Anyone have an NA Miata Vinyl Steering Wheel in good shape?

Without twisting/etc. I'd either trade a leather one + cash or buy outright. Let me know.

I just replaced a toasted vinyl wheel with a leather one (my vinyl one is bad). In talking to the miata salvage place they told me that all the vinyl wheels are falling apart where the leather ones seem to be staying in one piece. You may have an easier time (and better in the long run) to just upgrade to leather.

http://www.planet-miata.com/ is where I got mine. I dont think they had any vinyl ones, but its worth calling.

Not an option, this is also for a friend. Have to keep the car legal for ES, and it's an R-Package, so no leather wheel. I found a good-shape one on here that I just put on my car, friend's R wheel is falling apart, so trying to help him out.

That '94 R-pack is now 16 yrs old. I think SCCA compensates for parts that are no longer in production to be replaced with "similar" and acceptable substitues.

If the wheel is not availble from Mazda as new any longer than I would think similar leather would be acceptable. Frankly, I do not think it will provide the driver with a competitive edge.

PS: I like the non-leather wheel in my '90 base model. From what I see it has worn better than leather of the same vintage.

Now, to back up my opinion with fact.

The Rules:
http://www.scca.com/documents/Solo_Rules/2010_scca_solo_rules.pdf

Rule 13.0
Alternate components which are normally expendable and considered replacement parts (e.g., engine and wheel bearings, seals, gaskets, fi lters, belts, bolts, bulbs, batteries, brake rotors, clutch discs, pressure plates, suspension bushings, drivetrain mounts, etc.) may be used provided they are essentially identical to the standard parts (e.g. have the same type, size, hardness, weight, material etc.), are used in the same location, and provide no performance benefi t

Rule 13.2F
Alternate steering wheels are allowed, provided the outside diameter is not changed by more than one inch from the standard size. Steering wheels with an integral airbag may not be changed.

Get a factroy wheel that can accomidate the airbag and all is good.

jrw1621 wrote: Now, to back up my opinion with fact. The Rules: http://www.scca.com/documents/Solo_Rules/2010_scca_solo_rules.pdf Rule 13.0 Alternate components which are normally expendable and considered replacement parts (e.g., engine and wheel bearings, seals, gaskets, fi lters, belts, bolts, bulbs, batteries, brake rotors, clutch discs, pressure plates, suspension bushings, drivetrain mounts, etc.) may be used provided they are essentially identical to the standard parts (e.g. have the same type, size, hardness, weight, material etc.), are used in the same location, and provide no performance benefi t Rule 13.2F Alternate steering wheels are allowed, provided the outside diameter is not changed by more than one inch from the standard size. Steering wheels with an integral airbag may not be changed. Get a factroy wheel that can accomidate the airbag and all is good.

You seemed to have overlooked part of the rule quoted.

Steering wheels with an integral airbag may not be changed. That does not mean that you just have to keep the airbag if it came with one that means if one came with an airbag you can not replace it with anything except for the same wheel. The wheel is available from mazda IIRC but is ~$500

My reading on that was that a wheel with an integral airbag can not be changed to a wheel without an intergral airbag.

Under your reading of the rule it seems that the wheel can not be changed even if that change is to replace it with a $500 new non-leather wheel.

Much of my argument hinges on the end of 13.0
"...and provide no performance benefit"
I also argue that after 16+ years a wheel becomes a normal replacement part.

Interesting, this may be one to send to National for a ruling.

I also think there's a noticeable difference in performance for two reasons.

1. Performance also includes reliability of the part. You can't cryo-treat transmission gears for the same reason. It deteriorates, and that's part of the negative of running an R-Package :).

2. It can't be changed to anything other than an identical part. This doesn't fall under C&C for teh reason I gave in case 1.

I would expect it to say something about airbag functionality must be maintained if you could replace an airbag wheel with another airbag wheel.

Replacing it with a new non-leather wheel is not a change of the wheel it is still the same wheel.

I did it on my miata that is prepped for STS (leather package would be illegal as it means torsen) and I think somewhere in the rules is a comfort and convenience rule IIRC.

Considering that you could wrap your wheel with a leather cover and be legal I really doubt that it would be that bad (then again, if he runs nationals with it, some of those people are nazis)

BTW, did you call planet miata and see if they might have a non-leather one?

Yes, they're long out. Again, I don't think it falls under C&C....

So, you can self leather wrap a base wheel and this would be considered Comfort and Convenience?

Can you self wrap a leather wheel with a DIY wrap kit?
Once done with a DIY leather wrap kit you would not be able to see that it started as a leather wheel.

A leather wrapped wheel does NOT fall under C&C. It's been tried. Shift knobs also. And seat covers. None of those are legal in Stock class. They are all considered driver's interface with the car and MUST remain stock.

When I did the base conversion to my '91 I bought one from R-Speed. They owner took it off his new car when it had 200 miles on it and it had been sitting on a shelf in his shop for 15 years. The craze to do base model package conversions hadn't hit yet and I was able to buy it cheaply. Today, all I've seen are worn out wheels for way too much cash.

If you really want a decent wheel, spend the $408 and buy a new one from Mazda.