2 replies to this topic

[oli18]

Hi guys,

I recently bought my first mini.....a clubman estate from 1978.

It came with an extra mountney steering wheel. The previous owner doesn't know why is was there and never fitted it. It says on the inside that it is an 'Astrali' and is made in 1978. I really like it and i think it's great that the year of manufacturing matches.

It has been lose in the boot for years apparently and although the centre was black, i bought some chrom polish and I couldn't believe how shiney it came up. It's so beautiful and I really want to fit it.

I have 3 questions.

1. Can i find a chrome centre that matches the rest of the wheel? If so where and how much?

2. Are all boss kits for mini the same? WHich one would i need for this wheel?

3. Has anyone tried sanding down the wood before? What is the best way to do it? I'm thinking of sanding it down using steel whool (very fine grade) and then using oil to bring it back to life.

Thanks guys!

-Oli

Attached Files

•  Mountney_Steering_Wheel.jpg   50.2K   3 downloads

[vasi]

Congrats on the purchase of a classic

Just to note it looks very much like a genuine Astrali item and not a crappy mountey one, that's a nice wheel and well worth restoring.

1) Probably... see 2)

2) Pretty sure the Astrali has a different boss then Mountney's - speak to someone like P&L Minis (www.plmini.com) they should have what you need or be able to point you in the right direction.

3)Sanding + varnishing/waxing would work, but I'd be inclined to use fine gritpaper as opposed to steel wool. Wood holds moisture and tiny flecks of steel can give you a nice ferrous steering wheel after sealing it

[oli18]

Hi vasi,

Thanks for your reply. I think i will take up your advice on both the sanding and finding the centre piece with boss kit.

Once it's done, I will take a photo to show here!

Thanks again.

Regards,

Oli