Some appreciate perfect preservation of a vehicle as closely as possible to the day it left the factory. Others appreciate the “patina” a vehicle gets with age. We, on the other hand, appreciate that things change, technology advances and just because you love a vehicle, it doesn’t mean it has to be stuck in a degrading or old state. So let’s start with the surfaces we touch most.

Steering Wheel

Our steering wheel had taken a beating, so changing the leather was only natural. We are not fans of overly elaborate, overly expensive, carbon fiber wheels. So, we decided to go with a stock look, albeit in better perforated leather and Alcantara.

Ukraine

Making steering wheels is a skill, and we outsourced ours to LeatherCarUa. They do excellent work and have realistic prices. No, we are not part of the crowd that believes a patch of carbon fiber and some epoxy on a steering wheel is worth $1500. So where does the Ukraine come in? Well, that’s where they’re located.

Turns out quick shipping to Poland, final stretch to the Ukraine by personal delivery, is cheaper and gets you better turnaround than shipping to the next state over in the USA. Who knew.

Oh yeah, we had to get rid of the grimy old school shift buttons and upgrade to some paddles. The only problem is that they don’t really make any good paddles that are easy to install. So, naturally, we decided to make our own and 3D print them. Finished in glossy black, chrome lettering and suede backing. They simply glue over the existing buttons and done.

Want a pair? Shoot us a message.

Shift Knob

Fortunately, our Ukrainian contacts managed to source a new shift knob and wrap it in matching leather and Alcantara because “who only wraps steering wheel?”. Good catch and great craftsmanship.

What’s Next?

Now comes the fun part. We get to remove all the interior panels, rip the saggy, disintegrating old materials off, remove the glue (pays to be creative here), apply new glue and fabrics. This is going to be loads of fun, especially the removal/cleanup part.