It must be about 6 weeks ago that I decided to treat my wee Abarth 124 Spider to a new, and I suppose some would call expensive and not needed, steering wheel. You see, I got my eye on a company called Guardian Designs, who are based in Poland and loved the look of the steering wheels they offered.
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| Guardian Designs Steering Wheel Abarth 124 Spider |
The wheels can be customised, and all you have to do is select the style of steering wheel that you would like, then go through the process of making it your own. There are lots of options from different materials like nappa leather, perforated nappa leather, alcantera, etc. Then there is thickness, grips, colours, and the list goes on.
I chose a Corsa D design, which has a flat bottom, and specced the wheel up with a chunkier size, opting for the GT at 120mm, alongside thumb rests. I also went for Sports Ferrari red stitching with a red Ferrari Noon marker, and the wheel is done in black Nappa leather in a seamless Pagani style.
Oh, and I also requested that the steering wheel spokes be painted a silk black, which came at an extra cost, but in my opinion was well worth it.
Beautiful stitching and finish
I know the design will not be to everyone's taste. I wanted something that looked pretty minimalist, so that is why I didn't go full on bling, with various materials and colours.
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| The black fins of the spokes makes a huge difference |
Checking the steering wheel out, the finish is amazing. The one piece of leather wrapping the wheel is perfect, and the stitching looks fantastic. The wheel does feel a lot fatter than my original, so it is going to take some getting used to. Hard to tell at the moment how it will feel on the car, as I am waiting to get someone to fit it. So at the moment I have just sat on the sofa and pretended to drive my car, holding the wheel, obviously making the necessary "Broom Broom" noises of my Abarth.
Just a little more info. As mentioned, the steering wheel took about 6 weeks to arrive. I didn't have to send in my own wheel. The time frame is so that all the custom work can be carried out. Communication with Tomaz over at Guardian Designs was excellent; he answered all my queries, and I paid by PayPal with no problems for the extra work and the painting of the spokes. I was kept updated on the expected delivery of the package coming via FedEx, and when it arrived, it was very well boxed up, with protective foam and a cover over the wheel. Basically, all that is required is the old wheel to be removed and the new one plugged in and positioned and tightened into place. I have been advised as the splines are so fine on the steering wheel that I will need my car aligned.
Boxed up well 
Wheel is protected with a cover 
Foam on the wheel rim to prevent it getting damaged
Once I get the steering wheel in place, I shall post some more pictures and be able to offer my thoughts if I have made the correct choice in getting the thicker rim.
Oh, and I thought I would also mention something else to do with my Abarth. After having her serviced, the mechanic mentioned some of the suspension bushes were wearing and could do with being replaced. I wasn't expecting the shock I got when I started researching just how many of these bushes there were, and just how much the job would cost.
So after having my car down to Mazda Dudes at Darlington (The Abarth is on the same design as a Mazda ND, and these guys know their stuff) and discussing the options, I came home and started looking into replacing all of the bushes, both front and rear. Initially, trying to find a complete kit was a bit of a ballache. Fiat/Abarth, from what I hear, tries to tell you that the bushes in the rear hubs cannot be replaced, and reading on forums, some people have been quoted absolutely astronomical prices to replace the hubs with new ones, something in the region of £2500, then the labour to fit them.
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| Example of Poly Bushes |
Anyhoo, I have discovered a company called Polybush.co.uk, and they appear to have front and rear Poly Bush kits. The price is just a shade of £850 for both kits, and then of course I will have to sort the fitting out, hopefully with Mazda Dudes. As I intend to keep my wee Abarth, I figure it's money well spent. Now, just need to save up a bit more, wonga.
