My Pull-A-Part Steering Wheel Swap!!

HobieMarty · 05-24-2022, 05:43 PM

Some of you may have been following up on my Pull-A-Part adventures lately. Well, today I changed the steering wheel in my 2000 Lexus RX300 and I am super happy with the swap!!! I also changed the steering column covers from brown to the black ones that matched the steering wheel, and while I was removing panels, I changed the burned out bulb for the ignition light, lol, ah the little things...
I still have the shifter to change out but that will be for another day.
Here are a couple of "before" pics along with some "after!!!
I like the picture that I took through the windshield!!!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

JackDidley · JackDidley's Garage

Nice work. I really wish we had a pull a part here.

A930Rocket · 05-24-2022, 06:11 PM

Nice job. Looks good.

Bill Douglas · 05-24-2022, 06:36 PM

Yeah!

HobieMarty · 05-24-2022, 06:55 PM

Thanks!!! I cannot believe the difference!!!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

WPOZZZ · 05-24-2022, 06:57 PM

when are you changing the shifter?

Scott Douglas · Scott Douglas's Garage

Now that was a really worth while upgrade!
Nice work, it really ties the interior together.

RNajarian · RNajarian's Garage

Looking GOOD!

sc_rufctr · 05-24-2022, 09:48 PM

Well done indeed... The black/wood steering wheel looks a whole lot better than the original.

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Nice work, it really ties the interior together.

needs a new rug tho.. rubber floor mats perhaps

HobieMarty · 05-25-2022, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WPOZZZ

when are you changing the shifter?

I'll get to it in a couple of days. I've been having an issue with the OD cutoff. The wires for it go up through the shifter rod and into the knob. I haven't figured out how to disconnect the wires at the OD button. I have a diagram, and I have tried to remove the section of trim where the shifter buttons are. I can get it to almost separate but it just doesn't want to pop off and I definitely don't want to break anything. At Pull-A-Part I pretty much removed the whole shifter mechanism and was able to just cut the wires at the connector deep inside the mechanism. If anything, I can always just splice the wires as I left enough in case I needed to do that.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

HobieMarty · 05-25-2022, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svandamme

needs a new rug tho.. rubber floor mats perhaps

I plan to shampoo the carpet and I do have some tan rubber floor mats also.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

HobieMarty · 05-27-2022, 08:06 PM

Update: I installed the shifter today. There was no way to disconnect the wires at the OD cutoff button so I had to remove some stuff so that I could get to the wiring under the shifter selector. I was able to cut the wires, fish the new wiring down through the shifter rod, and splice the two blue wires together, using crimp connectors and shrink wrap tubing. I got it all back together and I am really satisfied with the look.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

porsche tech · 05-28-2022, 03:40 AM

Very nice…looks like it came from the factory that way!

HobieMarty · 05-28-2022, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by porsche tech

Very nice…looks like it came from the factory that way!

Thanks, that was the plan.

They did make wood and leather steering wheels and shifter knobs with the brown leather but I kinda like the black.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

oldE · 05-28-2022, 12:55 PM

You have far more courage than I.
Looks good.

Best
Les

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

I have two Pull-a-Part facilities close to me and I am there weekly.

I use car-part.com frequently. It's a site that tells you what bone yards you can get specific parts from and it tells you the distance from your house to the bone yard.

The yards usually have the mileage on parts like AC compressors, transmissions, engines, etc. They also list the condition. A, B, C quality as well as price.

Apologies if mentioned already.

masraum · 05-28-2022, 05:42 PM

Nice upgrades! The shifter looks like it was a huge PITA, but definitely worth the time (easy to say since it wasn't my time).

Scott Douglas · Scott Douglas's Garage

I agree on the amount of courage shown in those pictures.

I once replaced the heater core in a Mustang. That dash had to come out. I convinced myself I'd never undertake something like that again.

Your car looks great and I agree with going with the black instead of the brown.

HobieMarty · 05-28-2022, 07:10 PM

Thanks y'all!!!

Today I did a simple job. I thought the grill looked a little tired so I freshened it up with some Rustoleum gunmetal grey. I masked off the chrome surrounding the grill and trimmed the painter's tape with an x-acto knife for a clean edge. I also removed the Lexus badge from the center of the grill, it just had one screw. I think it came out pretty good. Funny thing, I had some old satin black and started painting it with that but the spray nozzle clogged and I couldn't get it to spray anything at all. I went to Walmart and they didn't have the satin black that I was using and then I saw the gunmetal grey and thought it was actually close to the original color. I think the gunmetal grey was the right choice of color and goes well with the mica green exterior.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk