Mk2 Steering Wheel

[Gpilky]

Hi All,

MK2 steering wheel sold on Ebay yesterday for £196 - so it continues!!!

Gary P

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=270429202908

 

[Mark Cramond]

And it is not even an LC Part. 1600E parts must be starting to soar in price over there also.

 

[Steve 155C]

I've got the same one (with the larger boss) knocking about in the garage. If anyone wants its only £50!! (As long as you don't stick straight on ebay :evil: )

 

[Gpilky]

Hi Mark,

Ok your comments got me thinking as I really hadn't thought about the 'originality' of the steering wheel. Dug through my reference materials last night and photos (from Brooklands, Sproting Ford - Cortinas, etc,) showed a black plastic steering wheel, presumably as was fitted to GT's (?). 1600E photos had the metal wheel with the black leather rim as was sold in the link, and frankly is common on the MK2 over here.

Then I looked at the Drivers Handbook for my car and it too showed the 1600E type steering wheel! - see page 8 at this link:

http://www.lotus-cortina.com/library/hblcmk2/mk2-pic.htm

So, can only assume that the earliest cars used for the road test reports used the black plastic wheel, and at or close after launch this was changed to the metal / leather type - but I'm not 100%.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Cheers

Gary P

 

[martin k]

sold my one monday to an old boy building a 100e for £25

 

[Andy M]

Hi Gary and All,

All Mk2 Cortina steering wheels had their roots taken from a Bakerlite 3 spoked wheel from an Aeroflow Mk1 64-66.

It was`nt until the 1600E was launched that the Lotus adopted the leather wheel at the same time. It is commonly known as the 1600E wheel but it could quite easily be called the Lotus Cortina Wheel!

If we did that we would upset the boys over at the 1600E club! But they knicked our suspension so what the hell! :lol:
Andy M

 

[Mark Cramond]

Gary, I should clarify 'Not an LC part'

As Andy says the MKII LC did come out with this wheel once the 1600E was being made however there is a difference between the two. The Boss on the 1600E wheel is longer than the LC and has straight sides. The MKII LC boss is approx 1" shorter and has a distinct taper near the base.

The rim and spokes are the same parts though.

Remember this is one of those point of differences so please keep it in the members only realm.

 

[Andy M]

Hi Mark and All,

Mark, the difference you mention is between series 1 and series 2. This is the same for both the models Lotus and 1600E.
Andy M

 

[Andy M]

All,
Talking of 1600Es is anyone out there interested in an Orion 1600E before I put it on the dreaded evilbay?
Andy M

 

[Gpilky]

Hi Gary and All,

All Mk2 Cortina steering wheels had their roots taken from a Bakerlite 3 spoked wheel from an Aeroflow Mk1 64-66.

It was`nt until the 1600E was launched that the Lotus adopted the leather wheel at the same time. It is commonly known as the 1600E wheel but it could quite easily be called the Lotus Cortina Wheel!

If we did that we would upset the boys over at the 1600E club! But they knicked our suspension so what the hell! :lol:
Andy M

Interesting debate and information as always. So, summarising for my simple brain this would mean that early MK2 LC's - from launch in early 1967 to the 1600E launch in Sept 67 would have had the Bakelite wheel, and that from Sept 67 would have had the '1600E' wheel?

Cheers

Gary P