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Topic: italvolanti 4 spoke Steering Wheel (Read 1265 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: italvolanti 4 spoke Steering Wheel

Reply #1 –
It's an Italvolanti and a Formel at that so you're preaching to the converted with me.

Would look well in a white on white MK1 Cabriolet CC.

 

Re: italvolanti 4 spoke Steering Wheel

Reply #3 –
Sorry, it's the 4-spoke version of the Formel, makes it a Corsa instead.

Can of worms trying to identify these wheels properly as they're such a long running design and span several manufacturer buy outs.

Started life under the original 'Indianapolis' name, a company who initially just imported and sold other makers wheels into Germany before they branched out into creating their own product.

The Formel evolved from that original and stayed more or less the same for decades. Think the last ones were Formel 2000's, a bit bulkier / contoured but still recognisable with the first ones.

That's why you get them with 3-hole and 6-hole bolt patterns on the same design, it's age dependant.

The 3-hole is a1960/70's older 'standard' that was superceded in the late1970's/80's by the 6-hole.

I think there's an ATIWE connection somewhere as well and confusingly you'll see what was previously the company name reversed and become secondary as the model name on some of their stuff.

Italvolanti bought out Indianapolis at some point, you'll see the latters serpant / dagger emblem repeated in the small detail of some later wheels.

All very confusing with plenty of cross over here and there to make it even harder to follow.














Re: italvolanti 4 spoke Steering Wheel

Reply #4 –
Thanks. Not sure that makes it any clearer for me  :D

Well not sure how well it comes out in the photo but I did a small test section of light cleaning between the two horn buttons.



I think it will take a while and I need to be delicate with it but this could come up really well.

Re: italvolanti 4 spoke Steering Wheel

Reply #5 –
Best keep your gloves on when/if you fit it!
Not sure if there is any collector value in it but you could dye it so it's more practical?
1991 Tornado Red BB 8v GTI Moredoor
2008 Skoda Octy Scout aka dirty diesel

Re: italvolanti 4 spoke Steering Wheel

Reply #6 –
Good old isopropyl is good at deglazing the leather, not too aggressive plus sanitises years of 'deposits!'

You must've had the center pad off by now? Not guaranteed, but should reveal something written on the face of the wheel.

The reverse side of the spokes will also likely have other info. pressed into them... quite often too faint to see, but if not might help age the wheel.

Re: italvolanti 4 spoke Steering Wheel

Reply #7 –
Bit more info, I've compared it with my VW Motorsports one and it's ever so slightly larger.
They're a bit tricky to measure accurately with a tape, but my black one seems to be about 360mm and this white one 370mm. I'm not sure if that matches with the sizes they sell. So I'd say +/- 5mm.

It not a big difference and still a really nice size to use. I think the other black one I picked up previously was 380 or even 390, it was considerably bigger (still smaller than a stock wheel) but it just didn't seem right so I passed that one on.

No, I haven't take the centre pad off yet. There are some marking on the back, numbers, but I can't remember what they were, it wasn't an obvious date format so I think maybe some internal model reference ??

One thing I notices, the horn button on this has a little horn picture, whereas the black one just has the lines.



 

Re: italvolanti 4 spoke Steering Wheel

Reply #8 –
Don't hold me to this... I used to be able to get my head around these wheels, but it's that long ago I'm likely misremembering some bits.

Not a hard and fast rule but generally speaking any four spoke wheel is usually larger in diameter than it's equivalent three.

They're intended for use on bigger, harder to turn vehicles and / or those without assisted steering to better help leverage with the extra spoke giving added strength to the design.

I think original Indianapolis Formels and as a result the later Italvolanti evolutions mainly came in 350 / 365 and 380mm diameters though I've seen the very odd 320mm one (don't have horn buttons, won't fit) but they're probably racing versions

I'm not so sure about the four spoke Corsa version, they may have overlapped and begun at 380mm but were mostly bigger.

You'll see Ati-1 or Ati-2 / Ati-3 on the spokes of some Formels, that's to indicate the diameter...  1 is 350mm, 2 is 365 and so on.

If I've learned anything about Formels there's plenty of exceptions to all the above, they seemed to not only sell them under their own name but also make them for every major car manufacturer / tuner with each likely having them tweak something or other.

This is an early Indianapolis (when that was the name of the company and not the wheel) with their logo. When Italvolanti became the company name you'll sometimes still see the serpent and dagger embossed in miniature on the rear.

These have a really odd, asymetric 6 bolt hole pattern, the top three bolts are spaced differently to the bottom three.

If you take away one triangle of them your left with the 3 bolt pattern of the first Formels.

You'll probably recognise this style, they used a deep dish version on the Salzburg Beetles.