Re: Painting steering wheel etc.

[byoshida@zygote.hsc.usc.edu (Benton Yoshida)]

>A true afficionado would remove the leather and have the spokes of the
>steering wheel annodized in a tone  chosen with an eye to enhancing the
>motif that you have agreed upon with your interior designer . I am
>distressed that you would merely paint such an important piece of your
>Scirocco. What has this world come to?
>
>alas & alack
>Bob Bruce



        Unfortunately, the only matching motif in my interior would be
"torn and faded".  Seriously, I'm just looking to blacken the spokes for a
minimum of cost.  I'd love to get a nice, racy wheel (are the MOMO's really
only $100?!) but the stock wheel is good enough for me.  Actually the stock
unit is pretty nice, even though it has a plastic, not leather rim (doesn't
leather soak up sweat and body oils where they react to form gunge? yuck!)
And the foam and plastic el cheapo lace up cover made a huge improvement in
feel.

        I guess I just want to know if I have to sand and primer before
spray painting the damn thing (after masking off the other parts of
course).  Since most of you probably have Mk.2's, the Mk.1 steering wheel
has three metal spokes with a rectangular cutout in each and has a center
horn button--very classic and  sensible.  Maybe some of you Mk.2 owners
would like to upgrade to a Mk.1 wheel?  Sorry, mine's not for sale :P

        Thanks also for the input on shocks and springs.  I guess if I get
some disposable income, I'd love to upgrade the suspension.  How much
stiffer is a typical (if there is such a thing) sport or sofsport spring
than stock, and how much more punishing would the race springs be?  My '81
S has some unknown springs but they are very stiff in my opinion.  I liked
their minimal body roll (even without anti-roll bars) but I got tired of
the stopping at every bump while everyone else was flying over them or
honking at me as I held up traffic... BTW, I don't think they are cut down
stock springs since they are covered in yellow plastic.

        And while I still have your attention, is the trick to a compliant
ride while retaining sharp handling, soft springs with stiff shocks or the
other way around?

Thx again, benton ========


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