Early Steering Wheels

[jszeman1]

When I purchased my car it had a black grooved steering wheel, round horn ring and white center button in the trunk.  Installed was a Nardi steering wheel.  My data card has no indication that a white steering wheel came with the car. The Technical Manual indicates that the steering wheel should not have groves since my number is 671 and the year is 1963. a 230SL.  Therefore I know that the wheel in the trunk is not correct.  Now the puzzle.  White horn button could indicate that the car originally had a white ungroved wheel but the data card does not show the code.

Does anyone have an early car with a ungroved white wheel with no entry on the data card?
Does anyone have an early car with a ungroved white wheel with no 551on the data card?
Does anyone have an early car with a black ungrooved steering wheel?

[scoot]

Pictures?

[J. Huber]

Hi John. My 63 has a black wheel with no grooves. However -- my horn ring is not round which has always confounded me, knowing that it should be on such an early car (871). The center pad is that of an early car -- just not the horn ring. I have always figured that maybe the Original owner changed the ring but not the wheel? Pure speculation. Someone along the way changed my shift gate and ball to chrome -- which I have never seen elsewhere, so who knows if he changed the ring too.

And slightly related sort of -- I have the ivory e-brake handle knob.

[jszeman1]

I solved the steering wheel question by confirming that a 1963 230sl vin 113 042 10 000244 with a white steering wheel could be confirmed by the data card code 551.  My data card was blank for that code.  I guess the bottom line is believe the data card and not what is left in your trunk when you purchase a car.  Lesson number 104 in buying a pagoda!

[thelews]

Hi John. My 63 has a black wheel with no grooves. However -- my horn ring is not round which has always confounded me, knowing that it should be on such an early car (871). The center pad is that of an early car -- just not the horn ring. I have always figured that maybe the Original owner changed the ring but not the wheel? Pure speculation. Someone along the way changed my shift gate and ball to chrome -- which I have never seen elsewhere, so who knows if he changed the ring too.

And slightly related sort of -- I have the ivory e-brake handle knob.

Well, at least your leather wheel cover looks MUCH better than the other one.

[menesesjesse]

The 230SL badge on the glove compartment is a nice touch. Was that done to early 230SL's or is that an owner added?

[jacovdw]

Jesse,

The badge on the glove compartment is not original and would be the owners personal touch.

[sjiatrou]

Does anyone have an early car with a ungroved white wheel with no entry on the data card?
Does anyone have an early car with a ungroved white wheel with no 551on the data card?

My 1964 (#1515) has an ungrooved white steering wheel with no entry (no 551) on the data card.  I've included a pic of the wheel and the data card.

[jszeman1]

Thanks for the photo of the data card and the wheel.  Now I am back to square one! 
Car 244 and 1515 both have smooth white steering wheels with the round horn ring all original to the car yet only car 244 has the 551 data entry for the white wheel.  Any other conformations out there with or without the entry of 551 for the early cars?  Has it been seen before that a car has a particular option that is not indicated on the data card?

[sjiatrou]

Do you know if the horn button is original to the car?  You probably noticed that my horn button is not original, the original was replaced with the later version with a half chrome/half black ring around the outside of the pad.  I think the originals have a different center logo and a full chrome band around the edge of the pad.  There are some nice pix and descriptions in the tech manual.

[114015]

A few comments from my side …

John S asked:

Has it been seen before that a car has a particular option that is not indicated on the data card?

Very usual ! 
Having extra equipment in your car, that was not in/on the data card, is quite often. Consider please, our cars are 38 - 46 years old. A lot of time for the preowners to individualize (formerly) their cars.
It was not unusual that the car came with black steering wheel (dark graphite grey - to be exact) from the factory and the wheel was exchanged at the dealers showroom or briefly thereafter.

