phillay Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 hey guys 29/06/14 - Update, I've updated with some pics for the result clear coat and wax. as well as tips for other DIY'er My steering wheel was a bit faded so I decided to give it a bit of a clean, it's nearly done I just need to buy a can of clear coat and give it a buff. Stuff I need/purchased for this (all from masters): 1 sheet 400grit paper - 90cents (i just bought this because I ranned out at home) 1 sheet 800 grit paper - 90cents 1 sheet 1200grit paper - 90cents 1 paint brush 25mm - $1 1 sponge brush ? had it at home 1 can of miniwax wood paint - $11 1 can of miniwax quick dry urethane - $14 masking tape - had this at home i think it's a few $ tips: be careful when you peel masking tape as it could take off the paint i learnt this the hard way lol. make sure you tape the steering wheel run your finger nail along the edge, expensive blue tape was good for this the spray on urethane self levels but i found it much harder than spraying colour paint as you couldn't really tell how thick it was so best to apply a few coats, i did 4 in total, with 20min wait for each layer, this must be done within 2 hours as instructed on the can i used a bucket as a stand when I was spraying on the clear coat first i took out the steering, just a nut gave it a wiggle and it came off, then with 800grit sand paper I gave the whole thing a quick rub to get rid of the old paint and smooth it out a bit after a wash I taped up the wooden bit to paint the centre satin black hanging out waiting for the paint to dry I did 3 coats, this is how it looked I liked the sample colour so I got this after the first coat I realised I put the stain on a bit too thick had to really sand it down first lightly with 400 grit paper, then 800 then 1200, and I applied the stain with a sponge brush this time really lightly, ok i lied my wife did it for me she's good with arts and craft stuff. the above pic was the result, I might give it a rub down with some fine steel wool, it's pretty good at the moment, but I will give it another coat before spraying it down with a clear coat. I waited overnight to spray on a clear coat, this was the stuff I used and the bucket was a stand first layer when wet, I could tell it wasn't enough as there were areas where it wasn't as smooth so a few more coats 3 hours after 3 coats close up after 18 hours, poor light so pics don't do it justice it's really new and clean and smooth, I really like the finish of the urethane spray. I rubbed a bit of furniture wax final product with my 280z horn pad now in car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyk_79 Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Thanks Phillay. I was thinking of trying something similar myself so this is good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Good stuff, will come in handy for others. I think Gav will be posting a how to soon as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted June 27, 2014 Administrators Share Posted June 27, 2014 Yeah I'm in the middle of doing mine also. The earlier ones don't have the cut out spokes so getting all the old paint off is a pain in the butt. Where did you buy the minwax stuff? I got a stain and varnish in 1 type of stuff and I'm not sure how it will look / work so would rather try the tested and proved stuff. Looking good so far. The clear will set it off I'm sure. Going to tackle gear knob next . ScottyD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triptych Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Does anybody know what the original colour stain would be? I will be doing my steering wheel in the near future and would like to get as close to original as I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted June 27, 2014 Administrators Share Posted June 27, 2014 Good question, to be honest I don't know the answer... I've seen some 240z sales brochures where the wood colour looks very different to the production model we received. I think the earliest S30z's had a different colour and possibly texture to their wheels. Check out the colour on HS30 0004 http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php?topic=13650.0 This is from October 1969 But many other later cars appear to have a darker grain finish on their steering wheel. Here for example is Kats S30z 432 If you want the original 5 speed gear knob you'll also have to consider the fact that some of the reproductions of the gear knob have a different grain and texture again. So in my opinion I don't think it matters what colour you go for, so long as it's consistent with the gear knob you're using (if you're looking for original looking interior that is). FWIW: I'm not getting too hung up on those small details with my car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted June 27, 2014 Administrators Share Posted June 27, 2014 Also here are some other threads that show photos of different finishes people have done. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/interior-s30/21485-my-steering-wheel-restore-detailed.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/interior-s30/29126-240z-steering-wheel-restoration.