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
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Scratches on the badge
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grey finish on the airbag cover well past it's best so decided to re-coat it
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used Eastwood Plasti-wrap metallic grey rubber coating to refresh the airbag
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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
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Next up was the badge, the STi logo is actually embossed in the aluminium center so had to sand it back flush...
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Used some BMW silver grey from my old E46 M3 which was a good match
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measured the STi logo and got exact size in vinyl from ebay
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couple of coats of lacquer...
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airbag done
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next, get the steering wheel re-trimmed at Royal steering wheels...

Looks a top job :thumb: I did my one but black instead of grey

cheers marco, did you use plastidip?

No I think it was satin black from halfords

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
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current steering wheel also re-trimmed by Jack
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Fitted
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Much prefer this wheel to the plain black revised blob/hawk version and it's nice to have a brand new steering wheel again!


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As always, nice work. I must update mine someday. How hard is it to replace? I can see a couple of bolts on the steering column; is it as easy as undoing those?

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.

Nice work as always mate!

Cheers Pants

It's Mr Pants! :D

How hard wearing is that plastidip rubber spray? Will it scratch off or wear off in time? Looks ace, never thought about doing that.

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!

lol. I know how these ideas can spiral out of control! :D

Good work, looks great.

Thanks chef...I mean mr chef

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


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That does look very good. I'm tempted to re-do the forester in this stuff as the factory finish looks the same and will be a nice refresh.

Out of interest, has anyone tried to fit retractable cupholders below the top vents? At a glance it looks quite straightforward but experience tells me it might be a bit more involved.

Not seen anyone fit the forester trim with cup holder into an Impreza. Sure it can be done as you say, with some mods as the stereo hole is in a slightly different location. I know a lot of parts are completely interchangeable. I've already fitted an Impreza ashtray into the forester. Direct swap.

I'm really tempted to do my dash trim in plastidip now looking at the pics above.