WTB: 74 (through ‘76) steering wheel.

[kbmb02 1,344]

Per ad title .. looking for a 74-76* steering wheel in really-nice - great shape. (* @Conserv /  Steve knows and is welcome to comment (amongst others) of any variations which might apply.)

Thanks in advance. -KB

Edited January 4 by kbmb02

[rstclark 228]

I have one of these. I’ll dig it out and take some photos for you

[Gordon 390]

You should post your WTB parts in the parts wanted section of the FAQ classified forum. 

 

Interesting you are looking for an original bus drivers wheel.  This thread of steering wheel eye candy will get you thinking of alternatives.

 

Edited January 4 by Gordon

[Conserv 4,943]

Ken,

 

All the square taillight steering wheels were four-spoke and pretty much look alike. But... U.S. ‘74 tii’s received  pleather-trimmed (plastic leather) versions of this wheel while all other, non-tii, versions received hard plastic or soft molded plastic rims, without faux stitching and a faux seam. ‘76 rims might have more padding than earlier versions of the four-spoke rim.

 

There’s a thread discussing this topic.

 

 

BMW steering wheels are generally dated. For a ‘74 tii, I’d expect a date between September 1973 and December 1974 — the 1974 tii had an extra-long model year! Below, in the first two photos, is my ‘76’s wheel, dated March 1976 (“03 76”). This is not a ‘74 tii wheel! The third photo shows a ‘74 tii wheel.

 

Good luck and best regards,

 

Steve

 

[kbmb02 1,344]

Thanks, Steve @Conserv (and yeah, the ‘74 version Tii version is preferred, as that what it’s for).

 

1 hour ago, Gordon said:

You should post your WTB parts in the parts wanted section of the FAQ classified forum. 

 

Interesting you are looking for an original bus drivers wheel.  This thread of steering wheel eye candy will get you thinking of alternatives.

 

Thanks, Gordon. I thought I had posted in WTB, guess I clicked too fast. 

 

For this particular car, I would prefer to have an original bus wheel (right now it has a beautiful wood Nardi steering wheel installed).

[Mike Self 3,696]

1 hour ago, kbmb02 said:

For this particular car, I would prefer to have an original bus wheel (right now it has a beautiful wood Nardi steering wheel installed).

I'm sure you'll find someone willing to trade their extremely rare squarelight bus wheel for your commonplace Nardi 😉

 

mike

[JohnP_02 320]

Ken, @BimmerBoukhas a nice one for sale. 
 

Best, John

[BimmerBouk 13]

2 hours ago, JohnP_02 said:

Ken, @BimmerBoukhas a nice one for sale. 
 

Best, John

Tnx John,

 

Yes I have a nice Wheel, it s a Tii steel spoked Wheel with slots.

[John_in_VA 834]

10 hours ago, BimmerBouk said:

Yes I have a nice Wheel, it s a Tii steel spoked Wheel with slots.

 

That wheel is a beauty, but pre-square tail light.

[JohnP_02 320]

@Mike Self  @Conserv I believe it was established that these "tii wheels" were dealer accessories and not factory installed (at least not the US delivery tii's), correct? John P

[Conserv 4,943]

14 hours ago, JohnP_02 said:

@Mike Self  @Conserv I believe it was established that these "tii wheels" were dealer accessories and not factory installed (at least not the US delivery tii's), correct? John P

Hey, John,

 

The three-spoke sport wheels (U.S. version with oval indents in lieu of oval perforations) were factory-installed on a large number of U.S. 1970 models. This represents the proof of our “fire-in-the-steering-wheel-factory” legend. OK, maybe it’s our “workers-strike-in-the-steering-wheel-factory” legend. Regardless, and regardless of its veracity, it makes a great story. And it has nothing to do with tii’s, even though the style was first introduced on the never-Federalized 1600ti.

 

Other than that, the three-spoke sport wheels were dealer accessories in the U.S., and were not factory-installed on tii’s, or any other U.S.-spec cars.

 

The four-spoke “tii wheel” — and I actually call this one a “tii wheel” — appears to have been factory-installed on U.S. 1974 tii’s.

 

If everyone with a 1974 tii could (a.) check the date on your car’s steering wheel, and, if that manufacturing date is consistent with the car’s manufacturing date (say, manufactured in the 4 months leading up to the car’s manufacturing date, (b.) take a photo of the steering wheel, and (c.) provide your car’s VIN and manufacturing date, we will have a better picture of the installation of the faux-leather four-spoke “tii wheel”! For instance, did every U.S. 1974 model receive one? Some? A few? More ‘02 mysteries...
 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[Glen Karr 152]

Steve,

A) Steering wheel manufacture date 02/74

b) Picture in the earlier thread (four spoke, faux leather 'Tii' wheel')

c) 2781681 April 22, 1974 

Best regards,

Glen

[Conserv 4,943]

2 hours ago, Glen Karr said:

Steve,

A) Steering wheel manufacture date 02/74

b) Picture in the earlier thread (four spoke, faux leather 'Tii' wheel')

c) 2781681 April 22, 1974 

Best regards,

Glen

Great!

And...

d) an original-owner car, making the verification of this wheel as original to this car bulletproof!

 

Re-printing your photo here, showing both the simulated stitching and the simulated seam at 6:00!

 

Thanks, as always, Glen!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[kbmb02 1,344]

Adding to this...

 

@Conserv

 

I purchased a steering wheel from an FAQ member; not exactly the type I was looking for, but close for now).

However, the pad does not match the steering wheel.

 

It seems there are (at least) two types of pads; one is all foam and has a smooth arc across the top. (First photo - that's the foam one-piece pad, mounted on the steering wheel, you can see the mismatch and the gap it leaves across the top.)

 

 

The other type of pad is a two-piece pad, with a vinyl 'wrap' covering plastic guts. It has an section at the top which extends forward. (I found the outer vinyl piece in my parts box, but don't have the plastic insert).

 

 

At this point: I'm looking for a plastic pad insert and/or a proper complete '74 Tii steering wheel. -KB

[JMMcR75 47]

I had a similar experience to yours, described in my post below.  On that basis, I would guess that yours is a 1976 steering wheel.

The February 13 post by ''76mintgrün'02 in the thread below has many pictures of the pieces making up his '76 center pad that may be helpful.

John