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/interior-s30/38344-steering-wheel-restoration.html My personal favorite though is this: http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/interior-s30/33433-best-method-restoring-240z-steering-wheel.html#post293074 esprist - runs JDM-Car-Parts.com - it would seem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted June 27, 2014 Administrators Share Posted June 27, 2014 Oh here is the interior of HS30 00151 - as you can see a darker red wheel rim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triptych Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 They have to make things a pain don't they. I am going to try hunt down a 5 speed wood gearstick knob but from what I have found so far they aren't exactly easy to track down so I might have to get a repo and just colour match to that as you suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillay Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 The miniwax stuff was from masters, theres a colour board that gives you an idea what it will turn out, they have all the colours above. I think the earlier steering wheel would be easier to do because it doesn't have holes. Have fun guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted June 28, 2014 Administrators Share Posted June 28, 2014 They have to make things a pain don't they. I am going to try hunt down a 5 speed wood gearstick knob but from what I have found so far they aren't exactly easy to track down so I might have to get a repo and just colour match to that as you suggested. Yeah it appears that even genuine Nissan ones had variances in the years anyway. For example here is a few threads showing images of the gear knobs and differences. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/open-s30-z-discussions/36981-any-body-have-original-5-speed-shifter-knob.html http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/interior-s30/22039-restoring-origional-shift-knob.html The miniwax stuff was from masters, theres a colour board that gives you an idea what it will turn out, they have all the colours above. I think the earlier steering wheel would be easier to do because it doesn't have holes. Have fun guys Thanks mate, I went to Bunnings but they had different stuff. I'll have to find a local Masters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillay Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 updated with more pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted June 29, 2014 Administrators Share Posted June 29, 2014 Looks superb well done. I worked on mine tonight it's drying now after I hit it with satin black. I'll be happy to get the finish you did on the wood rim. It is a rather time consuming job, but the results look worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillay Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 It is quite time consuming, but the results are satisfying. I was considering selling the wheel before this to buy a wooden nardi, but i much prefer th factory wheel after this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted June 29, 2014 Administrators Share Posted June 29, 2014 That spray gun for the can, where did you get that? Masters also? Also why did you have a bucket for a stand? Do you have to keep the can vertical when spraying the Polyurethane stuff? The black satin black paint on mine is still drying at the moment, with this cold weather it's taking a while to set fully I think. I'll probably knock it down lightly with steel wool and then hit it with another coat. So far so good, no runs etc.. I'll post up photos of exactly what I did when I finish. Oh and by the way - I made this topic a sticky post also for future reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillay Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 All the miniwax stuff were from Masters, i used the bucket as a stand when spraying the urethane because it said on the can it was self levelling the bucket was the rofht soze when the steering wheel was facing down letting me spray the urethane without holding it. I guess if you had it hanging by the spokes you wouldn't need a bucket. I fund it quite hard to spray the inside of the wheel rim so be patient and keep spraying it in short burst. Alternatively there is the non spraying version, it's in a can and it's a few dollars cheaper, some might be more comfortable with applying with a brush. They are available at Masters in clear gloss, semi clear gloass and clear satin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted July 1, 2014 Administrators Share Posted July 1, 2014 I'm not finished with my wheel yet, but I figure I should get these notes down before I forget. So let's start with some before photos. Horn Button Step 1. - Stripping the paint off. I used various grits of sand paper, a dremel and a drill with a wire brush to get all the fiddly bits. Be careful with the wire wheel as it can be quite aggressive and any scratches it leaves on the metal surface will be visible through the paint, so you may need to use finer and finer grits of sandpaper to remove these scratches from the surface. (As if you were polishing the metal). Thankfully I only had this issue where the horn button sits so it won't be visible when the horn button is back on. I stripped all the paint off. It was at this point I contemplates 2 thing, 1, what the hell am I doing with my life sitting here sanding a wheel, 2 it would actually look quite good as a polished metal wheel also. But the only photo I found where someone had done it also showed an S13 dash in an S30z (Like seriously? Who does that?). Step 2 - Mask her up. I used painters tape I got at bunnings, good stuff as it's not too sticky. Products I'm using, although I'm not sure I'd recommend them. Will comment on this shortly. My paint booth. A.k.a the laundry Step 3 - The Horn Button. Initially I tried to mask up the ring with blu-tac and the 'DATSUN' logo with tape. I then hit it with black vinyl paint (same as I used on the center console). http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,4300.msg151150.html#msg151150 The problem was you could see some ghosting (where the tape covered the surface). Also the surface of the button had bubbles and imperfections, at first I didn't want to sand it because it would leave scratches in the surface. Which would show up through the paint. But while working on the steering wheel (which I'll get to a in minute) I disocvered that using really fine steel wool was good at knocking down surface imperfections but it wouldn't leave scratches behind. It would leave a nice clean surface. Make sure you get super fine steel wool like this. So I used steel wool to improve the surface of the horn button/button thing. Then I slapped it with some more vinyl paint - this time I didn't bother covering the logo. Once