As received. Scruffy, but an undamaged rim ...
... although wire-brushing marks on the spokes ...
Hub needs repainting. Rubbing with wire wool dipped in cellulose thinners got all the old paint off and left a smooth surface. Hammerite special metals primer as the first coat, then two coats of Hammerite smoothrite satin black.
... and the brass and copper contacts cleaned up
... the wire replacing the pencil soldered on ...
... and attached to the horn push. This will need removing from the horn push to be fitted through the hole in the hub. Make sure the tag or whatever you use fits through the hole. You could use a bullet connector in the wire, or a spade connector screwed to the back of the horn button, but how often are you going to be removing it? Make sure that whatever you use on the back of the horn push clears the copper ring on the alloy base of the push, or the horn will sound continuously ...
Fitted, and at long last I can see the supplementary gauges with a glance instead of having to peer round the rim, as well as having lighter steering. Gold-highlighted logo as befits a 1975 build.
Bee's wheel - 'simulated' leather according to Clausager, difficult to say whether it's really stitched as leather would be, or if that is simulated as well:
Someone has repeatedly claimed that the V8 had a stitched leather cover as well and is 'well worth searching for', but both Clausager and the Leyland Parts Catalogue show that both the V8 (in Jan 73) and 4-cylinder cars (Jun 73) got the same wheel with the solid spokes part number BHH1307. No other wheel is given for the V8, so any V8s built before Jan 73 probably had the slotted spokes. Claimed V8 special wheel on the left, Bee's on the right, the only evidence offered that the V8 is different is the 'ruffling' just to the left of the spoke on the left. Original brochures covering both V8 and 4-cylinder list the 'V8 only' items but no mention of a steering wheel, so probably duff gen.
A still from the Mr Steering instructional video showing how the stitching was getting more and more out of line, until he skipped two stitches on the right-hand edge instead of one:
A pleasing 'cross-hatched' stitch pattern, with the edges of the cover pulled together and no gap. Possibly the outer circumference could have been a little smaller, but all I can do is measure the wheel, after that it's up to the supplier. Textured surface whereas the video shows smooth, which I would have preferred:
The top of Bee's wheel that gets all the sun is quite ratty, although given the manufacturer would never have intended it to have been used for 50 years it's pretty remarkable:
The underside - just light scuffing:
