1978
280z
Steering wheel upgrade
For almost 5 years now, the Z has been rocking an old Grant GT steering wheel and its retirement day has finally arrived. While the old wheel was originally supposed to be a “temporary” fix, it always got the job done and became more permanent than intended. Before saying goodbye to this wheel for good, I must document one amusing quirk.
As shown to the right, the ol’ GT was missing the center cap for its horn which meant a lack of tension against the contact ring. So, anytime the Z encountered a respectable bump it would honk ever so slightly, almost as if were crying out. You can imagine the enjoyment rumble strips provided.
For the replacement, I decided to incorporate some classic British styling into this JDM machine with a woodgrain wheel. Specifically, a mahogany MOMO Grand Prix with a brushed aluminum finish. In the future, kickplates with a similar brushed finish will be added to compliment the steering wheel.
The Grant GT attached to the steering column directly using the column nut. However, the MOMO is a 6 bolt wheel and required a steering wheel hub adapter. The hub attaches to the steering column and is secured with the column nut. Additionally, the hub provides the ground and signal wires for a horn pad and removes the need for old contact plates!
Turn signal rebuild
Since the beginning of the Z project, the turn signals have always functioned intermittently. My immediate thought was that the hazard switch, which houses the relay for the turn signals, was fried.
However, after testing the switch with a multimeter, all voltages checked out.
To examine the issue further, I removed the complete turn signal assembly from steering column for a clean and inspection.
