Frequently Asked Questions
How long will my steering wheel restoration take?
Typical turnaround time is 3 weeks.
Can I provide my own paint or paint codes?
Yes, absolutely. If you have a hard to match custom color, or just want to ensure your wheel is done from the same batch you had mixed for the rest of your interior, we will gladly apply it.
Do you farm out any work?
Never. This is a cottage industry; all steering wheel restoration work is done on premises by a very small stable of skilled craftsmen. We directly perform every step of the process, and no wheel is shipped unless it meets the highest quality standards for repair, restoration, color, and finish.
What is the final result?
Steering Wheel Bob performs concours-quality restorations. Repairs are undetectable. Finger grips, raised accents, grooves, paint color and finish...everything will look factory-new.
Related: Are there exceptions?
Only upon customer request. For example, one customer sent a wheel that was extremely tired. But it was for his cruise-night "driver" and he wanted to keep costs down. Instead of restoring the damaged and heavily worn grooves on the face of the wheel (facing the driver), he asked to eliminate them altogether. Bob was happy to comply--after all, this is custom work. The finished result was perfect...and unique to his car.
On the other hand, for rare, hard-to-find, expensive, or historically significant pieces, we can totally fabricate large missing sections from the core out. New sections are undetectable from the original.
I'm building a custom--can you help?
One of our specialties is steering wheel downsizing for your custom build. Many owners want a wheel with that vintage look but also want to avoid generic aftermarket stuff. (Not to mention the discomfort and aesthetics of driving a chopped car with a large, original wheel.)
Additionally, numerous customers have retrofitted their otherwise stock cars with power steering, finally making the comfort and convenience of a downsized wheel possible and practical.
Do you restore vinyl, leather, or other soft wheels?
Sorry, no. Our focus is on Bakelite, hard solid-color plastic, and wooden steering wheels.
Depending on condition though, we often CAN help with hard wheels that have soft plastic horn bars, center caps, etc.
Is Steering Wheel Bob's work guaranteed?
We guarantee the surface finish for one year. It's important to know that as your wheel continues to age the original resins and compounds also continue to change from the inside out. Our process includes deeply reinforced repairs that replace damaged and compromised portions of your wheel and we use extremely resilient materials that greatly mitigate the aging process, but nobody can fully stop the march of time. (Few manufacturers anticipated that these steering wheels would still be in use 50, 80, or even 100 years later.)
You can help preserve your wheel--whether original or restored--by avoiding extreme heat or cold, extended periods of direct sunlight, or undue physical stress (critically, don't lift yourself out of your car by using the wheel, and never, ever push an open vintage car--like a Morgan or MG--around the shop by the steering wheel--eventually you WILL break something).
What is Bob's background?:
With over 50 years as a builder, carpenter, and passionate car hobbyist, hand-craftsmanship is in Bob Monetti's blood. He grew up around his father's car lot, and Bob's first job as a teenager was in a body shop--where he learned bodywork and painting from old-school artisans. He painted his first car at 17, and has been hands-on in the car hobby ever since. Bob completed his first ground-up, frame-off restoration over 50 years ago--a 1930 Franklin that won a CCCA First on it's inaugural outing and continued to rack up a series of Firsts and 'Best in Shows' over the next decade.
You can learn more here.