We're working on a customer's car currerntly, which is a '99 Grand Marquis. We're covering the interior trim with Suede, and doing a full custom interior. To finish off the look he's going after, he would like us to add a custom steering wheel (billet). We are trying to see if anyone has any insight on where to pickup any type of billet adapter kit to put a custom wheel on this type of vehicle?! Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks,
-Josh

 

You can see photos of the car we're working on here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/affordab...IEGrandMarquis

 

Wow... that's great work (and a LOT too).

as for the adapter, you'll probably have to fab your own (or outsource it to a CNC shop) if you can't find something that will bolt on directly.

 

i have no idea how to help you but if you figure it put i may want one too...

 

So basically, nobody has a custom wheel on their Merc's already? I find that hard to believe! The "Merc" is all the rage w/the donk-boys around here, but nobody has a custom steering wheel, so this client is trying to be the first.

If you guys have any other ideas, I'd appreciate it! We're currently considering just getting a universal Ford adapter, and then making something custom to make it look at home on the actual column. Right now, the column is really boxy/square (and navy blue). We're going to probably wrap the column in the suede, bolt the billet adapter for the wheel to it, and go from there, praying it fits/works! Only thing is that the billet adapters are usually circular, and our column being square.... Not sure how the end result will look.

Thanks,
-Josh from Affordable Covers & More Upholstery

 

when you figure it out and get it done post a pic and let me see it... i might want one too...

 

Okay so this has turned out to be quite the pickle.

Billet Specialties said they don't make a Universal Ford Adapter / Hub for us to use, and I've contacted about 5 other vendors who sell this type of product and got he same result. Nobody has done this before? Ever? I find that so hard to fathom, that we're the first to try and do this in the 10+ years the '99 Marquis has been on the market.

Customer wants a custom shift selector as well, made from billet. He's not going to make this easy on us, lol.

 

heh... well at least the shift selector is easier to replace (I think it's just bolted on or a set screw). As for the adapter, just get some round billet plate and drill the holes to bolt to the column and then drill/tap the holes for the new wheel to bolt to. Can't be any worse than making an adapter plat to mount a ford trans to a chevy engine. I know hot-hodders do that stunt all the time.

 

With the air bag and cruise whatnot in the wheel it's generally something alot of people don;t want to mess with.. Especially when it comes to the air bag and some of the goofey safety inspection laws in some of the states.. Not sure what the possabilities might be of using parts of a pre airbag column, particularly the shaft that the wheel mounts to... I believe the pre air bag columns just had the standard ole shaft that ford has used for decades... Definitely let us know how you make out.. Been contemplating a steering wheel upgrade since the airbag light has started blinking at me in my '96 MGM.. Oddly enough it started teh same week the one in the '91 CV started blinking at me.. At least the '91 I can swap in an erlier column without too much hassle, I think...

 

Well we just went ahead and pulled the wheel yesterday before leaving the shop. Basically, after talking with Billet Specialties & Lokara Steering Whels (who makes B/S' adapters) - we came to the conclusion that we could use an earlier column IF the '99 Grand Marquis column was a "Double D" shaft, as they call it. It would not work if it was a "Splined" shaft. So we removed the wheel, reluctantly, b/c if it was a Splined shaft, we would have just done the work for free LOL. Anyways, it's a Double D shaft - flat on the top & bottom, rounded on both sides. So we'll order up the Double D adapter from Lokara and see what we come up with!

Stay tuned...

Thanks,
-Josh