Frequently Asked Questions
How long will my steering wheel restoration take?
Typical turnaround time is 2-3 weeks, but never more than four weeks.
Do you restore vinyl, leather, or other soft wheels?
Sorry, no. Our focus is on Bakelite, Zonolite, and hard solid-color plastics. There are some wooden wheels we'll do (just call and ask!).
Can I provide my own paint or paint codes?
Yes, absolutely! If you have a hard to match custom color, or just want to ensure your wheel is done from the same batch you had mixed for the rest of your interior, we will gladly apply it.
Do you farm out any work?
Never! This is a cottage industry; all steering wheel restoration work is done on premises by a very small stable of skilled craftsmen--primarily Bob himself. We directly perform every step of the process, and no wheel is shipped unless it meets the highest quality standards for repair, restoration, color, and finish.
What is the final result?
Steering Wheel Bob performs concours-quality restorations. Repairs are undetectable. Finger grips, raised accents, grooves, paint color and finish...everything will look factory-new (and in some cases, better).
Related: Are there exceptions?
Only upon customer request. For example, one customer sent a wheel that was extremely tired. But it was for his cruise-night "driver" and he wanted to keep costs down. Instead of restoring the damaged and heavily worn grooves on the face of the wheel (facing the driver), he asked to eliminate them altogether. Bob was happy to comply--after all, this is custom work. The finished result was perfect...and unique to his car.
On the other hand, for rare, hard-to-find, expensive, or historically significant pieces, Bob can totally fabricate large missing sections from the core out. New sections are undetectable from the original.
Is Bob's Work Guaranteed?
Bob guarantees the surface finish for one year. It's important to know that as your wheel continues to age the original resins and compounds will also continue to react and change from the inside out. While Bob's process includes reinforced repairs to mitigate this as much as possible, he unfortunately can't stop the march of time on the rest of your wheel.
You can help preserve your wheel--whether original or restored--by avoiding extreme heat or cold, extended periods of direct sunlight, or undue physical stresses (try not to lift yourself out of your car by using the wheel as a handle!).
What is Bob's background?:
With over 50 years as a builder, carpenter, and passionate car hobbyist, hand-craftsmanship is in Bob Monetti's blood. He grew up around his father's car lot, and Bob's first job as a teenager was in a body shop--where he learned bodywork and painting from old-school artisans. He painted his first car at 17, and has been hands-on in the car hobby ever since. Bob completed his first ground-up, frame-off restoration over 50 years ago--a 1930 Franklin that won a CCCA First on it's inaugural outing and continued to rack up a series of Firsts and 'Best in Shows' over the next decade.
You can learn more about Bob here.