My most recent Tbird hasnt ever had Cruise control, I never really liked it unless im traveling a long time (which i dont in this car) so i didnt mind, the guy said it was probably just some dirty sensors or something but oh well. I was thinking about getting a new steering wheel and havent started looking yet but was wondering if anyone has installed a good one without the cruise buttons but with a working horn? Does O'reilly's Sell them that way? A little sport sterring wheel looks fun but I want a horn, even though ive never used it but to test it in the last 8 months ive had it, it might be needed someday...
Here is what I did , Grant wheel with relocated cruise control switches
I had also done this in my old Mark VII
and the horn works or is it just like a stock car wheel?
awesome Thats what I want. lol I like a little less bulky wheel to deal with.... and why have the buttons when you cant use em, right?
I agree , but I just moved mine :D
I'd moved mine, too (and yes, my horn worked). Since this photo was taken I installed a stock TC wheel and put the buttons back where they're supposed to go. Hell, since this photo was taken the interior has been completely redone (dyed black, 5-speed conversion so no more column shifter, etc)
wow i bet that 5 spd conversion was alot of work, but THAT is the steering wheel type im looking for, i like the chrome and design.
The 5 speed swap took my friend and I about 4 hours from start to finish.Very straight forward,100% bolt in.....but,I already had a floor shifter,so,I had a head start.Other wise,you have to cut a hole in the floor and all of that.
You can use a wheel from a Mustang. The cops did not get cruised on their car if you can find one.
TED
I have a Turbo Coupe steering wheel that doesn't have the cruise buttons on it. The steering wheel in Thunder Chicken's image is known as the "Challenger" wheel from GT Racing (or APC these days).
Actually, it was made by Grant I had one.
84-86 Mustangs had a nice wheel without cruise.
You can sucessfully install any custom aftermarket wheel (such as a Grant) with a horn kit/wheel adapter made for our Ford cars.
However, factory wheels with cruise control have three coencentric rings on the back for the contact brushes where the standard wheels without cruise only have one. You have to make sure that if you use a standard no-criuse wheel adapter that the contact ring lines up with the brush for the horn contact. It's easy to figure out which brush contact provides the ground for the horn. Simply just short the contact on the brush to the metal on the steering column.
As far as factory steering wheels go, you can mount any wheel from any Fox body car, which is a lot of cars. However the sportiest and nicest wheels are all on Mustangs and Tbirds.
That has always been my steering wheel of choice. Relocating or just deleting the cruise switches would be no issue for me since I rarely ever use cruise control these days. It really would fit the character of my Tbird since I am using the Mustang dash in it now. However I just cannot let go of using my 1983 four spoke wheel with the transluscent Tbird emblem on it.
YEah I went to O'reilly's and the junkyard today again, the Grant wheels arent bad but the kit to install them are just as expensive, its like buying two.
You guys have any ideas where to relocate the cruise buttons on a 4 eye's dash? Also the horn on mine is in the signal stock you just push it in and it honks.
I've been looking at a few Nardi wheels, these comes to mind.
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa105/MattV45/nardi1.jpg)
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa105/MattV45/t_17868_01.jpg)
Woodgrain feels so nice but I don't know if I want the look. Nardi wheels run in the $250+ range, very high quality.
I bought my install kit on ebay for $8 shipped
It depends on personal preference, you want to keep them within easy reach though . I actually used buttons from an Explorer on this car because I felt they fit better, and on my mark VII I had used Taurus buttons and I put them in the console .
I dont even use the cruise control very often , but if my car has an option it HAS to work ,,,,,, I'm weird like that
Dang i didnt even think...
Haha no I mean there's no room..
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa105/MattV45/100_0089.jpg)
(Bad shot thru the glass but you get the idea)
See? The padding under the dash trim is soft. And I don't want to cut that up.
Get yourself a spare console piece and put them one on each side of the ashtray :D
Ahh I see what you mean PWR.... man idk....How easy would it be to maybe get ahold of something to have as a lip around your buttons to hold down the material ater you cut through it, make it look like it was suppose to be there?