79 steering wheels

[TJ Hopland]

Did the 79's have the straight bar like 77-78  or were they the frown from the 80's?

[R Schroeder]

I can tell you that the Devilles were differnt from 78 to 79.
The red one is of my car , which is the 78.
The blue one is 79.
Roy

Looking on Ebay it seems it holds true for all models.

[TJ Hopland]

Interesting on the supposedly 79 photo, that is the style I was thinking was correct but I though the black / wood center came around 81, before that I thought they were a solid color like my 80 eldo.   I dont actually care which is correct I just wanted to make sure it was not the straight bar.

[R Schroeder]

The bottom one , in my posting , is a De Elegance .
Maybe thats why it is different.

[TJ Hopland]

I suppose a little fake wood could have been a little more De elegant than regular colored plastic.

[R Schroeder]

Seems to be many different wheels in that style . Some have leather covers on them too.

[R Schroeder]

And one more.
Think this was a 81.

[Davidinhartford]

The 77 and 78s were straight across.   Like the 77 below.



Like the 78 below


The 79 and 80s were angled down ,but all vinyl.    Like the 79 below.


and 80 Eldorado below:


The 81s introduced the black center with fake wood edge.  Like Below.

[TJ Hopland]

As long as I got a few peoples attention, anyone know if a wheel from a similar era GM product will interchange with a Caddy as long as its a T & T?

Im asking all this because I found a NOS wheel from a Toro that looks like a decent color match for my 73 eldo.  Price is a steal for NOS.  Same seller asked if I was interested in a 79 cad one but did not have a pic.  From the photos the olds one looks like the horn pad may even interchange with the cad.

[mgbeda]

First of all let me second David Smith's description of the wheel styles per year.  That's exactly how I remember them.

Concerning other GM wheels - I know from brochures and owner's manuals that Buick in the 70's offered a "luxury" steering wheel, at extra cost, that was simply the last version of the Cadillac wheel with a Buick emblem on it.  So in '75 they offered a wheel identical to the '71-73 Caddy wheel, and in '78 they offered one identical to the '74-76 Caddy wheel.

Also I know that various years interchange.  For instance I have a wheel from an '85 Seville in my '76 Deville.  Wrong style of course, but it fits perfectly, is the right color and has a Cadillac badge, so no one outside of a CLC judge would know it's wrong.

Based on this I would take the jump that all the GM cars wheels would fit on each other, probably from '71 up until airbags came along.

The tilt -tele wheels do interchange with non tilt ones - you just have change over the appropriate parts of the wheel.  The basic wheel is just the outside rim with two or three metal pieces connecting to a center hub.  Everything else can be removed, and the good part is that everything else is easy to find in good shape, or just needing a lick of paint.

So if I were you I'd go for that Toronado wheel.

-mB

[Jim Sparrow]

Another thing to be mindful of on these cars is Cadillac was offering ACRS (Air Cushion Restraint System) as an option. This was a driver's side air bag system that used a different steering wheel. HTH    -Jim

[Jeff Wilk]

Does anybody have a steering wheel interchange manual?  One exist?  Been looking for the hens tooth.....I mean a blue wheel for a 75 Eldo with no luck at all.  Maybe it's the same for another car??

Jeff

[Bob Hoffmann CLC#96]

Jeff,
There is no such thing as a steering wheel interchange manual except a Cadillac MPB.
If you're looking for that "baby blue" 1975 "only" color.... lotsa luck.
Why not go with a recast less the woodgrain?
HTH, Bob

[Jeff Wilk]

Bob, yes, that "baby blue" color is the one I need.  My wheel is actually in great shape except the wood grain insert and the wood grain center cap.  I've picked up an NOS center cap and emblem, and cleaned up the wheel with some OJ Cleaner and it looks NOS.  That leaves the woodgrain insert that looks more like it's been hit with a milk-wash.  I've been directed to a place that restores them, but am not ready to drop around $400+ on that.  I guess a new wheel....if even available.....could run that as well.

Jeff

[TJ Hopland]

Great information on the interchange.   I figured the 'luxury wheels' would have to be the same.  I did not know the T&T wheels would change, that will help in my search.

The wheel on my 73 has several large cracks and last year the wood grain started coming out.  That foil wood stuff is very sharp when it hangs out!  Tearing it and the remaining plastic cover out leaves a sharp edge in the wheel.  Like others have mentioned decent correct wheels are not easy to find and often do end up costing $100's.  Very nice or NOS wheels are easily going for $500+.   Im just looking for driver quality and dont care about the correct style and now knowing they will fit may even be willing to go for another make as long as I get the right color and price.   My car has enough fading that even a similar color would likely work.   Nice thing about a wheel is if I spend $50 now and then decide later I need to spend $500 with a couple screws and a nut no damage is done to the originality.

I waited too long on the Toronado wheel, it sold.   I should have jumped on it, for the price I could have likely re sold it if it did not work.   It looked like the exact same wheel in the pics except for a slightly different pattern in the horn pad and it was missing the emblem so I was thinking I could have attached a random Cad one and most people would have never known.