Yes, my 1963 230 had an ivory colored groove-less (smooth) steering wheel with correct horn pad but incorrect flat horn ring when I bought it in 1986. There is also no option code 55/1 marked on the datacard. My car had also the matching color traverse seat without indication on the datacard. The fading paper tag on the backside of the seat cushion read the typical "Emil Hauenschild (etc.) Hamburg"and had a stamped date as of January 1964. Thus, it was added later by the 1st owner.




Steve (white SL),
Your steering wheel looks correct, the center pad does not (= late style).
The steering is a bit too white to my eyes; it should be more ivory-colored. But maybe that's because of the photography.



James,
Sorry to say so but your center pad is not the original one at least not the 1st one any more :'(. It's a later replacement (mid 250 SL or so or newer replacement). Look at John Lewenauer's hornpad form his early to mid-250 SL, that is how yours should look like as well.
A correct one for your car  should have the all chromed outer chrome ring, the center star with (!) additional outer chrome ring, a pretty smoothly grained surface of the black vinyl and a grey plastic back of the horn pad.
Alfred has put up a pretty excellent overview on the differences of the center pads in the Wiki.

Best,

Achim
(Mercedes 6.9 litre - composed of three times 230)
(steering wheel and center pad collector)

[J. Huber]

Thanks Achim -- we can always count on you for the details...

In regards to my center pad: I just spent a long time staring at the wiki... I don't think mine fits any of the examples! I definitely do not have the inner chrome ring nor is the gap between the circular ring on the logo and the pad as wide as an 230 SL (Type I) or even a later 230 SL or 250 SL (Type II). Yet, I do have the outer chrome ring unlike a Type III wheel.

If I could just find the original owner  -- so many questions!  Anyone in Holland used to own a white 63?

[114015]

Hello James,

Yes, as I mentioned.
Must be (can only be) a replacement, i.e. late style 230/250 center pad.
I am pretty confident, yours has a black plastic plate on the back side, not the grey (= early) one that is shown on Wiki.
May be the outer chrome ring has been replaced on your hub pad with the (Alfred calls it:) "Type I" center pad, which is an easy swap. At least your horn/center pad is the late 230/250 style which is still available new from DB.

Parts numbers:
A111 460 06 42 black
A111 460 07 42 ivory

http://et.mercedes-benz-clubs.com/en/result.jsp?locale=de&a=search&partno=A1114600&x=24&y=10


(The old "Type I" part numbers were 111 460 03 42 and 04 42   I "believe" from my memories ... but I don't have the parts list on hand to prove that now. :'()


I've got one late style ("Type II" to say so") like Steve's hub pad, a bunch of Type I center pads and at least one "intermediate" center pad ("Type I.5" to say so).
I have once to grab that stuff together and put it on Wiki.
(Darn that I don't have a digital camera, only this old style ones for film rolls. Takes me always so long to get digital results out of those. )

Best,
Achim
(steering hub pad collector)

[114015]

Well ...

Now I have to admit ...
that I should have read in more detail what already is on Wiki.

Well,
to make a long story short:
There are two types of steering wheels for the 230 and early 250 SL that I am aware of:
Type I and Type II as described. And Type III for the late 250 & 280 SL of course.

However, for the hub pad discussion this is a little more complex.  
There are - to me - at least four different sub-types of pads for the 230/250 and two for the late 250/280 around.

Type I as described on Wiki with grey plastic base and full chrome 160 millimeter outer chrome ring.

Type II as described on Wiki with grey plastic base and half chrome - half black outer chrome ring.
Both have the center star together with a separate surrounding chrome ring (the 64 mm ring to say so).

Type II "b" with black (slightly flatter) plastic base and half chrome - half black outer chrome ring.
Center star has also its surrounding chrome ring (64 millimeters) but the pad material is a little stiffer than before.

Type II "c" with black plastic base, completely different pad (stiffer, more coarse) with half chrome - half black outer 160 mm chrome ring.
Center star has a larger diameter (the Mercedes star itself, not the emblem) and no surrounding chrome ring anymore. Center star is glued to the pad by a foamy double-faced adhesive tape.
This is the modern replacement (A1114600642 and 0742) which is still available today.

