Rebuilding Steering Wheel

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by Geoff Dowdle

Ash,
I probably warned you about at least two BOCA members who had problems with Pearlcraft in Australia.

Geoff, can you recall the nature of the problems they had?

Kevin

[seanmcs]

The only Bristol 6 cyl I've seen with an original timber rim wheel
is the Zagato. That Roller one looks quite nice, but possibly a bit
fat.

Sean

[Claude]

Originally Posted by seanmcs

The only Bristol 6 cyl I've seen with an original timber rim wheel
is the Zagato. That Roller one looks quite nice, but possibly a bit
fat.
Sean

I have to say the tactile effect of the fatness is first rate, far more comfortable than when I had a 409 with its Blumel.

Don't know about 6 cyl Bristols, but my 410 LHD (now sold and subsequently restored by Bristol Cars), the Elliot Gant (of Gant Shirts) car had a wooden Motolita wheel on it when I purchased it.

Funny story that one... I had presumed the Motolita was an aftermarket add-on, and on a long weekend shopping trip to the UK for parts (it was cheaper - and more fun - to fly JFK to LHR than pay freight), Spencer Lane-Jones kindly sold me a proper Blumel for £50. When I then arrived at Bristol Cars to collect a 411 stainless exhaust system (these were the days when one could still check unusual luggage on Virgin Air), Brian Marelli advised me that in fact the Gant 410 had come originally with that Motolita wooden wheel, and indeed Mr. Gant had been a most particular customer*. He did not like the chrome side strips so they changed them to what became the more understated 411 strips. He did not like the colour of the paint job, and they repainted the car several times. And he felt the huge Blumel steering wheel made no sense, since its diameter was necessary for a non-power steering car, and Bristol had gone to power steering half way through the 409 model... and it seems that this particularity also influenced Bristol to go to a new wheel for the 411.

Mr. Marelli, seeing that I now possessed a surplus Blumel told me the story of one of his customers whose wheel had been stolen, and enquired if I would like to sell it to them. I thought it fair to offer it to him for the price I paid, to be deducted off the bill I was at that moment settling.

Later when I mentioned this to Spencer Lane-Jones, I believe I heard a gasket blow, as it turned out that Spencer had done me a great kindness and sold me the wheel at a substantially lower than market price, a bequest that now had gone to the benefit of Bristol Cars. I probably should not be telling this story, but do so to record for posterity the story of Bristol steering wheels and the naivete of Americans in the old country.

----------
* in the interest of preserving Bristol Cars policy on not disclosing customer names, as N.A. Registrar I had tracked many of the extant cars in the US and Canada, and one day got a call from Elliot Gant, astounded but delighted that I had tracked him down. He was a lovely gentleman and told me any number of stories (having just sold the company, he could have afforded a Rolls, but felt he could never pull it off in Yankee New Haven, Connecticut, hence the Bristol). After I had told Mr. Marelli enough of them to establish the first customer had disclosed his identity to me (Americans like Mr Gant could not care less about this British obsession with privacy acts), I was able to get the factory's side of it. Even Mr. Crook filled in many of the gaps.

[Hydroglen]

Peter, I have shopped around a bit including the US links and I know Mark
Wallach very well. It would appear that at this point Myrtle may be offering
good value in that if I undertand correctly you get a new wheel for 325
pounds. I have friends coming over in June so shipping would not be an
issue. I have sent them an e-mail so we shall see.
Dorien

[Hydroglen]

> Peter,
Myrtle quoted me 325 +15 % Vat, or shipping to Canada for some 25 and no
Vat. 300 each if we bought 2. You can contact me off line at
dorien*thecreativemedium.com

Dorien