I buried this question in another posting, so I thought I would ask it again on its own. Does anyone know if the steering column was painted black or the interior color when a 70 GTO optioned with the black Trans AM style Formula wheel? I know that one is a subject of debate, as highlighted in the DeMauro book, but I was wondering if anyone has "cracked the code" yet.

Also, I've heard there are different sized grips on these type of wheels: thick and thin. Which one was accurate for the 70 GTO and what is the thickness dimension to check on? Thanks.

Bob

I buried this question in another posting, so I thought I would ask it again on its own. Does anyone know if the steering column was painted black or the interior color when a 70 GTO optioned with the black Trans AM style Formula wheel? I know that one is a subject of debate, as highlighted in the DeMauro book, but I was wondering if anyone has "cracked the code" yet.

Also, I've heard there are different sized grips on these type of wheels: thick and thin. Which one was accurate for the 70 GTO and what is the thickness dimension to check on? Thanks.

Bob

I may be wrong, but I don't think the formula wheel was an option until 71. You may have gotten them from a dealer in 70, but to my knowledge they started in 71.

I had a friend that owned a 1970 in the late 70's. It was a Ram Air IV 4-spd car. He bought it from the original owner, which was also his uncle. The car had never been changed, only thing done to it at that time was services and tune ups. It had the Formula wheel, and it was an option in 1970.

I can't help you on the color, but his was all black.

Somewhat related issue, I have a great driver condition formula wheel with horn piece. That's all I have though, does anyone here have the sleeve/screws it mounts to that they'd be willing to part with? Post here or email me, address is in my profile. Be sure to remove the "_no_spam" part...... thanks.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PB:
I may be wrong, but I don't think the formula wheel was an option until 71. You may have gotten them from a dealer in 70, but to my knowledge they started in 71. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
The Formula style steering wheel was offered for the first time in the 1970 model year (some late '69 Firebirds may have received this wheel since they were built into the '70 model year). It was sales code 464, UPC code NK1.

I can't say for sure what color the steering column was, but it wouldn't surprise me if the column was coordinated with the interior trim color.

Formula wheel when used in '70-72 A-bodys usually came with black painted steering column, not another color. Owners that have installed Formula wheels after the car was new, often just installed the black hub & Formula wheel on whatever original color column.

Thickness wise, there were at least 4 different thickness Formula wheels from '70-81, with the latest offered strg wheels being the thinnest. The colored Formula wheels used from '78-80 one can not quite wrap a std business card around. Early '70's wheels are much thicker... will measure one & ck in later.

Non Firebird Formula wheel emblem style:

'70 & early '71 A-body Formula wheels came with the solid silver/gray Pontiac arrowhead.

Sometime in 1971 production, after the Fall '70 UAW strike, the outline style arrowhead centercap came into being & was used from there after.

The above info has held true with many originals I've examined & also with the followin factory Formula wheel A-bodys, I've previously owned.

(1) early '70 GTO 455 4spd RA, sandlewood interior, factory f/s tilt Arlington build.
(3) '70 Judges (two Orbit Orange/sandlewood 4spds, one red interior auto). 2 out of Arlington plant, 1 out of Pontiac plant.
(2) '71 1/2 GT-37s from Fremont plant
(1) '72 GTO early Pontiac plant built
(1) early '72 LeMans GT from Lakewood GA plant
(1) '72 LeMans GT from Pontiac plant
(1) '72 GP SJ from Lakewood GA plant

Also, my following keepers are original Formula wheel cars & the last two have black columns (though one of these cars has a blue interior):
'71 Judge (08C Pontiac plant 2nd day of production)
'71 455H0 T-37 (Pontiac plant 12C built)
'71 1/2 455HO GT-37 (Fremont built).

I second what OPH said.

OPH - have you seen any of the "thick" style repro formula wheels? Comment on quality if you can.

Thanks guys for the feedback on this issue. Ol' Pinion Head, I would appreciate it if you could measure a correct wheel circumference and let me know; I picked up one off of eBay relatively cheaply and want to make sure it is correct.

The Formula wheel was an option in 1970, but had to be ordered with power steering (probably because the wheel diameter is smaller than the other GTO wheels); I've attached a page out of the 1970 Pontiac Optional Wide-Track Accessories brochure that I've had for 20 years, that shows the Formula wheel option.

My 70 GTO is an original formula wheel car. You had to have the formula wheel if you also had the quick ratior steering box. My steering column is black, but that is because my interior is also. I have yet to see a 70 GTO, with the formula wheel option with a steering column in any color other than black.

