Choices
I’ve been flirting with a number of ideas about the steering wheel in my car. The high sides and front lip of to Cobra’s made getting in an out of the car a little awkward.
At first I thought I might try a removable wheel. I spoke to a mechanic about this who told me that as long as there is no indicator light flashing at an MoT test there would not be an issue for them if I fitted a removable steering wheel which did not have an integral air bag. However as a cautious soul I could not bring myself to test this assertion; and also worried about transferring the wheel mounted functionality or what would happen if I stumbled across a more conscientious tester or needed to make an insurance claim.
I then looked at a wheel upgrades and settled upon Cipher or one from Royal Steering Wheels near Aylesbury. In the end the fitting service won me over and I placed an order.
Fitting
Having made an appointment I drove up to Stoke Mandeville and the wheel was fitted to the car in the car-park there. A similar wheel is prepped ahead of the fitting date and your old one is exchanged once the on-wheel controls, airbag and horn push are transferred over to your new wheel.
I opted for a flattened bottom steering wheel with smooth and perforated leather and a grey centre marker with grey stitching to match the trim of the car.
Raj was explained each step and how to look after the wheel.
It takes just over 30 minutes to fit the wheel and on the day the appointment was a little late due to issues with the previous car.
First Impressions
I like it, it is thicker, feels very nice to the touch and is more comfortable to use than the original. Strangely it feels a little smaller. All the functions continue to work without fuss and gives a more up-market feel.
I would recommend it as an option for MX-5 NC owners not looking to save weight.
Read more: Steering Wheel
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