Moto-Lita: Success!

Paul4223

Paul4223

Gold forum user
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159
Special thanks to Warren, Gene, and Randy for all kinds of helpful info. I did not lose the dreaded, threaded adjuster bolt and the Tiger was not harmed during this install. The emblem in the center comes close to matching the one on my old wood shift knob. I can easily go back to the original wheel if I ever decide to do so. And, yes, the horn works perfectly. The supplied Moto-Lita boss (hub) 30H, has more than enough room to accommodate the adjuster bolt. I put a large washer on the rod and double-nutted the thing in order to tighten enough to lock the adjustable feature.

I freakin' love this wheel!
 
A pleasure

to have been able to be of service. Great looking wheel, my first choice when the I get tired of my stock wheel.

It's funny how the hunt for the part the fix to your specs and then the install can be so much fun. Glad you were able to steer around the speed bumps I had.
 
OUCH !

Paul4223 said:
Special thanks to Warren, Gene, and Randy for all kinds of helpful info. I did not lose the dreaded, threaded adjuster bolt and the Tiger was not harmed during this install. The emblem in the center comes close to matching the one on my old wood shift knob. I can easily go back to the original wheel if I ever decide to do so. And, yes, the horn works perfectly. The supplied Moto-Lita boss (hub) 30H, has more than enough room to accommodate the adjuster bolt. I put a large washer on the rod and double-nutted the thing in order to tighten enough to lock the adjustable feature.

I freakin' love this wheel!
Click to expand...

Briefly put one on TAC 009 while it was here, but caught my little finger in the slot while playing on a winding back road. :eek:
 
Warren said:
to have been able to be of service. Great looking wheel, my first choice when the I get tired of my stock wheel.
It's funny how the hunt for the part the fix to your specs and then the install can be so much fun. Glad you were able to steer around the speed bumps I had.
Click to expand...

Warren:
Thanks, again, I greatly appreciate it. If you had not made the post about the disappearing threaded rod, I might have had the same unfortunate experience.

This project was indeed great fun. First, deciding on the style wheel- I considered Nardi- they are pretty- but simply did not want to put an Italian wheel on my British car. Second, finding a semblance of a "deal" ( But I forgot to factor in Pay-not-your-Pal charges for "converting" USD to GBP), studying the Workshop Manual text and illustrations, a few emails back and forth to Gene and Randy, a phone call to Warren and then Paul Reisentz, a couple trips to Ace for fastener bits, and a couple of "leaps of faith" after taking a deep breath prior to leaping.

Now I'll do some minor cosmetic repair of the bake light on the original wheel, and securely store it for a future custodian. Reverting back to OEM wheel for me is as likely as global cooling.
 
Paul,

Glad to have been able to contribute. Looks stunning! And thanks for letting us share in your success.:D

Gene
 
Paul,

I'm going after the exact same set up you have for my 66 1A. Can you give me any tips or pitfalls I need to avoid? I plan on ordering from Moto Lita as well.

Another question...is yours a 14 or 15"? I'm tall so looking at the 14" version.
 
Is that one of the hubs and horn pushes supplied by group44lotus on ebay.. or you bought direct from Mota-Lita in the UK?
 
moto-lita

is there a difference between the products sold by the two suppliers?
 
CLGTiger said:
Paul,

I'm going after the exact same set up you have for my 66 1A. Can you give me any tips or pitfalls I need to avoid? I plan on ordering from Moto Lita as well.

Another question...is yours a 14 or 15"? I'm tall so looking at the 14" version.
Click to expand...

My biggest concern when removing the original wheel and installing the Moto-Lita, was making sure the threaded adjuster bolt did not slip into the steering column. I secured it as best I could using wire as well as ties. (thank you, Randy) I did not "lose" that long rod/bolt.

I did have to buy a large enough deep socket to fit over everything. Fortunately the local ACE hardware store had one for about 10 bux.

Once the original wheel was off, and the new Moto-Lita boss or hub was in place, it was a simple matter of running the horn wire, positioning the steering wheel, double-nutting the threaded rod, and pressing in the new shiny horn button. Since our cars have the adjustable steering wheel position, I tested a few positions before securing the new wheel. I opted for all the way down the column because it fit nicely with my "body-type". My wheel is 15" and it's perfect. 14" might be a better size for a larger human being. I'm 5'10" and weigh about 160. FWITW.

One last thing, I tried to position the wheel with two spokes precisely horizontal, and the third spoke at 6:00 o'clock. The tires appeared to be absolutely straight and I proceeded finish the install. Sitting, it was fine, but the first time I drove the car, I realized that there was enough play in the steering mechanism, that the two spokes are not absolutely horizontal as I go straight down the highway. I have decided to leave well enough alone and "live" with this for now. I'm happy everything is working as it should.

Hope this helps.
 
michael-king said:
Is that one of the hubs and horn pushes supplied by group44lotus on ebay.. or you bought direct from Mota-Lita in the UK?
Click to expand...

Michael:
I purchased all parts from Bryan Jones in the UK who has an eBay store. They are all Moto-Lita parts. I was referred to Mr. Jones by our Tiger Brother
cadreamn67 .

Jones was great to deal with and supplied me with numerous emblem options for the horn center. He assured me everything would fit properly and it most certainly did. I have no affiliation with Bryan except as a very satisfied customer.

http://www.classiccapsule.com/moto-lita-steering-wheels--bosses-129-c.asp
 
Paul,

Thanks for the info. Interesting store.. seems to be a decent re-seller.

The reaosn i asked about the hubs was that i see lots of people reselling hubs and wheels in the states on ebay and wonder why people dont just buy direct from the factory in the UK from their web store.

Your wheel looks great. :)
 
classicsteeringwheels

Hi Paul, I bought two mota lita 14" dished wheels and hubs from Bryan and was pleased also.

His prices were better than the alternatives and he did everything he said he would.


Bob J.
 
michael-king said:
Paul,

Thanks for the info. Interesting store.. seems to be a decent re-seller.

The reaosn i asked about the hubs was that i see lots of people reselling hubs and wheels in the states on ebay and wonder why people dont just buy direct from the factory in the UK from their web store.

Your wheel looks great. :)
Click to expand...

Hi Michael:
Thanks for the words of appreciation about my wheel. I love it! Some bling is my thing. :)

RE: pricing. I did not do exhaustive research but I did get a bit of a "deal" on the wheel itself because it was one of Jones' samples. The hub (boss) and the polished horn button were full price. Bryan saved me some money by shipping the hub and the button in the same box. What added to the total cost was PayPal's policy of charging for currency conversion, as if they don't make enough money as it is.

Unless one comes across "the Moto-Lita Deal of the Century" it's likely that their kits will cost more or less the same, no matter how or from whom you purchase. There were a few Moto-Litas with the proper hub on eBay USA at the same time I purchased mine from Jones, and comparatively I did save a few "quid." :) On USA item sold for substantially more than what I paid.



Paul
 
A Sweet Steering Wheel Related Story

Every July 4th our small community hosts a great classic car show. I've entered the Tiger for many years and always enjoy talking about the car and the comments people make, both good, bad, informed or not.

So this year the Moto-Lita was installed. At one point during the show a young boy and his dad passed by the car. I'm guessing that the boy was about 10 or 11 years old- he seemed fascinated by the Tiger and examined it closely. When his father started walking away, he called out: "Dad. dad, come back- look at this steering wheel!"

The moment made my day.

I hope the memory stays with that young man. Who knows? He may grow up to be another car nut- if he isn't one already. :)
 
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