sheets, trim out in strips, and apply where needed by rubbing it on with a "Q-tip". You then use a new , #11 blade in a hobby knife to final trim the foil. It won't be like original, but it will get you close.

Good luck......Roger
Author:  Jesus H Chrysler [ Thu Sep 30, 2010 7:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
I just did a similar repair on my wheel. I asked my friend at the body shop and he said to just use bondo. I did. It worked great. also it's a good idea to spray the whole wheel with bulldog or some other adhesion promoter followed by a decent primer to ensure that the new paint sticks to the plastic. I used rustoleum "dark oiled bronze" metallic. it turned out darker than the original, but it's got a nice medium heavy flake to it which looks cool.

as for the chrome plating, I saw in a model train catalog a little diy electroplating kit for plastic model parts. maybe something like that would work? I just painted my gauge panel with silver paint. I'd like to have it replated someday, but it's low on the priority list.
Author:  shadetree [ Fri Oct 01, 2010 12:50 pm ]
Post subject:  steering wheel repair
There is s show on speed called Stacy Davids gearz.
He did a show on steering wheel fixin. Good stuff
Check it out at speed tv. Right on with model train re chrome
kit. Or pauls chrome OUTSTANDING and the parts are the
original size and look. But he aint cheap!

lol shadetree
Author:  crickhollow [ Sun Oct 03, 2010 2:18 am ]
Post subject: 
A very easy and cheap fix - I used flexible tile grout, the stuff you use in your bathroom to fill gaps, etc, and that can be cleaned up with water. Don't use the grout that is cleaned up with turps, it gets too messy.

When the tile grout is dried I used a black coloured felt tipped pen and drew around the area that I filled, that is I coloured the grout black. Unless you have very good eyesight, or your steering wheel is not black, you wont see the repair. Because the grout is flexible the 'fix' will be permanent.

It cost me about $0.75 to do the fix!
Author:  1966DartConvertible [ Sun Oct 03, 2010 4:56 am ]
Post subject: 
I think this should solve my peeled-of plastic chrome on my dash...

Image

Image

:)
Author:  66aCUDA [ Sun Oct 03, 2010 5:56 am ]
Post subject: 
Check the paint on a piece that doesnt show. Some paints will eat the plastic.
Just FYI,
Frank
Author:  1966DartConvertible [ Sun Oct 03, 2010 7:58 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Check the paint on a piece that doesnt show. Some paints will eat the plastic.
Just FYI,
Frank
Yep definitely will test-paint 1st. And I will take before/after pics and post them here... next week I hope...
Author:  raycycled [ Sat Dec 31, 2011 7:22 pm ]
Post subject: 
How did it go with the chrome repair on your dash board ? RAY
Author:  1966DartConvertible [ Sun Jan 01, 2012 9:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
How did it go with the chrome repair on your dash board ? RAY
In a word, SUCKS! :(

Its just a silver paint nothing more. I decided to do away with chrome on my dash and did this:

Image
Image
Image

Syed
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