smaller steering wheel

[kensmith]

Does anyone make a smaller steering wheel that will fit my 78 124 spider? I would like a 13" or 14". The stock 15" is too big for me. Thanks !!!

[meangreenspider]

I found mine online and didn't need an adapter. They had several styles available.

[courtenay]

I put a 12" Momo wheel in my '72 (back in '72) so I could use the clutch - and did the same thing in my '80 when I bought it this year - for the same reason. works great!!
You don't need an adaptor to put a MOMO wheel on later models. I know they fit on an '80 - but I'm not sure about a '78.

[Fiat88]

I found mine online and didn't need an adapter. They had several styles available.

Not to hijack the thread but do you have any closeups of your dash. I like that extra panel under the steering wheel. Thx.

[meangreenspider]

My car was equipped with an dealer option a/c unit. I removed the a/c but kept the lower panel. I can take a better photo in the near future.

[kensmith]

I put a 12" Momo wheel in my '72 (back in '72) so I could use the clutch - and did the same thing in my '80 when I bought it this year - for the same reason. works great!!
You don't need an adaptor to put a MOMO wheel on later models. I know they fit on an '80 - but I'm not sure about a '78.

With no power steering, is it difficult to try and pull into a parking space with a 12" steering wheel? I'd like to find a smaller wheel with a 2"or 3" dish to bring it further out away from the dash and my legs.

[courtenay]

I'm 6'4" and have plenty of room for my legs with the MOMO, so not sure a deeper dish would be necessary. There's no question it's somewhat harder to turn, but it's not too bad. I like to think of parking as a bit of a strength training session.

[fiasco]

If you have an early Spider without the 6-screw steering wheel adapter, you can just find someone parting out a later Spider and buy the adapter from them.

I have had 13" wheels on both my cars, and yes, they do increase the amount of effort required to turn the wheels, but in my experience, the increase has been slight.

On my last car, I had a flat (i.e. non-dished), mahogany wheel. The adapter will push the wheel toward you a bit by itself, and that made the position of the wheel much better for me. My current wheel is a dished, leather-wrapped wheel, and while I like the fact that it is even closer to me (i.e. it's a more comfortable distance when I push my seat back away from the pedals), there is a downside. Since the steering column is on an angle, every bit that you move the wheel back, you also move it up. So now my wheel is in a good spot horizontally, but I'm beginning to think it feels a little too high.

My advice - track down some cheap wheels in sizes you are interested in, and once you find a good setup, invest in an expensive wheel of that size and style.

-- se

[kensmith]

Anyone using a Grant 13 1/2" wheel and adapter?

[v6spider]

Ken,
I have a 13 1/2" luisi leather wrapped steering wheel for sale and it is listed in the for sale section here with pictures:
http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... 11&t=11304

If you are interested. I am using a grant polished aluminum signature series steering wheel in my spider with a billet adapter. But I will tell you the luisi is nicer because it is wrapped in real leather. The grant wheel is not and I am using a chevy tilt column so my luisi wheel will not mount to it as it is to fit the stock fiat column.

Rob