And everything was going so good on the car, while welding some patches to the pedal cluster area a stray spark lit my steering wheel into a 3 alarm fire.
Thankfully I had a fire extinguisher handy, but the fire got big enough to singe the headliner. I guess old dried out leather is flammable?

Oh well, it needed re-covered anyway.

Sorry no action photos, but here is the aftermath...Front

Back...

The horn button didn't survive the carnage.

Anybody know what type of steering wheel this is so I can locate a replacement? It says made in france on the back.

sux but is seems it was still your lucky day! Good save!

Is it possible to reupholster it?

Made in France - could be LeCarra. They are very nice steering wheels. It's all I use!
Leather isn't normally very flammable. I'm surprised.

QUOTE (Racer Chris @ Mar 15 2005, 09:36 PM)

Leather isn't normally very flammable. I'm surprised.

soaked from years of "Jim Beam" spilled over it ...


that sucks dude, but, if you find a good replacement cover, let me know!
i have to re-cover mine as well and all i could find are covers that go *over* the ugly leather.
no one seems to sell true replacements ...

Andy

I think it is a LeCarra, I had one just like it till I got the Momo for my old yellow car. Nice wheels and it felt good on the hands. I have one like it but its a 3 spoke in the Chalon.

Uggghhhh! I can't believe you did take pictures of the action. People these days....

I had a fire once. Grabbed the fire extingusher out of the center between the seats, didn't work! WTF? Poured a can of mountain dew on it, all better.

QUOTE (Racer Chris @ Mar 16 2005, 12:36 AM)

Leather isn't normally very flammable. I'm surprised.

Yea, I can't believe it lit like that. Leather is supposed to be good for spark protection. I would have never dreamed it would catch fire like that. Too many greasy hands touching the wheel after working on the car I guess.

Oh well, I am off to search for a horn button and new covering. I wonder if Dr. Evil could get this re-covered???

QUOTE (iiibdsiil @ Mar 15 2005, 10:54 PM)

Uggghhhh! I can't believe you did take pictures of the action. People these days.... I had a fire once. Grabbed the fire extingusher out of the center between the seats, didn't work! WTF? Poured a can of mountain dew on it, all better.

skline was welding my engine lid pivot....and caught my backpad on fire....

Mike Z to the rescue with his beer......

You were lucky. Just last week my friend who is the machinist that was making caliper mounts for me was welding in his new hangar. He had a spark catch the cellulose insulation on fire. The video tape from the survelience camera shows him running out of the hangar in about 30 seconds. It was way too hot to go back in to get his truck or his airplane.

The hangar is totaled. His $40K Grumman AA1B is a pile of aluminum that was swept up with a broom. The only thing that was recognizable as an airplane was the engine and the mount. All of the extra parts for a Decathalon were in there too. Like the engine, the jugs, the covering and the wing tips. All he has left of that plane is the fuselage, wings and tail surfaces. His Nissan Pickup is a burned out shell, and the hangar is totaled. The only good point is that it was not the hangar that he has his machine shop in.


Bottom line..... KEEP A GOOD FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDY WHEN WELDING. And Be careful!!!!

i went and looked at the hangar and after seeing it, I am going to go to the local fire extinguisher vendor and buy about 4 really BIG ASSED fire extinguishers for my garage.

QUOTE (ClayPerrine @ Mar 16 2005, 07:46 PM)

He had a spark catch the cellulose insulation on fire

dunno about TX building codes but where i come from you can't have that stuff exposed.
no inspector would sign off on that. ever.

damm, that sucks. and the insurance is probably not going to pay him anything either ...
Andy

Maybe the foam under the leather??? As for extinguisers, if you can afford it go CO2. Puts out most anything and no mess. Put out a grease fire on my barby an ate the burgers!! Try that with dry chemical . After you have cleaned up the mess from a dry chemical, you might wonder why you did'nt let it burn. It is corrosive too Ask me how I know. Just my nickels worth (inflation)

QUOTE (SirAndy @ Mar 17 2005, 12:06 AM)

QUOTE (ClayPerrine @ Mar 16 2005, 07:46 PM) He had a spark catch the cellulose insulation on fire dunno about TX building codes but where i come from you can't have that stuff exposed. no inspector would sign off on that. ever. damm, that sucks. and the insurance is probably not going to pay him anything either ... Andy

The hangar is on an airport that is in an unencorporated area. No building codes and building inspectors in an unencorporated area. The previous owner did not reveal it in the sale disclosure. I imagine that his insurance company will go after the previous owner on the disclosure failure.


We are watching and waiting on this one.

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Mar 15 2005, 10:40 PM)

QUOTE (iiibdsiil @ Mar 15 2005, 10:54 PM) Uggghhhh! I can't believe you did take pictures of the action. People these days.... I had a fire once. Grabbed the fire extingusher out of the center between the seats, didn't work! WTF? Poured a can of mountain dew on it, all better.  B) skline was welding my engine lid pivot....and caught my backpad on fire.... Mike Z to the rescue with his beer......

I had two liquids available....yer lucky it was a full can and my zipper was stuck....

You would normally use wetted leather for welding. Bone dry leather is as combustable as cardboard.

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Mar 15 2005, 10:40 PM)

skline was welding my engine lid pivot....and caught my backpad on fire.... Mike Z to the rescue with his beer......

For some reason, I got this picure in my head with Z wearing bunny ears pouring a bear over a 914 backpad fire.

"Here, this'll stop it."



Sorry Mike, just popped in my head. Now it won't leave.

QUOTE (Root_Werks @ Mar 17 2005, 09:16 AM)

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Mar 15 2005, 10:40 PM) skline was welding my engine lid pivot....and caught my backpad on fire.... Mike Z to the rescue with his beer......  :lol: For some reason, I got this picure in my head with Z wearing bunny ears pouring a bear over a 914 backpad fire. "Here, this'll stop it." Sorry Mike, just popped in my head. Now it won't leave.

The picture that came to my mind was Zzzzzzz wrestling with his zipper, beer tucked under his arm and spilling on the fire

He would never willfully throw away a good beer.

And since A-aron was there, Zzzzzz would of course have a tendency to display his wares (miniscule as it might be).

QUOTE (davep @ Mar 17 2005, 07:51 AM)

You would normally use wetted leather for welding. Bone dry leather is as combustable as cardboard.

Really. I have always been told that leather didn't burn. We even tried lighting a leather glove on fire with a lighter to test this fact out, and it only blackened.

I guess it depends on the type of leather

Hmmmmm, Bunnyman the fireman....

Iffin Bunnyman tries to show us a picture of him dumping the change out of one pocket and doing his interpetation of a one eared elephant,

I'm leavin........

Ken

Ever seen the one where a one armed man counts his change?

Ok, bunnies scare me now Thats the kind of images that lurk in my nigtmares!

Anyone have a piece of thick leather 46" x 8" in black they want to unload? Or where is a good place to get leather? The local fabric stores are useless.

I m going to try and learn to sew.

Upholstery shops would be the best place to have it done....should be no more than 30 bucks material AND labor....

I Belive this wheel is a Prestige
hope this help you

QUOTE (sanman @ Mar 24 2005, 10:27 AM)

I Belive this wheel is a Prestige hope this help you

I was thinking it was a Moto Lita wheel. Looks similar. I couldn't find any info on a prestige wheel. Do you have any links?

I also checked all the area upholstery shops. They want $120 to $175 bucks to re-cover this thing. I can almost get a new Momo wheel for that

Where can I get it done for $30 bucks? Maybe its cheaper out in CA where everyone is pimpin their ride?