dry I used a silver sharpie (I got at Office Works). Then I re-traced the circle and Datsun logo. In my opinion is came up the ducks nuts! Step 4 - Back to the wheel. So I've done 3 coats now of satin black, thing is I'm not sure if it's the weather (very cold lately) or just the paint takes ages to cure, but I started Sunday night, with the first coat, Monday I did coat #2 - which left the surface looking less than flat. Tonight I used a heat gun to try and help it cure, then I used that light steel wool to knock down the surface. I've since done another light coat and it looks really good. I just hope it cures, given the sub 15 degree weather I've got it sitting in the laundry and I'll have the drier on which will hopefully keep it nice and balmy in there tonight. It looks good otherwise... and how it currently looks... Once it's dried and cured *fingers crossed* I'll try tape up the spokes and start on the wood rim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted July 1, 2014 Administrators Share Posted July 1, 2014 By the way I found that the OEM horn button has Chrome Trim on it, but I'm not entirely convinced that was how they came in 1970. And Aforementioned S13 Dash in S30z with original wheel. Found here: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/24211-deep-dish-240z-polished-steering-wheel/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillay Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 I need to do that to my horn pad, I wonder what it would look like if the centre spokes is in a brushed metal finish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted July 2, 2014 Administrators Share Posted July 2, 2014 I need to do that to my horn pad, I wonder what it would look like if the centre spokes is in a brushed metal finish I think your horn pad is the later S30z series type, it's a larger overall diameter. You can get the 'Z' ones on Yahoo! Auctions if you want that, otherwise you could source a 'Datsun' 1 I'm sure. As for the center spokes, it would be really fiddly and I quite like the earlier solid spokes . If I had a spare I'd try the polished look. I actually took the steering wheel out of the laundry last night because with the drier on and the cold snap there was a lot of condensation building up. So I put it inside the house and this morning the paint seemed a lot more set than it did previously. I also have hung it up under a sheltered area in the garden today so hopefully when I get home it will be dried nice and firm. Can't wait to see how it looks after the stain + polyurethane clear coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyk_79 Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Phillay could I ask what black you used - noticed your finish is slightly glossier than Gav's satin black? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted July 2, 2014 Administrators Share Posted July 2, 2014 So paint appears to have hardened up. Bit of a preview Taped up the spokes. After the first coat of stain. In terms of sanding the wooden rim, I used old sand-paper and went back until all the shiny coating was gone. I noticed that there was some low spots and different textures were coming through as I used different sandpaper to knock down the surface. After reading some of the oher threads on wheel resto I decided I wasn't going to sand it much further. I kinda of like the character that the wood was getting with all it's various imperfections. Rather than 1 solid colour. I then washed the rim down with dish-soap and warm water to remove all the old dust etc.. I hung it up and applied the minwax cherry red stain. I put it on very very light. I used it like you would use tooth paste that is almost empty. Just a bit at a time and spread it as far as I could get it. So far it's looking good, but will need to wait for it to dry (can says 6 hours) and then fine 000 steel wool, then a second stain coat. After it's dry I'll get onto the polyurethane spray and give it 2-3 coats depending on how it's looking. Hopefully it will look the goods! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyk_79 Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 It's looking awesome Gav ! These wheels are a faux wood finish aren't they - I haven't had chance to look at mine much yet because it's still in the shop ? Guessing that's the reason for not sanding too far because the faux grain would disappear ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators gav240z Posted July 3, 2014 Administrators Share Posted July 3, 2014 Hope you're happy, took me a bit of Googling to find this. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/open-general-discussions/7801-production-number-1969-a.html#post45493 By the way, Mr.MATSUO told me steering wheel is made of wood and plastic.I saw this topic on the web before,"real wood or plastic?"He said this technology was a very special of another japanese company,they use real wood over the metal core and pouring liquid plastic then pressed with very strong force. So the steering wheel is made of real wood, but same time made of plastic. After reading what others have done, I actually sanded mine down a little further than others. However this doesn't seem to have caused any adverse effects and if anything has made the grain patterns and wood texture come through more strongly. So it has more 'patina' so to speak. So far it's looking good, going to hit it with some fine steel wool tonight then apply the second coat, very thinly I might ad. Then the polyurethane spray should make it pop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillay Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 I reckon the bumps (grip-back bit) of the wheel is the plastic material the post is referring to. And the front of the wheel is wooden. Mine was shiny and I too didn't sand it all the way back to keep the character of the wood, it's never going to be perfect and uniform and i dont think it was from the factory anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.