As for the reproduction wheels, they certainly don't have the same feel as the originals do. I've been searching for a long time for a nice original wheel, but have been skunked so far. Most of the original, thick wheels have rips and are pretty worn down. A good, used wheel should be shiny. I got very lucky and was able to pick up a horn/button assembly with an original GTO silver arrowhead, but repros are out there.

Mike

When will the O'l Pinion Head Encyclopedia of GTOs be available? Great, detailed information.

Yeah! I'd buy one of those in a heart beat!

Sport 71, I have one of P/Y's "original style" coming my way. I'll try to let you know of the quality. '71 455 HO as well!

1971GTO - That sounds great. I have not had a chance to see one of these yet in person. Give us a review when it comes in!

(Sweet car! Is that Limekist?)

Original Formula wheel removed from my '70 Judge.

Reproduction Formula wheel w/reproduction center (and a '72-up center). The '70 is a lot softer feeling than the reproduction. I have felt a '72 and it did feel hard also (but might have been sun-dried).

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!NICE. I can see a little difference in the gripping but other than that............?

Quezal Gold #53 baby!

I now know what Santa is bringing me this year!

just swapped medallions, this is repo medallion from py, very nice I might add http://forums.performanceyears.com/g...icon_smile.gif

also the original 70`s "fat" wheel had a "seam" around the wheel towards the inside rear

This is quite interesting...

My 70 GTO convertible, built in Fremont (2/70), has the Formula wheel option (shown as code 464 on the PHS window sticker). My steering column is blue, matching the interior.

To back this up, I have the original build sheet (found in the during restoration) and it shows the STRG COL COLOR (#71) as BLUE. And, #69, STRG WHL is LEATH. There's also an NK3 code (SIM LEATHER S) listed with the rest of the options on the build sheet.

So, I guess they did paint the steering columns to match the interior color.

Jack

Leave it to Fremont to do something different...

This brings up another anomally, the options and accessories catalog, as posted by BobsGTO, shows the UPC to be NK1 for the Formula steering wheel. Jack's source, the factory broadcast sheet, shows the same option to be NK3. This appears to be another instance where PMD changed a small detail after the catalogs were printed. Anyone have a revised '70 Accessories catalog with the correct NK3 code?

Interesting anomoly. The catalog I have has a print date of September, 1969, so if someone has a later version, please let us know.

wow http://forums.performanceyears.com/g...s/icon_eek.gif jack, that is interesting,..although I have 3/70 freemont build, I have aded the formula wheel,it is an original & I think they look super!! as others have said, mine has some of the dried up look of an older wheel but I just put a wrap on it &think it looks fine,..now, I am not the concourse type purist but do like to have my car correct as posible when adding or deleting options,..would really like to here from others with formula wheel that have sandlewood int.as to what color steering col. are. sounds as if maybe a person could get it a couple diff. ways. great post, tom http://forums.performanceyears.com/g.../icon_cool.gif http://forums.performanceyears.com/g.../icon_cool.gif

As FYI, the original formula wheel on my car measures ~ 3.75" in circumference.

Jack

My Pontiac built Judges' build sheet (listed as T.A. SPT STR WHL) and PHS only list 464. My original window sticker was tore on that side and can only read "RING WHEEL-FORMULA 464 42.13".

A friend of mine has a 56,000 mile original paint unrestored 71 Judge with dark brown interior with an original Formula wheel. His column is brown to match the interior. I went to look at his car a few weeks ago to check this out because I am installing a Formula wheel on my polar white/dark blue interior 70 Judge. I have seen it both ways on different cars over the years and did not know which way is "correct".His car has never been touched, although it is getting in need of some work. As for me, I think it looks better when the column is painted black, it makes the Formula wheel look like it belongs there and is not an afterthought. But thats just my opinion...

Polarwhite,
Wondering what plant & time built is your friends '71 Judge?

From reading latest posts, am not ready to just make this a "Fremont thing", as the detailed info I previously added, is what I've had my hands on, & several of those cars were(are) original Fremont cars.

Fluke deals happen in production. To give an example, my HO GT-37 came with pebble grain black dash bezel & factory installed rally guages. The typical T-37 or GT-37 for '71, when equipped with rally guages, had woodgrain dash bezel, not the "std idiot light"/black pebble grain bezel. When I was doing the GT-37 survey in the early 90's, ran across the original owner of a '71 GT-37 that had idiot lights & wood grain dash bezel, car had never been altered. Even one of the original magazine roadtests on a '71 GT-37 shows a black pebble grain dash bezel & rally guages. My point is there is a way things were planned to be built & sometimes, asm line strayed from that guide. Believe this is what we are seeing with some body colored steering columns & factory installed Formula wheels.

