Sold: Restored 370mm Prototipo - $650 Shipped

Markos

Markos

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Hi Folks,

I mistakingly thought this was a 350mm and I listed it on BMW2002FAQ. It is in fact a more rare 370mm. That puts the wheel into the e9 size range. Many people run 360mm Nardi wheels and 380mm Petri wheels. A 370mm is .4” smaller than a 380mm.

Anyway, I recently restored a vintage momo prototipo. The wheel has the original foam but all new period correct leather and stitching. The work was done in Europe by a skilled craftsman that is able to closely and accurately reproduce the complex momo stitch pattern. The work is absolutely stunning.

Also included is a very rare silver ring period correct momo horn button. The only other for sale at the moment is $265 on eBay. It is one of my prized bits but it completes the package. The hub is an equally unobtanium solid hub #153. I also have a genuine momo horn ring which I will install before shipping. I have the wheel mounted to an accordian hub in the pics, but it is not included (unless you prefer a collapsible hub instead).

This wheel is for someone looking for a like-new period piece. With that said it is over 40 years old. There are a few dings on the wheel, and the horn button has minor scuffs. The Prototipo logo has long since vanished. A little context about the wheel. This one has a standard logo with no date. It had a square stitch on the spoke wrap as well. The stacked momo logo ended around 1973. The date code started in the late ‘70’s. The square stitch ended around 1981. This wheels is from the mid 70’s and age appropriate for the e9.


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I am not sure why the photos don’t show up for me! What format are the photos in?
Markos said:
If you had a CSL you would want a leather 380mm Petri, or a 380mm Black Alpina wheel. :)
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Markos , would you be able to email the photos directly ? Or post them here in such a way that I can see them.. I start a separate conversation...
 
Sold on the 2002 forum. It didn’t last long once I discovered it was a 370mm.
 
Not surprising. Pity that one of our guys didn’t grab the opportunity.
 
Hey Mark,
Congrats on the sale. You mentioned that you'd originally thought your Prototipo was a 350mm, but then learned that it is a more rare 370mm size. Do you know exactly where that measurement is taken? Out to out diameter? Or center of the grip to center of the grip? I just measured mine and out to out it measures 14 9/16", or 369.8875mm (370mm). Once again, I discover a surprise about this car. Maybe I should change its name.
Thanks, Stephen
 
autokunst said:
Hey Mark,
Congrats on the sale. You mentioned that you'd originally thought your Prototipo was a 350mm, but then learned that it is a more rare 370mm size. Do you know exactly where that measurement is taken? Out to out diameter? Or center of the grip to center of the grip? I just measured mine and out to out it measures 14 9/16", or 369.8875mm (370mm). Once again, I discover a surprise about this car. Maybe I should change its name.
Thanks, Stephen
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Measurement is always outer diameter of steering wheel grip.
 
autokunst said:
Hey Mark,
Congrats on the sale. You mentioned that you'd originally thought your Prototipo was a 350mm, but then learned that it is a more rare 370mm size. Do you know exactly where that measurement is taken? Out to out diameter? Or center of the grip to center of the grip? I just measured mine and out to out it measures 14 9/16", or 369.8875mm (370mm). Once again, I discover a surprise about this car. Maybe I should change its name.
Thanks, Stephen
Click to expand...


Yeah that is a 370mm for sure. They are much more desireable especially with Porsche owners. It is difficult to see the gauges in a 911 with a 350mm.

I honestly never measured mine until a potential buyer asked...
 
Markos said:
I honestly never measured mine until a potential buyer asked...
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Ha ha - and I never measured mine until I read your thread. I just measured my Nardi wheel and it measures closer to 367mm. Not sure what that means, but it is in the ballpark.
 
autokunst said:
Ha ha - and I never measured mine until I read your thread. I just measured my Nardi wheel and it measures closer to 367mm. Not sure what that means, but it is in the ballpark.
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There are set sizes with these. Nardi has 360 and 390 so it isn’t in the 390 ballpark then its a 360. Nardi has even larger older wheels as well. Momo is a bit trickier because depending on the year, you could find 350, 360,370, and 380. A 380mm prototipo that looks like the one I sold is quite rare. The most desireable prototipos are 370mm flat wheels with a stacked momo logo.

