Steering wheels.

Simufly

Simufly

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I am in the middle of a bit of work on the car and I am minded to change the mint 400mm Petri for a 380 or even 350mm. What is the general consensus on the optimum size. (running 195/70/14 tyres and standard power steering although I have a set of 16ins Alpinas that do look very nice)
 
I think the general consensus for Petri is 400 or 380, 350 being too small and out of proportion with the cabin space.
 
380mm

This is another personal issue. I have found the 380 is a good compromise.
The 360 Nardi in one car makes the steering feel very direct, but it looks a bit too small when compared to the rest of the 1960s interior.

I have 2 beautiful Nardis in other coupes, which are 400. They look very period and are even more beautiful than the thicker 360 Nardi, BUT they hit my thighs when I enter the car, and they entail a lot of movement when turning. Ideal for manual steering when the arms get to work and doing this further away from the centre of the steering column is easier. But vanity makes me keep them, esp as one car is Siena with biscuit interior.

My `69 2800 CS has (or had) a 420 leather BWM wheel, again with PS, where a smaller wheel would be fine, but back then, wheels were larger (the Jaguar XKs of the 50s were 450 mm or 18")
 
Ebay in Germany 2-3 times a year

Sell for around 350 USD. If you like the wooden Nardi wheels, but want 380mm, you could buy a new Moto-Lita. I have them in 2 cars. Very nice and good boss to get the wheel where it should be.
 
pmansson said:
Sell for around 350 USD. If you like the wooden Nardi wheels, but want 380mm, you could buy a new Moto-Lita. I have them in 2 cars. Very nice and good boss to get the wheel where it should be.
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$350 if you are truly lucky. :-D Most mint 380mm Petris usually sell for around $700 or so. :(
 
Simufly said:
Ok so where do I find a 380 Petri?
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Ebay.De always has a Petri or two on auction. Not all are leather covered. I put in a 380mm steering wheel in my car and it feels like a nice compromise (in my very limited seat time). I had a smaller one in it before and it really felt wrong to me.
 
Simufly said:
Ok the hunt for a 380 petri is on!
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Like others mentioned, I snagged mine off Ebay.de (search for "Petri sportlenkrad") and be prepared for some difficulties arranging shipping. I managed to snag it for ~250$. It is tied with the 2002tii brake booster as the most expensive single OEM component I've bought for my entire resto.
 
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