If you’ve been around here for a while, you’ll know that I have a totally rational and justified obsession with the tube-frame silhouette racers of the ’80s and ’90s. Point me at a Trans Am spec Buick Somerset, or a GTO Merkur, or a Kelly Challenge Camaro, and I’ll be busy for hours poring over tiny details and checking my 401k for early withdrawal loopholes. (“What do you mean, ‘not having a former Willy T. Ribbs Mercury Capri’ isn’t considered a hardship?”)
Anyway, while I’m perusing classified ads, photo archives and period coverage of these amazing real-life Hot Wheels cars, I can’t help but notice something: They all have the same terrible steering wheels.
These were cars that, although built to a specific ruleset, saw very few restrictions that didn’t cover performance and basic construction.
Early cars of the tube-frame era–I’m talking early ’70s–actually started with factory passenger compartments. You’d “clip” them, replacing the front frame horns with a fully tubular structure and the rear area of the unibody or frame with a tubular subframe, and put a roll cage in the middle that basically eliminated much of the load going into the stock center section.
Eventually this turned into fully fabricated tubular space frames that only had to carry stock roof skin. And even that stock roof skin soon became fiberglass.
Although Audi was winning Trans Am championships as late at the late 1980s with cars that had a shocking amount of the stock tub in place, silhouette racers were mostly becoming just that: high-tech tube frame creations skinned with bodywork close enough to production appearances to give the fans something to root for.
[This IMSA GTO homage brings back the flamethrower]
But so, so many of them had the lamest steering wheels imaginable.
With only the thinnest veneer of rules mandating things like length, width and engine specs, why did the builders and drivers of these highly tuned road race machines use so many of those lame, three-spoke steering wheels that hung in the back corner of the local auto parts store in their “high-performance” section?
These machines were designed to carve corners with surgical precision, yet so many of them used steering wheels that would be more at home on your weird cousin’s Nova that he got arrested in that one time even though he swore it was his buddy Donnie who called the cops because he slept with Donnie’s girlfriend Sheila and he really didn’t do anything, but the cops didn’t care because he’s a free spirit and that’s what they really hate.
Some of these three-spoke monstrosities were even decked out with the center-mounted “safety” pad that looks more appropriate for a roadside carnival bumper car than a precision road racing machine. My contention is that if this “safety” device ever come into play in an incident, then you have improperly installed every single safety device that allowed you to engage the pad and should be banned from the track forever.
Anyway, look, I love these cars and I hope to own one someday. Something weird like a Somerset of a Cutlass or some other car that was never meant to be a race car but looks like the toughest thing on four wheels in tube-frame GT trim. But I’m damn sure putting a decent steering wheel in it.
Comments
Man, I thought the question would be answered if I read far enough.
I wonder if the original awesome steering wheels went away with the teams that ran them and these bargain bin pieces of crap are what you’re left with?
Do you also fret over the rear wings on 00’s race cars that look the same as those hung in the back corner of the local parts stores, and like they’d be at home on your other weird cousin’s (badly) modded Civic? If you got a pro race car of that vintage, would that make you want to change the wing to one of a modern design?
If the drivers of the day were happy enough with it to be the option of choice, I fail to see the problem. To me, the historical context of the period is part of the experience and reason for getting a vintage race car. So if I got one of those, I’d probably keep that steering wheel for the authenticity of the look and feel.
What steering wheel would look more ‘correct’ in one of those cars?
Maybe the high buck fitted Momo etc wheels were the property of the driver and with quick change wheels they had cheaply for the techs to get their ggreasy mits on.
That’s the same wheel I have in my car. They are functional and back then some/most of the cars didn’t have power steering or rack and pinion. So they used the larger diameter steering wheel. When power steering came along, people were used to the big wheels.
What awesome wheels are you referring to? Hopefully not those 12 inch things that you have to change hand position 48 times to change lanes.
Gotta save a few bucks somewhere, I guess.
My guess: the folks who built a lot of these sourced a lot of parts from circle track sources.
Is it round-ish?
Is it light weight?
Is it firmly connected?
Does it make the wheels turn?
Form follows function in most race car decisions.
I’m with J.G…..something about them looks “off” to me. Chrome is worst, but the silver ones aren’t much better. Maybe black painted spokes would help. My Challenge car will have a better looking wheel than those pictured.
BA5 said
My guess: the folks who built a lot of these sourced a lot of parts from circle track sources.
Yes , this!
In reply to Driven5 : the one from Cheech and Chong’s hippy van!
Not my favorite steering wheels either. They look way cheap, despite being functional. Almost the same difference between steel stock car wheels and BBS racing wheels. The difference is that a racing class will dictate what is on the car, but I have no idea about the steering wheel, so what’s up with that?
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