Trusting buildsheets as the 100% gospel...
On buildsheets, they only note how a vehicle was supposed to be built. When certain coded parts were no longer avail, there are instances where the buildsheet called for the part but another part was used. Good example, is JW in the wheel box on buildsheets of early '71 T/A's equipped with rally wheels. The '70 1/2 code JW's were not used, but one of 2 or 3 dates of KN's were used. Have also seen this happen with buildsheets calling for JT 14x6 rally II wheels, when all plants were using KU's. Could go on & on, but one should get the point.

resurrection
 

would the black column be full gloss, semi gloss or completely flat in colour?

I think 60 degree gloss black IIRC.

Just a quick question...Ol Pinion Head posted in post 6 that he owned an Orbit Orange 70 Judge with a red interior, anyone got a pic of it, or another with those same colours?
Just curious to see one, that's all.

What ever happened to OPH anyway - haven't heard from him in a while.

BJ

I have an 09/69 Oshawa built GTO with the formula wheel and a dk. brown (253) interior. Steering column was semi gloss brown.

any pictures of it Stu?

70 LeMans, swapping to floor shift and repro Formula wheel (black), trying to decide what color to paint column and hub.

I'm obviously not concerned about originality, but hoping to get some pics for comparison.

I am thinking of painting column and hub the interior color to stick with LeMans feel. Seems the "correct" would have a black hub, with or without a color-painted column. Black hub seems like it would look "wrong" with color on column, even if it is correct. When the wheel was colored in the TAs, they had colored hubs.

Anyone have any pics showing:

a) color on column, black hub, black wheel?

In all the threads about this topic, I never saw a photo of it, even though several have this as original.

b) color on column, color on hub, black wheel

May be incorrect, but I'd like to see it if anyone has done this

I owed a bunch of them , late 70 -71 formula wheel an large imprint on it IE,72 small print ie, 73 iex,74 nothing ,all had the seams around all aluminum wheel ,if you took the horn button off it had a notch all fat wheels ,with a scalloping effect on the back of the wheel, after that they got thinner ,the later ones I think 78-81 were steel spokes with two notches in them if you removed the horn pad. I believe the column and collar were all black where as the Trans am were color keyed to the interior

Yes, the details around all this stuff is pretty complex if you are trying to restore accurately.

Thankfully, my goal was just to get pictures of different options for painting a swapped-in column and the formula wheel hub.

I was able to find a bunch on the web (attached), and have ruled out having a black hub with a color-keyed column. It just looks weird to me.

Black everything is probably safest, but if I decide to be colorful, I'd go with painting the hub the same as the column. I think the color-keyed column and hub over-emphasizes the column, though, so am leaning toward all black.

Did a 70 Formula wheel in an A-body have black or silver spokes?

Was the black hub painted with a wrinkle finish or some other "rough" texture?

The other steering wheel option in 1971 was the Sport wheel. My father was the original owner and the column matches the saddle interior.

melwff

Thanks for sharing

I'd love to see a photo if you are willing

I have a 71 Pontiac plant GTO that has untouched sienna interior and the formula wheel option. on the PHS The steering column is sienna. 9/70 date on cowl tag and a shipping date of 12/70.

Picture?

Does it have a wrinkle-finish black hub?

My Tropical Lime with white vinyl top & Dark Saddle interior 71 Pontiac built zone car had a saddle tilt column, black hub Formula wheel. It's been resprayed black now but you can see the saddle underneath.

I probably shouldn't have parted this car. :doh:

Tropical Lime over Jade green 71 Pontiac built Judge has a green column, black hub, Formula Wheel.

Thanks for another photo

I've decided to go with that look - black hub, green column (same as original column color). Even though I think it is a little goofy, I guess it is consistent with original goofiness. :juggle:

All the hubs are painted with a wrinkle finish on them. The wheels are painted a satin black smooth finish, just to answer your questions about that.

Thanks,

I just asked for help with the wrinkle finish here

It didn't go well today..

Ship it to Norwood. It will be perfect.

Shiny I posted the way I do it on the site where you directed me to. It give the ways I do mine which turn out really good. But as i say in that site post it takes practice to get it right. But you can do it over & over on the same one until you get it the way you want it. I also gave a couple of ways I have done them in the past. :horn:

Hi rexs73gto, thank you, I saw it and appreciate the help.

PB, thanks for the recommendation.. he must do great work. Someone else recommended him too.

I'm just messing with a beater for a hobby, so try not to pay for anything I can do myself (usually 3 times) and learn from. Wrinkle paint is a new thing for me, so is interesting and I'll figure it out.