I plan to restore a few more wheels now that I found a good leather guy...
 
Markos said:
I plan to restore a few more wheels now that I found a good leather guy...
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I did a quick scan and didn't see it. Is your good leather guy a resource you are willing to share?
 
autokunst said:
Ha ha - and I never measured mine until I read your thread. I just measured my Nardi wheel and it measures closer to 367mm. Not sure what that means, but it is in the ballpark.
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Tolerance of couple mm difference is standard. It means that the closest size of wheel model provided by manufacturer to your's wheel measurement is appropriate.
With Momo sometime it is hard to classify, because some steering wheel models might have very close sizes for example Momo GT 320mm, 330mm, 350mm and tolerance might be up to 5mm.
Alpina Momo 380mm 4-spoke is actually 375mm.
Petri also don't have exact 380mm.
 
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Wladek said:
Tolerance of couple mm difference is standard. It means that the closest size of wheel model provided by manufacturer to your's wheel measurement is appropriate.
With Momo sometime it is hard to classify, because some steering wheel models might have very close sizes for example Momo GT 320mm, 330mm, 350mm and tolerance might be up to 5mm.
Alpina Momo 380mm 4-spoke is actually 375mm.
Petri also don't have exact 380mm.
Click to expand...

Exactly. My Momo prtotipo is definitely 37.7cm. I can see a 1-2mm expansion over the years but it definitely atleast 37.5cm.
 
Wladek said:
Tolerance of couple mm difference is standard. It means that the closest size of wheel model provided by manufacturer to your's wheel measurement is appropriate.
With Momo sometime it is hard to classify, because some steering wheel models might have very close sizes for example Momo GT 320mm, 330mm, 350mm and tolerance might be up to 5mm.
Alpina Momo 380mm 4-spoke is actually 375mm.
Petri also don't have exact 380mm.
Click to expand...

I love how much you know about this stuff!!!
 
Markos said:
I love how much you know about this stuff!!!
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Thank you Markos for good words, but i think that i know almost nothing, it is just little experience with own steering wheels (i have or renovated etc.). Before E9 purchase in Sep. 2015, i didn't know that Petri even exist.
Now, when i see cool steering wheel like Momo or Petri for sale in poor condition & reasonable price i just can not pass by not saving it. It's funny & sort of weird, but it just like they are talking to you "i was waiting for you, take me, save me"; and the most important thing - they look so beautiful & gracefully after renovation, that you want to keep them all. But then you start to realize that you have to pay next e9 project bills & your pockets are almost empty, so in need of $$$ you start to sell them.
In past 2 years i had in total: 8x Petri's (1x Audi concave 40, 2x VW 38, 2x BMW 2002 turbo 38, 2x BMW E9 38, 1x BMW E21 36); 3x Momo's (1x Alpina 38, 1x Momo GT 33, 1x Momo GT 35); & 5x OEM BMW wheels (E12, E21, E23, E24, E34 Motorsport).
 
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Wladek said:
Thank you for good words Markos, but i think that i know almost nothing, it is just little experience with own steering wheels (i have or renovated etc.). Before E9 purchase in Sep. 2015, i didn't know that Petri even exist.
Now, when i see cool steering wheel like Momo or Petri for sale in poor condition & reasonable price i just can not pass by not saving it. It's funny & sort of weird, but it just like they are talking to you "i was waiting for you, take me, save me"; and the most important thing - they look so beautiful & gracefully after renovation, that you want to keep them all. But then you start to realize that you have to pay next e9 project bills & your pockets are almost empty, so in need of $$$ you start to sell them.
In past 2 years i had in total: 8x Petri's (1x Audi concave 40, 2x VW 38, 2x BMW 2002 turbo 38, 2x BMW E9 38, 1x BMW E21 36); 3x Momo's (1x Alpina 38, 1x Momo GT 33, 1x Momo GT 35); & 5 BMW wheels (E12, E21, E23, E24, E34 Motorsport).
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Do you still have the 38cm Alpina wheel?
And do you know off a Momo hub #152 for sale? If you ever come across one please..........
Would be very interested in any or both. Wishful thinking!

Keshav
 
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