Early blob STi steering wheel refurb DIY
14 April 2016, 04:11 PM
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Early blob STi steering wheel refurb DIY
Bought an early blob STi steering wheel that needed a little TLC so thought I'd post up some pics of the how I re-furbed it. This will be going in my blob wagon as I prefer it to the plain black revised version.
This is how it used to look
Scratches on the badge
grey finish on the airbag cover well past it's best so decided to re-coat it
used Eastwood Plasti-wrap metallic grey rubber coating to refresh the airbag
Only applied a few light coats as this makes it harder to peel off, colour is slightly darker and more metallic but still looks spot-on and there isn't much choice with these rubber coatings. Time will tell how durable it is but it feels pretty tough
Next up was the badge, the STi logo is actually embossed in the aluminium center so had to sand it back flush...
Used some BMW silver grey from my old E46 M3 which was a good match
measured the STi logo and got exact size in vinyl from ebay
couple of coats of lacquer...
airbag done
next, get the steering wheel re-trimmed at Royal steering wheels...
This is how it used to look
Scratches on the badge
grey finish on the airbag cover well past it's best so decided to re-coat it
used Eastwood Plasti-wrap metallic grey rubber coating to refresh the airbag
Only applied a few light coats as this makes it harder to peel off, colour is slightly darker and more metallic but still looks spot-on and there isn't much choice with these rubber coatings. Time will tell how durable it is but it feels pretty tough
Next up was the badge, the STi logo is actually embossed in the aluminium center so had to sand it back flush...
Used some BMW silver grey from my old E46 M3 which was a good match
measured the STi logo and got exact size in vinyl from ebay
couple of coats of lacquer...
airbag done
next, get the steering wheel re-trimmed at Royal steering wheels...
I did my one but black instead of grey
11 May 2016, 02:54 PM
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re-trimmed and fitted
Got the steering wheel back from Royal Steering wheels, the re-trim in perforated leather is top class as always (3rd wheel I've had done by Jack now).
Seam kept at 6 o'clock as the original but no other seams apart from the 12 o'clock centre mark
current steering wheel also re-trimmed by Jack
Fitted
Much prefer this wheel to the plain black revised blob/hawk version and it's nice to have a brand new steering wheel again!
.
Seam kept at 6 o'clock as the original but no other seams apart from the 12 o'clock centre mark
current steering wheel also re-trimmed by Jack
Fitted
Much prefer this wheel to the plain black revised blob/hawk version and it's nice to have a brand new steering wheel again!
.
Last edited by modrich; 11 May 2016 at 09:39 PM.
13 May 2016, 10:32 AM
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Thanks Stuart, yes very easy, disconnect battery, undo 2x torx screws each side of the steering wheel boss that hold airbag in, remove airbag and unplug 2x connectors, undo nut holding steering wheel on and remove steering wheel, simples. Only thing you need to think about is whether you need a spare wheel as it takes about 2 wks for Jack to do them. Jack may also have a spare he can loan you.
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13 May 2016, 03:01 PM
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Initially wasn't sure how it would stand up to normal use but no probs so far. It has a nice grippy feel to it and the best thing it looks OEM+. If you were to scrub it, it might start to wear off as it's designed to be removable but it's a doddle to re-apply anyway.
I did start to look around the cabin for other bits to paint like the centre console trim but didn't want to get carried away!
I did start to look around the cabin for other bits to paint like the centre console trim but didn't want to get carried away!
13 May 2016, 04:16 PM
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Plasti dipped my centre console over a year ago. gets wipper down and cleaned every time I wash the car, handles it very well, and not been redone.
It has been out a couple of times to replace the stereo and take out the parrot hands free kit.
You get a very OEM look and feel
It has been out a couple of times to replace the stereo and take out the parrot hands free kit.
You get a very OEM look and feel
15 May 2016, 09:51 PM
#19
I'm really tempted to do my dash trim in plastidip now looking at the pics above.
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