I think they must have been painted but maybe they were dipped? It may be worth a try without a clearcoat, it may wear but may look more original too. I'm really not sure which is why I am now trying to find a good condition unrestored one but they seem very hard to come by.

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Flute - 68 MK I Cooper S
Member: VMCI #2474
Member: International Mini Model Collectors Club

I can't believe everyone is saying how good this is. It looks like you've used an orange rolled on the wet paint to put a texture on it.
Looking at this picture you can see what it should look like, the same as the horn button
I think you should take your advice (that I included in the above quote) and sand it between coats for a smoother finish, then it might be a top job.

Camp freddy[/quote]

I love quotes like this. Why knock someone for having a go and a good one at that, when they have had the foresight to help others. I for one found it informative, as I have never attempted to restore one of these wheels, but it has inspired me to restore one and put it away. Forums like this only work if we are respectfull of others. If you are going to put down the quality of someones work be prepared to back it up. Now how about a few pics of your car, so that we may all bask in your glory.

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1970 Cooper S ex-Bathurst & ATCC
1964 Austin Cooper S ex-Group C race car
1967 Morris Cooper S ex-Group B
1962 Mini Speed sports sedan
1968-71 ex-Peter Manton Shell car

I think this is a sensation bit of work. Full points to Flute for having a go and posting it for others.

I have a car with a 'restored' steering wheel (done by PO). I have no idea how much work the wheel needed before painting. He finished it with Black 2K, no clear. 3 years later, the wheel still looks new but it does have a bit of a funny feel about it.

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As an update, the cracks on the one I did have not reappeared even though they were done with (quality) body filler. The cheap black spray paint has suffered, but that was mostly due to insufficient cleaning when first applied.

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Too many cars, and too little time.

The one I have is not too bad in that the only cracks are near the horn screw. Also the original "paint??" finish is worn away in the spots where the wheel get the most handling. Too get a wheel without would surely have to have had only a few years use or NOS.

Wondering has anyone tried either of the 2 kits mentioned earlier (KBS Coatings and POR15) and where can they be bought?

Cheers

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68 Morris Cooper S Mk1 (*ex 78 1275 LS 4th last built, 70 Morris 1500 OHC & 70 MiniMatic)

I haven't restored a wheel yet but I have one that's going to be treated the following way.
Lightly sand any of the shiny finish left on it. Go gently.... the wheels are fairly crumbly.
Get an epoxy resin like the boat builders use. Use a slow hardener and thin it out as much the manufacturer allows.
Drench the wheel as much as you can using a brush. Just keep painting it over and over till the epoxy starts getting a tiny bit tacky.
Wipe excess off with a rag. Let it set. After it's gone hard, place it in the oven at a LOW temp about 80C-100C for a 1/2 hour.
Mix up another batch of epoxy but without the thinners, drench and bake again.
What we have done should have completely sealed and stabilised the crumbly surface and glued any fragile bits.
Epoxy resin will pretty well stick to and bind anything at all. Using this method eliminates the need to "V" out the cracks.
Now mix up some more epoxy and add micro ballons to a soft putty cosistency and using a paddle pop stick or whatever as a spatula and fill the cracks. Spread out over areas that need filling. Let it set hard, Very carefully sand.
Keep repeating until happy with the final profile and finish.
Using the same brand epoxy paint, spray or brush on the paint.
Me personally I would go for semi-gloss or lustre finish. A very glossy finish makes it look like a restoration. You want to make it look like its been on the car for years even though you did it just yesterday.
The above comes with absolutely no guarantee....I've yet to do it......but it's the way I'm gonna do it.

So you will paste it on wet and just keep brushing? The boat epoxies I use here is Bote Cote (fantastic product btw) has a labeled pot time of 40 minutes but in my experience will be fairly liquid for an hour..so you might be brushing a while.
You can get more potent hardeners however for colder climates, or wait for a hotter day. If I'm fiberglassing one of my aircraft, I use a heater and do what I can in a small room, I just crank the heater up to max chickens..

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

The idea behind it being so wet and slow is so it will penetrate as completely as possible. I think it would be better just to soak it in a tub of epoxy but it is way to expensive to do that.
The reason for baking, is to post cure it so that it hardens to the max. Not entirely necessary .

Thanks low'n'blown and GT mowog, if not for yours and other peoples comments of support I would probably have never posted again. I never claimed to be a professional, I was just showing what I had done, right or wrong. The steering wheel, although not perfect inspired me to have a go at the heater which has turned out really well as seen in my only other 'how to'. This has then led me onto other projects and I have learnt a few things along the way and I think this is what miniing is all about. I thought this steering wheel thread was long gone but it has resurfaced. Anyway, I don't really care if the paint job wasn't perfect, the point was, I DID IT MYSELF!

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Flute - 68 MK I Cooper S
Member: VMCI #2474
Member: International Mini Model Collectors Club

This pretty well perfectly describes the learning experience.
The most experienced and talented people are the ones that have put their ego on the line the most often and make the most mistakes.
Keep at it my man.

If you do anything yourself, IMO, better than perfect

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yeah kudos man thats a good job