Horn Caps

Q: Horn Caps

I have a horn cap with a black background and a red Firebird (Aztec style) in the center on my 1968. My question is: is this an original item (perhaps some kind of “deluxe” interior option) or is it an after-market accessory that has no connection with Pontiac. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

A: Sounds like a cap on the 1969 wood grain steering wheel (admn: wrong answer). Is it sunk into a vinyl cap with three prongs? Is the cap black? Mine got chewed by rats. I have a red one to trade.

A: You have your years mixed up. The 1969 wood “custom” wheel used a cap similar to what you’re describing, but has a black lucite disc with “PMD” across it like the black Rally II wheel center caps. The 1968 wood wheel used a very different center cap that I think was pot metal, with a green lucite center and the Pontiac arrowhead emblem (I may be thinking of the one on 1967’s or full sized 1968 cars).

The cap that is described in the question sounds exactly like the 1968 “deluxe” wheel, a 3-spoke plastic wheel that’s rather attractive, but many discussions hereabouts attest to their persistent cracking about the center hub area, even on NOS pieces. It is actually not a “horn cap”, but just a beautifully styled center cover for the wheel attaching nut, while the 3 spokes each have a thin rectangular horn button set in a satin finished metal.

If your center cap is indeed the 1969 style and is red, that’s pretty rare. I have a black one I’d like to trade for a gold to go with my gold leather interior. I might also take a gold vinyl 1969 wheel for it, the regular “deluxe” one that seemed to be standard on all 1969 Pontiac’s.

A: On reading the parts book, I learned that there were 29 DIFFERENT Firebird steering wheels listed for the three years, NOT COUNTING the 3 different WOOD wheels, one for each year. There were 2 different SIZED wheels used in 1967, a 16 inch, and a 16-1/2 inch; no reason given as to why. The 1967 and 1968 standard wheels shared a couple of common colors in the 16 inch size.

Every time I dig in this 7/1/69 parts book it seems I learn something unexpected!

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