Steering wheel
 

Hi guys
I am doing a bmw Z3 to 250 Ferrari kit.
Two questions for you;
1) I want to fit a classic wooden steering wheel and would like your recommendation for wheel and what boss I would need.
2) being registered as a Z3 where do I stand with removing the steering wheel airbag? Will I be able to MOT it?

Thanks
Hugh

I removed my BMW steering wheel to replace with an old wooden Motalite. I also removed the airbag deployment sensor from behind the centre console.

There are no warning lights and have passed several MOTs

I got a mate to machine two plates of aluminium that sandwiched the wteering wheel and bolted to the boss because I couldn't find a steering boss to fit.

I will look for the thread on here (or you can try too)

http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/foru...light=steering

Unfortunately the pictures have vanished but hopefully of some help

Thank you
That helps��

Good evening Hugh something else to consider when changing the steering wheel is that the majority of aftermarket bosses do not cater for self cancelling indicators or a horn button , there are a few that do but they are expensive , i have used this type https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Z3-M-...TV7r:rk:1:pf:0 , all it takes is cancel the indicator your self and mount a small "push button switch" on the steering column shroud connected to the horn , for a steering wheel if you can get a Nardi so much the better , hope this helps , Geoff .

I used this boss
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/NC...=w1158-h869-no

which was the wrong size for this wheel
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IK...=w1158-h869-no

but mounted it between two metal plates and it bolts onto the standard BMW steering shroud leaving the indicators unaffected. I had to put a separate button on the side of the steering column for the horn though.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/f5...=w1545-h869-no

Don't scrimp on a boss - there are stories of cheap ones breaking (how true no idea). I got Nardi repro and OMP boss (with self cancel) for 100 together.

I used the OMP boss and all was good, I had previously bought a cheaper boss but it didn't fit very well and the indicators wouldn't cancel.

But mine has got Racing written on it. Surely that means it is both better AND faster???

Can't compete with that.

Hi HUGH, welcome to the forum!

If you look on the second page of the forum you will see a thread for z3 airbag steering wheel that might help. I haven’t fitted mine yet, but have noticed that the clock spring assy on the OMP boss will only line up on 1 screw hole and not two or the three it should. I will get my way around it and post some pics on my old No7 build thread when I do that. Enjoy your build!

Thanks
That’s a great thread. I have bought a Moto Lita wheel and a Momo boss am waiting for delivery!!!!

Hi
I’ve been looking at your interior and really like the way you have done the centre console around the handbrake and gear lever. Did you use ply covered with leather? I’m putting in a double din pioneer unit in the dash as I want some modern features, reversing camera, blue tooth etc and am struggling to W enough space up there. I think if i do what you have done I could locate some switches on that panel.
Nice looking car welshkiwi 👍

Hi Hugh, thanks for the kind comments, can’t claim the centre console though as that is standard OEM for the car I bought. I was really lucky though that the 2.8 that I picked up had a really nice black and wood interior which just seemed to fit the look without having to do too much. I will eventually play with the interior and “period it” a bit more but only after the car is on the road for a bit. Totally understand on the double din, not a lot of room there so you will need to be creative with where you put other bits.

Keep an eye on the build thread as i’ll post more about the steering wheel later. Just got it fitted this morning, got the clock spring assy to fit by opening up all three locations and centering the unit, held by all three screws now with a dab of thread lock for good measure. Fitted the steering wheel, needed 2mm removed from the column spacer so a while filing, dimensioning and papering/polishing and it all worked out ok. Reminded me of my apprentice days and endless hrs of filing metal into shapes etc! Cheers.

Will watch the build thread with interest
��

On the mot bit - technically if originally fitted with an airbag it will fail if not present, however it seems the testers normally just check the airbag lights are working as expected.

There seems to be some exemptions for rally cars post 2013, although there is no definition of a rally car in the testers manual.

Thanks

I went through this with my MOT tester, he wouldn't pass it as a Z3 as it had airbags when made. He did however pass it as a "Tribute California" as there was no listing of what it was equipped with.
Gives him an out if every picked up by an inspector.