HQ Sandman steering wheel insert

[stickthis]

I had a broken one years ago just ditched it in the bin
when i finally do my van resto im buying a Rare Spares one honestly there fine
how shit would my interior look with complete NOS dash gauges and facia with a used steering wheel

I agree 100% with that. My NOS HZ GTS im building. If I did not have a NOS one. I would 100% be buying a Rares one. From what everyone tells me they are very good and near impossible to pick between a NOS Bridestone one and the rares one. Rares listened to what the market wanted. They went out spent huge money to retool and make them as original. Not to mention the ADR costs that would have been involved. I haven't had one in my hands. But from what people who have told me that have. Im sure if I put one in my NOS HZ GTS it would not get picked up on. (apart from having a HQ horn pad).
I brought my NOS one before rares made the ones they currently do. It cost me around $1200. Just for the wheel. No horn pad or horn backing etc. Just a blank pad.

HQ Sandman logo will be fixed no doubts there.

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i got told a story, how true it is and if it would work i don't know, but
if you take a thin craft type knife and run it around the molding step you can separate the rubber from the steel frame, you can then weld the frame and then glue the rubber back on and if you do it right you will never pick it.
NOW I have never tried it, I am only repeating a story, it may be right it may be wrong. Just putting it out there.

As a Machinist by trade I would NEVER do this to my own wheel. Is the sake of saving $500 on a brand new repro wheel worth risking it snapping off again due to the properties in the steel and it not being welded correctly using the correct techniques? Obviously not having a dig at you wombat! Just putting out my point of view.

I would not be risking it when there is a perfectly good repro wheel on the market.