Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

The steering wheel seems to be some kind of plastic or rubber material. Has anyone painted theirs? Do I need some kind of special paint or prep process?

Here is a very good writeup by KevinAZ on how to repair and refinish the painted hard rubber wheels.

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=102686&

Thanks, I just found that too (my motto tonight -"ask first then search "). I wonder how the regular enamel paint is holding up for him after some time.

Hans I painted my steering wheel and was pleased with the finish. It didn't have any cracks like Kevin AZ's did so was a simple job.

Used a black 2-pak auto paint (because it's rock hard) and sprayed it on after scrubbing the wheel with a Scotchbrite pad until all the old finish was removed. It looks and feels like new, and I'm hoping it will stand the test of time by being tough enough.

I used spray enamel on our steering wheel 14 years ago and with the exception of a couple of scratches from wearing a ring it still looks great.

I painted my wheel myself, and so far so good. As with anything, prep is 90% of the work and the result.

Sanded the wheel to remove old finish.
Wiped it down three times to remove dust, and finger print oils.
Two medium wet coats of epoxy primer
Let dry....

Sanded down primer with some 400 grit paper.
While down again....and again.

Shot with two coats of Single Stage Poly

I painted the wheel, dash, window garnish moldings and other interior bits all the same time to avoid any differences in how the paint laid down or looked.

See my project blog for more details.