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While waiting for some paint to dry..decided to work on 1 of the real cars.
My new steering wheel for the corvette came in..carbon fiber and leather with matching airbag cover.
Old wheel on top...
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99...48 k miles..
I worked on those things when they were brand new. Had an engine out of a few of 'em which is fun. You've gotta strap the front of the car to the lift to keep it from falling off of it once the engine is out. lol

Fun cars to drive for sure but definitely not on my list of faves to work on. ;)
 
So far not too bad...easier than this thing I'm building...at least the parts are big enough to see without an electron microscope
LOL!! Looks like you've got a nice set up there. Always helps when you've got a spot to work on your vehicles inside. I've done 3 engine swaps and around 4 transmission swaps on the ground outside in my driveway. After working for years in a dealership and having a lift, working on the ground do DO sum suckin' !!
 
I just put the lift in..can't work very long on my back anymore..and the vette needs a place to snooze for the winter
 
So...been working on these parts for days..they give you 2 plain plastic pieces that..don't look very good. The real ones are made of wood with iron fittings and a long iron angle running the length of them.. The real thing will be the first 2 pics.
Made them out of Sappele wood, brass and plastic stock..
Also working on the leather straps. They give you some fake material which looks exactly like..fake material. Thinned out some leather but also waiting on some I bought..see which one is better.
Painting up the hub spinners now..

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I ordered some at .4mm thick. Best i could scrape was .85.
Now found more things to work on..the 2 bonnet pieces need some added stuff and more weathering...have to make 2 support poles for them. I don't even want to use them as the motor is so cool..but I'll just have them flipped up.
Then figure out a base for the case...
These cases are expensive..
 
Done resting...some tools arrived from my late night buying spree.
Pb swiss mini screw drivers..about as good as you can get..Hardell mini sander and a mini vice..and a sticky mat.
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All will come in handy for the next build that arrives friday.
Now trying to make these bonnet supports for the exhaust side
 
And..it continues...
The leather i bought is too thick..about .90mm...so..I found an old pair of leather gloves and spent an hour unstiching them...it measures .56mm which scales about right for straps that would have been 5 to 6mm.
I can also use it to cover the seat. Problem is the back of the seat is button tufted...this should be fun trying to figure that out.
Trick to cutting leather this thin is tamiya masking tape. Now waiting on a product that treats the back side of the leather so its not fuzzy.
Pic of the real seat...
The very original one had 2 plain leather ones...the restoration got a fancy one.

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D'oh! Glove.. Of course! Not like we don't have any around here... I delaminated and split a leather belt remnant.
You get some buttons in those corners and you're in business!
I have since ordered a 'skiving tool' on amazoony next time around I'll be prepared.

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I tried skyving.. but couldn't get it down to .56...and ended up with really fuzzy back side..
For the seat I'm going to glue the leather down to the one they give you..then see how it will look if I glue leather diamonds to it..add some beads..then use painted wire for piping.
 
And..it continues...
The leather i bought is too thick..about .90mm...so..I found an old pair of leather gloves and spent an hour unstiching them...it measures .56mm which scales about right for straps that would have been 5 to 6mm.
I can also use it to cover the seat. Problem is the back of the seat is button tufted...this should be fun trying to figure that out.
Trick to cutting leather this thin is tamiya masking tape. Now waiting on a product that treats the back side of the leather so its not fuzzy.
Pic of the real seat...
The very original one had 2 plain leather ones...the restoration got a fancy one.

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Thinning leather? I wonder if a drum or belt sander would work? Maybe with 200 or 300 grit.
I'm very interested in seeing what you come up with.
I once used the fabric elastoplast bandages to replicate the nylon mesh seats in a 1/35 MD-500 helicopter. It seems to have worked.
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