Porsche 911 Carrera (993)
The upgrades continue with a new yet classically styled steering wheel
SINCE FITTING THE NEW LIGHTWEIGHT wheels to the 993 (evo 276) it has sadly not moved an inch, due at first to the lockdown and then the flurry of work activity as the restrictions eased. However, I have firm plans to test the new set-up on some of evo’s favourite roads very soon, so I’ll report back on my finding shortly.
Like many petrolheads I’m sure, I used lockdown as an opportunity to give the 993 a full polish and tick off some small jobs. But I soon found I needed a bigger job to keep me entertained…
Something I had always thought about doing was changing the rare Ruf steering wheel that was fitted to my car. While I think it’s the best-looking period airbag steering wheel option available for the 993, I’ve never been entirely happy with how it feels in your hands. It dishes away from the driver, making it awkward to get a comfortable grip upon.
Choosing a replacement didn’t require too much searching for once, as Momo’s timeless designs have always appealed to me, and I quickly fell in love with the company’s Prototipo wheel, remembering how good it both looked and felt when photographing a Singer 911 a few years ago.
The Prototipo is 10mm smaller in diameter than the Ruf wheel at 350mm, and being airbagless also saves 3kg. It’s wrapped in real black leather with white stitching that complements the 993’s white dials, and to finish off the look I chose a black leather centre horn with an embossed Porsche crest.
Fitting a non-airbag steering wheel and getting it to work correctly on a 993 is not the simplest of jobs. You have to make two new wiring circuits, and as someone who is not completely confident when it comes to wiring diagrams I was relieved to find helpful instructions on the web.
The first job was to add a resistor to the airbag circuit to stop the warning light staying on; the second was to relocate the horn cable and fit a connection to allow it to work with the new set-up.
This meant taking most of the steering wheel surround to bits to get access to all the necessary wires, so wasn’t the work of a moment.
With the wheel eventually fitted, my hope that it would look perfect alongside the ’90s-style interior was realised. But the real moment of truth came when I reconnected the car’s battery to discover if my wiring was up to standard. Much to my surprise, everything worked perfectly first time, which was obviously a very pleasing result. Well, until I realised it meant I no longer had an excuse not to work on the house…
Date acquired April 2016 Total mileage 85,247 Mileage this month 0 Costs this month Momo wheel £221, Momo boss kit £59, leather horn £50, cables £13 mpg this month n/a