Why Type of Steering Wheel is this? Baffled..

['76mintgrün'02]

25 minutes ago, stephers said:

I have one just like that but when I asked, everyone said that it was an MGB wheel     They look exactly like this with no markings   

 

Does yours have the BMW mark on the back side?  (as seen in his photo above)

 

 

[Stevenola]

Definitely a Petri, there might be a stamp on the inside of the hub (will have to disassemble the components - careful because those purty phillips head screws will likely suffer damage if you try to remove them).  Great Petri article.

Edited December 18, 2022 by Stevenola

[Slavs]

They also came as stock equipment on some early VW Sciroccos. We used to remove them at the salvage yards during the 90s where they sold for about $10. Many of these wheels were cleaned up and a BMW horn button added before being resold for big $$ over the years. The classifieds on VW sites often list them.

 

Well now, You don't like the "Peoples Car" ? You got to pay more  if you're going to use it to drive the Bavarian Hog. Ha Ha Ha Ha !

 

I too have had my moments of snobbery. I remember attending a luncheon at a conference half way across the country. They served a plate with chicken, but I asked for something else as I've been averse to chicken since childhood when witnessing my grandmother cutting the head off a chicken then throwing the torso to the ground. The torso would then take off running across the yard with blood spewing everywhere.

 

Well, in place of the chicken  they  brought me this plate with something in the shape of a conical sphere or a woman's breast. I could only surmise what it could be. And, I asked the guy sitting next to me what he though it was. He responded by telling me it was "Reconstituted chicken beaks".

 

A lot of you folks with the BMW Petris got yourselves "Reconstituted" VW Scirocco steering wheels. Ha Ha Ha !

Edited December 18, 2022 by Alexei

[visionaut]

19 hours ago, stephers said:

But there is no validation that your wheel is a Petri, no markings.   Lot's of wheels look like a Petri but without markings how can you be 100% sure??

Rick - Kai’s wheel has both the BMW and Petri logos on it, along with an ID number on the hub center.  Seems pretty unlikely there’s enough spare authentic BMW hub centers for these Petris going around to mate with any of those veedub spokes/rims either…

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by visionaut
Sry / just realized the master tinkerer noted this already…

[Slavs]

VW Scirocco 1 TS Lenkrad Petri in Niedersachsen - Georgsmarienhütte | Ersatz- & Reparaturteile | eBay Kleinanzeigen

WWW.EBAY-KLEINANZEIGEN.DE

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Hallo, ich biete hier ein Sportlenkrad für einen VW Scirocco 1 an. Das Lenkrad passt auch auf...,VW Scirocco 1 TS Lenkrad Petri in Niedersachsen - Georgsmarienhütte

 

[JohnP_02]

There are a few threads about this if you search, but I am happy to summarize. The Petri sport wheels that were made for BMW were available in 3 sizes, 35cm, 38cm and 40cm, hence the corresponding numbers stamped on the back of the spokes. Not all wheels came with the stamp, however, but they are still 100% legitimate Petri Sport wheels. The ones made for VW were primarily a deep dish, which were never meant for BMW’s. 
 

 

[Slavs]

On 12/21/2022 at 8:05 AM, JohnP_02 said:

The ones made for VW were primarily a deep dish, which were never meant for BMW’s. 

I disagree. Many of the VW Petri wheels were not deep dish. Some were, though. I think there were at least 3 different styles used by VW. You can clearly see that the VW Petri wheels in the following photos ares not a deep dish variety. They are as flat as the floor.

 

e9 Propaganda does not hold up to scrutiny. What's really at stake here. Why is it that some of you e9 and BMW folks can't accept the fact that the an identical wheel to that fitted to some e9s was also fitted as stock equipment on some VWs ?

Edited December 23, 2022 by Alexei

[stephers]

I see that stamping but that is all on the hub.    What is on the wheel itself?      If there are no stamps, what is the proof that it is a genuine Petri?           I, personally would need a lot more proof than this to pay that kind of money as well as even if it is or not.

I see lot's of wheels saying that they are Petri but without any markings that make big claims

 

Thanks, Rick

 

 

[Slavs]

38 minutes ago, stephers said:

I see that stamping but that is all on the hub.    What is on the wheel itself?      If there are no stamps, what is the proof that it is a genuine Petri?

Now, we need a jeweler to ascertain authenticity or "Petri" pedigree. After all, we're talking about big $$ these days. We're no longer picking these things from wrecking yards for $10 each.

[JohnP_02]

I am just a collector and not an expert by any means, but I have had a few dozen Petri wheels run through my hands. There is a lot of information - and misinformation out there and I certainly don’t know everything about Petri wheels, but let me clarify a few points:
 

1) The Petri Sport steering wheel was an aftermarket option for BMW and VW (with the exception of the leather version that was factory installed on injected e9 CSL’s). They were the only manufacturer to make that kind of steering wheel in that shape, pattern, and material. Unlike Momo for example that had 10x’s of similar wheels and imitators.

