EZ Electric Power Steering

Bowden Bodies (car-restoration.com)

Additionally, any existing steering wheel–mounted controls such as indicator levers and headlight dippers, including the steering wheel itself, remain untouched. However, so effective is this system that your car’s original, large steering wheel may no longer be needed in order to provide leverage — leaving the option of fitting an attractive replacement wheel.

The system is designed to give maximum assistance at low speed (or when stationary for parking manoevres), with that assistance gradually diminishing as the speed increases to a point where it is no longer detectable. The system’s ECU determines the level of assistance required via a speed sensor, this being inserted into the cable at the rear of speedometer.

Triumph TR6

It all sounds too good to be true, so we had the New Zealand agent for EZ Electric Power Steering systems, Alan Bowden from Bowden Bodies in Auckland, install one of these units into the well-used Triumph TR6 owned by Nzclassiccar’s publisher.

When we got the car back we were truly amazed with the results. There was no more avoiding tight, restricted-space innercity car parks and, as we’re all getting a little bit older than we really think we are, painkillers to ease the pain of stressed muscles or making block bookings with our local physiotherapist were no longer required.

In line with its reputation for being something of a bloke’s machine, Triumph’s TR6 is usually described as being a ‘hairy’ sports car. Well, no more — turning the steering wheel from lock to lock with nothing more than the tip of your pinky finger is now all that’s necessary to manoeuvre the TR into even the smallest car park.

EZ Electric Power Steering can be fitted to most types of classic cars — just contact Alan Bowden for a quote.