I have a flat steel wheel,
(http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/8922/20090621museum0007.th.jpg) (http://img4.imageshack.us/i/20090621museum0007.jpg/)
Is it a rare wheel or was it common for early TCs or?
That is the 4-spoke sport wheel, available on 1983-84 TCs and 1984 XR7s. This wheel did not come with cruise control provisions, so a lot of times you'll see the dealer-installed turn signal cruise control system on cars with this factory wheel.
It was sort of uncommon, even back in the day. I've seen a few TCs with them, but Cougars with that wheel are very rare (and I generally don't throw that word around lightly).
It was standard equipement on '84 Turbo Coupes and XR-7's. If the car was ordered with cruise control, then it would have had the 2-spoke A-Frame wheel.
I thought it was a one year only wheel even for the TC's Eric. I'm going by memory though, so I'm not positive.
Brent
1983 and 1984 turbos would have had the four spoke deluxe wheel with the rectangular bird emblem trim if it had factory cruise control. Without cruise control, they got the metal four spoke sport wheel.
The metal four spoke sport wheel originated on the 1982 Ford EXP as a sports steering wheel. It was later added to the reborn 1982 Mustang GT. For the Turbo 1983-84 Tbirds and Cougars the same wheel was used but wrapped with extra leather on the spokes.
The A frame deluxe wheel showed up for 1984-86 on Tbirds and Cougars replacing the four spoke deluxe wheel. On the Turbo cars, the metal 4 spoke wheel was replaced with the new sport wheel shaped like an inverted V with the round horn pad. In 1987-88, the deluxe A-frame wheel was replaced with a simple two spoke wheel with a round horn pad while the Turbo cars kept using the inverted V sport wheel.
There are a variety other steering wheel designs that can be used on the Fox steering column. When I had my 1985 Tbird, I used a four spoke wheel from a Ford Tempo with cruise control simply because I always disliked the A frame wheel with no spokes at 3 and 9 o'clock. 1987 Mustang style steering wheels can be used as well. And the classic three spoke sport steering wheel (1979 Mustang Pace Car no cruise for example) with preforated holes in the spokes can be used on any vehicle without cruise control. There is also the Mustang SVO three spoke wheel that can be used on cars without cruise control. The same shaped wheel as deluxe all vinyl no leather wrap used on Mustangs and Capris as well as Ford Escorts.
In my experience, Its the rarest of the T-Bird/Coug wheels.
Around here at least.
I've seen at least 2 diff of every style wheel, But never seen this wheel in person.
And i've seen 2 '83 TC's and an '84 locally.
It probably rare because it's likely most of them were equipped with cruise control.
My 84 XR-7 had that wheel and was equipped w/ cruise on the stalk.
It's an 83-84 thing. I had 3-4 of them at one point in time. One went in the Z7, one went in the 80 XR-7 and one is on the 83. I have a spare in the garage.
The 83 TC prototype used that EXP wheel, or at least that's what I've seen in the pics. They obviously changed it up a bit once in production.
Cruise switches on the turn signal stalk was definitely dealer installed. The EXP styled wheel was definitely production for Tbirds and Cougar turbos without factory cruise control for 1983 and 1984.
I have all the factory brochures for the Tbirds from 1977 to 2005.
That EXP wheel wasn't used for production as far as I know. I've just seen it in the prototype pics. Haven't seen an 83TC with one. The wheel shown above is the production one.
You guys are right, it was standard equipement on the '83 TC. for some reason I was thinking that cruise control was standard on '83 TC's. Of course that doesn't make sense since it was the performance model, so cruise control wouldn't be needed. ;)
I was re-locating a gas line in the house yesterday so I must have inhaled too much of it.:crazy:
The "A" frame wheel did arrive on 1984 models.
Brent
Is this the EXP wheel that you're referring to?
(http://www.coolcats.net/fox/images/84cluster.jpg)
If so, that's a photo from the 1984 Cougar brochure and it probably is also a prototype. At least, the center is.
This should be the correct 1984 turbo steering wheel (w/o cruise control):
(http://www.coolcats.net/fox/images/84xr7interior2.jpg)
For reference, here is a 1984 GS color-keyed A-frame steering wheel (w/ cruise, w/leather wrap):
(http://www.coolcats.net/fox/images/84gsinterior.jpg)
A 1984 car that had the optional electronic instrument cluster required a black wheel and steering column, regardless of the interior color.
Steering wheels are some of the best parts of these cars. They differed every single model year, for the most part, and really none of them were ugly or undesirable. The 1983-84 differences alone were amazing.
Eric-
This is the EXP wheel. (This is (one of?) the TC prototypes)
(http://www.turbochuck.com/images/Misc/83tcPROTO.jpg)
I thought I also seen a Wheel like that in early Capri's. I know that my 84 turbo coupe came with Factory installed cruise. I've got the A frame wheel. The wheel and column are black but I have the buttstuffog cluster.
Stuckman
The 83TC that my dad gave me has the non-cruise 4 spoke wheel and I also have a spare from ebay because I always thought it was a rare wheel.
Well, whatever the case, I like it.
I have not seen a pic with it on anyone's pics they posted so I was unsure of the rarity. From the info gathered, I guess it was probably on less than 1/2 of the TC's.
best I can do for now.
thanks, I feel better now ;)
Oops! Sorry for the error! I meant to include 1984 as having the A frame wheel! I actually took one off my 1984 and replaced it with the 1983 four spoke deluxe wheel. So the four spoke deluxe wheel was 1983 only, basically a carry over design from 1980-82.
The 1982 EXP and Mustang GT used this round steering wheel center trim. Yes that is indeed a prototype wheel trim if it is seen on this Tbird. It was of course updated with the Tbird emblem with no fake allen screws for production. Also the extra leather was added to the spokes.
The Capri did use that wheel from 1982-83 just as the Mustang GT did so.
I wish I could find that brushed aluminum dash trim to use in my Tbird!
Mustang SVO
(http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/1982-1983-1984-1985-1986-ford-mustang-21.jpg)
1979-82 Mustang sport wheel (non GT)
(http://www.stangbangers.com/1979_MustangIndyPaceCar_ForSale1e.jpg)
1982 Mustang GT
(http://www.mustanggt.org/1982dash.jpg)
1983-86 Mustang GT
(http://www.stangbangers.com/85_MustangGT_Pic3.jpg)