 

2) So what we are talking about here is whether or not a Petri wheel was made specifically for BMW. The answer to that is both yes and no. What makes a wheel fit on a specific make and model is the hub - not the wheel. If someone had the same slightly dished variety Petri and it was being used on a VW then yes, you could remove that wheel and change the hub to a BMW hub just like with most aftermarket wheels. 
 

3) The thing that makes Petri wheels a bit different than say Momo, is that when you bought an aftermarket Petri steering wheel it came with a “kit” that consisted of a hub, huh cover, and horn button. There was also nobody else making spare Petri hubs with the unique Petri PCD. I’ve been collecting steering wheel for a while and never seen one. Ever. 
 

4) Petri manufactured many of the factory OEM steering wheels for BMW, but there were three sizes of Petri Sport steering wheels available for BMW. The different sizes may have been marketed for specific models, i.e. 40 cm for e9 coupe, but you could purchase any size and buy it on either model. There are BMW part numbers for each size. There were specific hubs for either e9 or 2002 for the Sport Wheels, including a very rare longer hub only made for the e9 CSL. 

 

5) It’s commonly accepted that the earlier Sport wheels did not have the Petri symbol or size stamped on the back, and I believe this to be the case. Although no one can say for certain when the stamp begin to be implemented exactly. Another interesting feature is that some of the Petri sport wheels had squared off ends vs some had tapered. Some have claimed that only the squared ones were made for BMW and while I think this was likely the case, I also think eventually due to manufacturing that they probably all had tapered edges at some point and so over time both were actually available for BMW. 
 

 

There is a lot of mystery surrounding vintage steering wheels, but that’s part of the enjoyment. Even with the variability and inconsistency with manufacturering back then there was only one company that made a steering wheel anything close to Petri, so “it’s not real because there is no stamp on the back” is silly and not true. 
 

Hope this helps a little. Here is an NOS 40cm Petri from my collection for your viewing pleasure.

 

 

Edited December 23, 2022 by JohnP_02

[Slavs]

4 hours ago, JohnP_02 said:

I am just a collector and not an expert by any means,

You certainly provided more thorough information than any one of us. A relatively small # of VWs I came across at the yards had the Petri wheel. So, I don't know if it was a factory option. But, I thought it was since the Petri is pictured in some of the factory brochures. Either way, it's a nice steering wheel.

 

Did Petri sell the hub alone ? I ask because some of those e9 specialty shops who were purchasing the wheels removed from VWs at wrecking yards at a super discount price from us poor kids must have had the BMW hubs at hand to fit them on e9s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TobyB]

As to the thread title, for completeness, you don't need baffles on your steering wheel.

 

If you track your car, they ARE useful in the oil pan.

 

t

literal

[Conserv]

6 hours ago, JohnP_02 said:

I am just a collector and not an expert by any means, but I have had a few dozen Petri wheels run through my hands. There is a lot of information - and misinformation out there and I certainly don’t know everything about Petri wheels, but let me clarify a few points:
 

1) The Petri Sport steering wheel was an aftermarket option for BMW and VW (with the exception of the leather version that was factory installed on injected e9 CSL’s). They were the only manufacturer to make that kind of steering wheel in that shape, pattern, and material. Unlike Momo for example that had 10x’s of similar wheels and imitators.

 

2) So what we are talking about here is whether or not a Petri wheel was made specifically for BMW. The answer to that is both yes and no. What makes a wheel fit on a specific make and model is the hub - not the wheel. If someone had the same slightly dished variety Petri and it was being used on a VW then yes, you could remove that wheel and change the hub to a BMW hub just like with most aftermarket wheels. 
 

3) The thing that makes Petri wheels a bit different than say Momo, is that when you bought an aftermarket Petri steering wheel it came with a “kit” that consisted of a hub, huh cover, and horn button. There was also nobody else making spare Petri hubs with the unique Petri PCD. I’ve been collecting steering wheel for a while and never seen one. Ever. 
 

4) Petri manufactured many of the factory OEM steering wheels for BMW, but there were three sizes of Petri Sport steering wheels available for BMW. The different sizes may have been marketed for specific models, i.e. 40 cm for e9 coupe, but you could purchase any size and buy it on either model. There are BMW part numbers for each size. There were specific hubs for either e9 or 2002 for the Sport Wheels, including a very rare longer hub only made for the e9 CSL. 

 

5) It’s commonly accepted that the earlier Sport wheels did not have the Petri symbol or size stamped on the back, and I believe this to be the case. Although no one can say for certain when the stamp begin to be implemented exactly. Another interesting feature is that some of the Petri sport wheels had squared off ends vs some had tapered. Some have claimed that only the squared ones were made for BMW and while I think this was likely the case, I also think eventually due to manufacturing that they probably all had tapered edges at some point and so over time both were actually available for BMW. 
 

 

There is a lot of mystery surrounding vintage steering wheels, but that’s part of the enjoyment. Even with the variability and inconsistency with manufacturering back then there was only one company that made a steering wheel anything close to Petri, so “it’s not real because there is no stamp on the back” is silly and not true. 
 

Hope this helps a little. Here is an NOS 40cm Petri from my collection for your viewing pleasure.

 

 

Damn! It sure pays to have a Petri specialist on the forum! 😉🙌

 

Well done!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve