1965 16" Nardi Steering Wheel - P1800 fitment

[jakobandhismakarov]

Up for sale here is my rather lovely Nardi dished steering wheel, intended for use on an early 1800.

You would need to cut splines into the centre bore itself - as it's completely smooth.

I bought the wheel off a Dutch Fiat specialist who assured me it was for an Amazon. With the 1800 and Amazon being so similar underneath I assumed it wouldn't matter.... and I found out the hard way.

Pictures:











I'm guessing if you're a competent enough machinist you could get the wheel to fit whatever car you wanted with the correct centre bore and splines.

This is a real 43 year old wheel, and as such I think it's worth a bit more than the Nardis you can pick up today.

£150. Believe me, after checking some of the Nardi resto sites on the web that's damn cheap!

[jakobandhismakarov]

No one?

I'm going to lose my shirt again aren't I?

[222s]

Isn't Gordon interested or has he already got one?

Btw, is it just 1800 fitment or will it go on other stuff too? Wondering it that's why it's not splined.

[tdz840]

Depends on the ID of the hole in the steering wheel. If theres sufficient 'meat' to create the splines OK it may be possible but at a price.
If the hole is to big then the only option is to bore out bigger and fit an interference sleeve which then has splines cut.
Either way you must be looking at over a £50 for the machining.
I would also very much doubt that a machinist would stand by the job with regard to the application.
The final option is to torque up the securing nut V tight.
If anyone is contemplating that - please dont!
Russ

[Gordon Hunter]

Originally Posted by 222s

Isn't Gordon interested or has he already got one?

I am interested, but have some concerns about the safety issues.
I was thinking you could cut out the splined section from an early P1800 wheel and have it set in the Nardi. Somewhat similair to the process of cutting and replacing a valve seat for unleaded conversion. Problem is, like Russ says, will it stay put? I don't fancy risking my life for a posh wheel.
I don't know any machine shops that have the facility to cut a spline for an application like this either.

I may be wrong but I would think Nardi would have supplied their wheels with the spline already cut. I don't think suppliers would have the machining ability to cut splines in their showrooms or would go to the lengths to have them individually cut for each customer. I might be way out here, but chances are this might be a factory reject.

G

[222s]

Originally Posted by Gordon Hunter

I may be wrong but I would think Nardi would have supplied their wheels with the spline already cut. I don't think suppliers would have the machining ability to cut splines in their showrooms or would go to the lengths to have them individually cut for each customer.

I must admit that I was wondering about that too. I guess another possibility is that it was a demo / display wheel, and left unsplined so that the salesmen couldn't sell them on?

Couldn't the back be drilled so that an adaptor can be bolted on? Presumably much easier than splining. As for the splined insert method, if there are also a few cross bolts (so no chance of it rotating), surely that would be a more than satisfactory engineering solution?

[tdz840]

Are you willing to risk the car and more importantly your life? Insurance may be invalid as well.
Think of it in an econmics point of view:
Initial cost, cost to adapt and possibly sourcing a trim ring between wheel and console - if original doesnt work.
I like the look of these wheels and know they are costly but not how much. However by the time this work is done will any cost differential be negated?
A consideration especially taking into account the risk factor?
Russ

[Derek UK]

It's certainly a nice looking wheel. It appears to already have an adaptor for some car or another. Lancia? A pic with the button off would be useful. Maybe some set screws inside hold the 2 alloy rings together along with a slim splined sleeve that goes down from the top. I don't think it's a demo/sample wheel as it already has a pin for the indicators. If there was/is such a thing as an adaptor for the Amazon there might be still one out there or an existing adaptor modified but the Nardi does have a very small centre on the driver side of the wheel. Sorry Jon but putting it up for sale here at £150 when it doesn't fit our cars isn't likely to get raise much interest. You say that with ref to the Nardi sites it's cheap so maybe that's where it needs to be advertised. Good luck with it if you do.

[jakobandhismakarov]

Originally Posted by Derek UK

It's certainly a nice looking wheel. It appears to already have an adaptor for some car or another. Lancia? A pic with the button off would be useful. Maybe some set screws inside hold the 2 alloy rings together along with a slim splined sleeve that goes down from the top. I don't think it's a demo/sample wheel as it already has a pin for the indicators. If there was/is such a thing as an adaptor for the Amazon there might be still one out there or an existing adaptor modified but the Nardi does have a very small centre on the driver side of the wheel. Sorry Jon but putting it up for sale here at £150 when it doesn't fit our cars isn't likely to get raise much interest. You say that with ref to the Nardi sites it's cheap so maybe that's where it needs to be advertised. Good luck with it if you do.

Loss of shirt imminent. I'll take the cap off so that you see into the hub centre itself. If it really is a total loss then I'll stick it on my wall as a curio.

I really know very little about it, and would think that Gordon's suggestion of it being a factory reject \ demo wheel are about as close as we're going to get. I might send off an email to Nardi s.p.A or their counterpart in the UK to see if I can get anywhere.

Gordon, fancy it as a downpayment for bead blasting my rocker cover?

[Gordon Hunter]

Originally Posted by jakobandhismakarov

Gordon, fancy it as a downpayment for bead blasting my rocker cover?

Quite possibly. It is a very nice looking wheel. At worst I'd hang it on the workshop wall and it can wait until I think of a solution.

Both Russ and Derek are pretty clued up engineering wise, so you should try posting some further pics first for them. Maybe they'll see something that makes sense.
You could also ask Mark Platt "oil line" about it. He is not that far from you (other side of Bolton Abbey) and has many years experience being a trained engineer.

Let us know how you get on.

Gordon