New steering column plans...
 

Over on the ShopTalk Eurolook forum, in the thread about how much $$ we each have invested in our cars, I mentioned I planned to fabricate my own steering column. My nice restored column intended for my GL went with my old daily driver "trash bug" after my wife smacked the back of a Jag.

I intend to fabricate a new column from the firewall to the steeringwheel. My original plans were to use some aluminum tube with a "brushed" surface for the housing but I was thinking lately of some polished thin wall Stainless or even some 4130 chromemolly. The chromemolly would have to be painted so only I would really know what it was made of but it's light/strong and really cool stuff.

If you were getting a custom steering column what material would you prefer in YOUR GL??

ken

really depends on the car and what else there is that needs to blend. i think stainless would be cool...and of course c/f. :D

sounds like a cool project. remember pics and tech article!! :agree:

Carbon Fiber would be cool but real CF tube would be big $$$$. I'll check around and see what it really goes for.

A CF overlay could be done reasonable though, I have some left over from a console I built for my BMW.... My bug has no CF so I probably won't be going that way. It will eventually get a CF roof lip but it may end up painted with the body.

I'll be working on this column project over the next couple of weeks, I'll take pics, submit a tech article and post them on my website when it's done. Check out www.e21motorsports.com/kendanielson my Bug project is on there, a page on header design and be sure to check out my '82 BMW 320is if you are interested in programable EFI. That little sucker really rocks now with efi and an new 4-2-1 header and exhaust system!! EDIS is comming soon. The EFI and EDIS will find it's way onto my type 4 in the future..... VERY cool stuff!

ken

OK, I just found some 2" id carbon fiber tubing used for sailboat spiniker poles-$50 per ft.!!! So there's an extra $90 or so over the other materials for little gain, it's .35 lb per ft and 4130 chromemolly is about .40lb per ft. No bang for the $ there just cool factor.

Hey Kdanie,

Where did you find the spinaker tubing?

Thanks,

Randy

Hall spars, http://www.hallspars.com/P_Poles.html down a little to the components section.

ken

Thank you,

Randy