Re: 1974 Steering wheel comparability

[Chris Sweetapple <Highwood@domain.elided>]

Message text written by INTERNET:alfa@domain.elided
>>>>>Date: Thu, 01 Aug 2002 19:33:23 -0400
From: "Dean W. Cains" <dwc@domain.elided>
Subject: Re: 1974 Steering wheel comparability

Hi Mike:

The quick answer is "no".  The early cars, i.e. a '74 with the lovely dual
binnacle dash, have a keyed steering wheel hub.  That is, the hub can only
fit on the shaft one way, much like the crankshaft pulley.  The later cars,

such as an '88 with the single pod dash, have a splined steering shaft.  I
don't know of any off-the-shelf adapter, but if someone happens to be good
with a block of aluminum and a lathe, you're in business.  AFAIK the wheel
change-over coincides with the dash type.

Regards,

Dean W. Cains
Lutz, FL
'74 Spider Veloce


At 06:29 PM 8/1/2002, you wrote:
>Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 13:35:39 -0400
>From: "MikeyB" <MikeyB@domain.elided>
>Subject: 1974 Steering wheel compatability
>
>Does anyone know if a '74 steering wheel would be a bolt on replacement
for an
>'88?
>
>I know that the horn types are different.  Are they compatible?  If not,
is
>there an adaptor available?
>
>
>Thanks much,
>
>      Mike B.
<<<<<

Dean, I think you are half correct, the steering wheels are not
interchangeable between 74 and 88 but only because of the way the horn
works.  The change of dash in 1986 did coincide with the addition of a
brass contact ring for the horn, but the spline fitting wasn't used until
the Series 4 car in 1990, in Europe at any rate.  I have to be careful here
because I know there were differences between the USA and Europe, and I
have already made the mistake of supplying a "long column" Nardi/Momo
adaptor to the owner of a 1969 US car.  We first got the "short column" in
1971 wheras the USA got it in 1969, so there may well differences later on,
and I'd be interested to hear of them.  Although I have all 4 types of
105/115 Nardi/Momo adaptor in stock, I have never heard of an adaptor which
enables an original steering wheel to be fitted to a different car.

Chris Sweetapple
Highwood Motor Company
Swansea, U.K.
www.highwoodalfa.com
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