Inexpensive options for steering wheel and e-brake leather

[3000GTPro]

The scoop: The leather on my steering wheel and e-brake handle is basically "rotting" after all the use it's been through since I am now part of the "200k club", and I'm not sure how long I plan to keep it being that I want a turbo car someday. However I do expect to keep it for a few more years.
With that in mind, what inexpensive options are out there that don't include those tacky slip on steering wheel covers from general auto part stores? What might be worthwhile? Same question for the e-brake handle more or less.

[stealthee]

The ebrake handle is essentially slip on too.

I believe Mitoska offers new replacement ebrake handles now. If not, there is a guy on ebay selling them. For the wheel you will likely have to have it reupholstered (sp?) I actually have a good condition 1g wheel and airbag if you are interested. The airbag is damn near perfect, the wheel was is about as good of shape if I remember well.

Another option would be to get a wheel is not as good of condition and get it rewrapped.

[3000GTPro]

I think reupholstering the wheel might be easier than replacing it, right? Otherwise if I remove the wheel, I think I would rather replace it with something else.

Could you elaborate more on "mitoska"? Website or something? I have never heard of it.

[95gto]

Re-Wrapping the steering wheel will require you remove it. The best fix if you don't want to remove the wheel is a stitch on cover, something like this:
Wheelskins Leather Steering Wheel Cover, Wheel skins, Wheelskin

The other cheap option will be to buy a used wheel in good condition. Paying to have someone re-wrap the wheel will be expensive and doing it yourself is tricky to say the least.

[Jimvr4]

Hey David, On my Ebrake handle the knob started chipping and disintegrating so I bought a new one from Cherry Hill. It was around $50 if I remember and IIRC installation involved removing the driver seat, dissassembling part of the center console, and detaching the cable linkage.

[95gto]

Hey David, On my Ebrake handle the knob started chipping and disintegrating so I bought a new one from Cherry Hill. It was around $50 if I remember and IIRC installation involved removing the driver seat, dissassembling part of the center console, and detaching the cable linkage.

Jim did you replace the whole handle assembly?

The factory ebrake handle cover can be removed by pulling it off of the metal assembly. You don't have to remove anything else. And once the handle cover is off you can unscrew the factory button to replace it.

[Jimvr4]

Jim did you replace the whole handle assembly?

The factory ebrake handle cover can be removed by pulling it off of the metal assembly. You don't have to remove anything else. And once the handle cover is off you can unscrew the factory button to replace it.

Hmm, Don't remember seeing these options in ASA. Looks like I might have made an easy job tougher and much more expensive

[DrGonzo]

The knob on the ebrake handle just unscrews.......

[3000GTPro]

95gto: So when you say reupholstering the steering wheel is tricky, do you mean the wheel skins like in that link as well?

[95gto]

95gto: So when you say reupholstering the steering wheel is tricky, do you mean the wheel skins like in that link as well?

The wheelskins covers take time to put on but are not that bad. What I was calling tricky is removing the factory leather an re-wrapping the wheel with new leather or vinyl. I have done this a couple times and to honest the results were mixed for me. I used the stock leather as a base for the pattern but both times I had issues with the new cover not adhering as well as I would have liked around the spokes. Since those areas are more complex you have to have a decent amount of compression from the cover cobmined with adhesive to make sure the new cover sticks properly.

If you do decide to try re-wrapping the wheel I recomend heating the wheel up as you go with a hair dryer or heat gun. To get the new cover to stitch down tightly you need the foam padding underneath to be slightly pliable.