Need info about Empi steering wheel

[ScootsGTV]

I recently picked up a steering wheel that I am 99% sure is made by Empi. It
is pictured in the July '96 issue of Hot VWs in the Empi collectors article.
The wheel is a light colored wood-grained brown plastic. It has three chrome
spokes, a full chrome horn ring and a blue horn button featuring a gold antique
carriage. Does anyone know what this wheel is called? Did they ever offer it
in other colors (I seem to remember at least seeing different shades of brown)?
Did they offer it with the Empi logo horn button in place of the one I got?
Also the horn button and the the black plastic piece that attaches between the
button and wheel hub are in less-than-perfect condition. Anyone out there have
a spare for sale? Thanks for any help you can offer!
--Scoots

[Alvin NG Boon Kim]

Hello Scoots,

I think it's called the EMPI GT steering wheel? Or is it called the GTV wheel? I'm
quite sure it's the former.

Alvin.

[Kaferdave]

Its called the Empi "VDM" wheel, and yes, it came with either the Empi logo or
the carriage logo. Most of them have cracked the rim at about the 12 o'clock
position by now, so if you have an un-cracked one, it's a keeper. The Empi horn
button is, naturally, the more desireable of the two. They show up on e-bay
from time to time, and swap meets, as well.

[ScootsGTV]

Thanks for the info, Dave. Do you know if the horn buttons from the GTV wheel
and VDM are interchangeable? Also, is there a good, comprehensive
source(either in print or online) for information on the classic (i.e. non-Mr.
Bug) Empi products? Any info greatly appreciated.
--Scoots

[Kaferdave]

> Do you know if the horn buttons from the GTV wheel
>and VDM are interchangeable

Unfortunately, no, they are not. The GTV horn button is made out of metal for
the retaining ring, and plastic on the horn button. Try this link:
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/5570/
I would imagine Bill Berckman has this somehwere in his bazillion a/c vw webite
listing... It's called Jimmy's Cal Look, Old School, and Volkswagen Page

[G.W. East]

I've seen some "other" brands at eBay that would fit this description
nicely. Is there any way for a novice to confirm that a steering wheel or
any of their other products are the real thing ? Do they all have EMPI
stamped on them somewhere ?

G.W. East

"Kaferdave" <kafe...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20000725232013...@ng-co1.aol.com...

[ScootsGTV]

Thanks for the link. Actually, I'd seen that site before. What I'd really
like to see is for one of these cats who owns a bunch of original Empi
sales/tech/whatever literature to start disseminating the material online. I
can't believe that people who love this stuff enough to spend mega dollars on
it don't want to share their passion with the masses. Until that golden
day....
--Scoots

[ScootsGTV]

G.W.--my steering wheel does not have Empi stamped on it anywhere. As I stated
in my original post, it is pictured on the cover of the July '96 issue of HVWs.
It can also be seen on page 83 of the July '99 issue (there is a photo of a
magazine called "1st Volkswagen Annual" which shows the wheel installed with
the Empi logo horn button). These were the main clues I had that this was an
Empi wheel. As far as stuff on Ebay, swaps, etc....Much of the really
desirable stuff is so well known (i.e. the Eliminator shifter, GTV steering
wheel, Sprintstar wheels, etc) that it doesn't need a logo to be recognized.
Flat 4 does repro some of this stuff but they put their own logo in place of
Empi's.
--Scoots

[Bill Berckman]

Scoots wrote:

>Subject: Re: Need info about Empi steering wheel
>From: scoo...@cs.com (ScootsGTV)
>Date: 7/26/00 10:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <20000726100924...@ng-mf1.news.cs.com>
>
>Thanks for the info, Dave. Do you know if the horn buttons from the GTV
>wheel

>and VDM are interchangeable? Also, is there a good, comprehensive
>source(either in print or online) for information on the classic (i.e.
>non-Mr.
>Bug) Empi products? Any info greatly appreciated.
>--Scoots

Hi Scoots:

If you go to page 5 of my links page, there is a catagory of just EMPI/Cal Look
sites. The EMPI House link has some old literature scanned. Links page URL in
sig

Bill Berckman
67 Beetle
2419 Aircooled Only VW Links http://www.aircooledlinks.com
To add your site link, Air-Mail me at bi...@aircooledlinks.com
Aircooled Only VW Wheels http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb1141340

[Tero Virta]

> any of their other products are the real thing ? Do they all have EMPI
> stamped on them somewhere ?

My GT steering wheel has Empi globe logo stamped behind a spoke.. Since the
real thing is made of steel and Flat 4 repro is made of aluminium, it is
quite easy to determine the originality by holding the wheel in hand. I
don't know if there are other repros than Flat 4(??).

Somebody told me since the EMPI GT comes with 14" and 15" diameter the Flat
4 is sort of a hybrid between the real things, it has 15" diameter with 14"
style spokes. (Could someone correct me if I am wrong..)

(The original question was about VDM wheel.. The VDM steering wheel has also
been sold by EMPI with EMPI hornbutton. I have seen so far the VDM-style
wheel with VDM blue or red motorcoach logo, EMPI logo and Wolfsburg-crest
logo on the hornbutton.)

Tero
http://www.saunalahti.fi/~tvirta/volks (lots of EMPI etc Old School Cal Look
stuff)

[ScootsGTV]

I have also found a picture of the VDM wheel sporting a Porsche logo horn
button since my original post.
Scoots
http://ourworld.cs.com/scootsgtv