Type III "a"
Late 250/280 and "/8"-horn pad with center star with surrounding chrome ring (cannot be disassembled) - NLA

Type III "b"
Currently available "/8" horn pad without surrounding chrome ring around the center star emblem. (Ivory colored) Pad is more coarse and more greyish than Type III "a". Still available today with a 115 parts number.


My August 1964 230 had the type II steering wheel with Type I hub pad which is supposed to be original. So, the design of steering wheel and hub pad did not change exactly at the same time.

Well, that's all what I am aware about horn/center pads so far ...

I have to get pictures of all my horn/center pads and sort that correctly together with Alfred and put it on Wiki. I shouldn't do that alone; Alfred is already more knowledgable here than me.

Sorry for the confusion....

Achim
(unaware horn pad collector)

[sjiatrou]

A quick comment about the Type I steering wheel:
 
The Tech Manual states that the type I has no grooves and no holes on the inner side of rim:

BEGIN MANUAL QUOTE
Type I – early 230SL
Used to about chassis #2035.
   Color: black and ivory (white).
   Horn ring: round with 2 pins through the crossbar
   Wheel: no grooves, no holes on the inner side of the rim
END MANUAL QUOTE

and the Type II has grooves and holes:

BEGIN MANUAL QUOTE
Type II – late 230 SL and 250SL
   Color: black and ivory (white).
   Horn ring: flat upper part with 2 pins through the crossbar
   Wheel: grooves facing driver and 5 single holes on the inner side
END MANUAL QUOTE

My steering wheel has no grooves but does have the single holes on the inner side.

Type Mine:
 chassis #1515.
   Color: ivory (white).
   Horn ring: round with 2 pins through the crossbar
   Wheel: no grooves, and 5 single holes on the inner side


Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Steve

[66andBlue]

Hello Steve and Achim,
the description in the Technical Manual is based on on this: http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=6502.msg40570
Please notice what I wrote about early steering wheels: "The information and the pictures for the early 230SL come from a posting by “goede” on the German “Pagodentreff.de” web site."
So,  I already know that I am less knowledgeable about early 230SL than Achim - after all he owns one and I don't. 
Now, flattery aside I am convinced that we will not be able to really sort this out and the main reason is that these hub pads and wheels were not only used on Pagodas but on many other models of that time and even later.  So it becomes very difficult to categorically say which pad was on which car and for what time period.
This is especially problematic when it comes to the center star emblem.  It was used on even more models, there may have been different suppliers who slightly changed the distance between the ring in the plasric from the star, etc, etc.
And who knows what the holes were used for and whether there is any significance as to the numbers and the location.
This is the eternal conundrum of ascertaining "authenticity" which is significantly more difficult than "originality".  And you all know how much we already argue about the latter.  So, my take is that assigning three general types is useful, especially for type 2 and 3, but for type 1 you are free to use what you like!

Steve, do you know whether your wheel was ever restored? One of the most difficult things to keep are the grooves and many restores just sand them down before painting and lacquering. Just a thought.

[114015]

Dear All,

Now, flattery aside I am convinced that we will not be able to really sort this out and the main reason is that these hub pads and wheels were not only used on Pagodas but on many other models of that time and even later.  So it becomes very difficult to categorically say which pad was on which car and for what time period.
This is especially problematic when it comes to the center star emblem.

Fully agree with Alfred's comments. Very hard to find the exact time point when it was changed.
Basically, the steering wheel types were used on all other Mercedes passenger cars of that period (with the exception of the W100 Grand 600 which had an own (very similar) steering wheel).

Steve,

My steering wheel has no grooves but does have the single holes on the inner side.

I agree too. My best st. wheel (out of four) without groves does have the single holes as well and I "believe" the worst one has them too. I still have to look at the other both ...

Topic remains confusing...

Best,
Achim