Toronado.org

Howdy, Has anyone here restored a rim blow for their Toro? Does anyone know where a new switch might be had? Lots of info for Ford rim blow on line but cannot locate any Olds/Gm info.

Cheers, Jim

Chazzer wrote:Howdy, Has anyone here restored a rim blow for their Toro? Does anyone know where a new switch might be had? Lots of info for Ford rim blow on line but cannot locate any Olds/Gm info.

Cheers, Jim

This has been a tough one for most of us. I spoke with somebody who has been trying to get theirs restored and the shops won't touch it. He's trying another one and we'll update this if he has any success... There are no replacement parts for the Toronado wheels, but I have heard tales of people who have adapted Ford's parts, but have no real information on how they did it.

I wish there was a better answer, as my horn rim is not so good too. Hopefully somebody will see this thread and provide better information.

I have a 1970 Mercury Marauder X100 with an orginal working rim blow and I have the my 68 Toro. I found this 68 tilt/tele column which I would like to freshen up and install. The wheel has a couple cracks and the horn is hard as a rock, the plastic laminate surround is also half gone.
I have tried to research what is needed to bring this wheel back. Their are places that restore the Fords, Mopars and AMC wheels, but the GM is the odd wheel out. I have removed the wheel from the column and have taken a good hard look at this wheel as compared to my Ford.
This is what I have discovered: The Ford wheel can be repaired because it has a 3/8 groove moulded into the wheel to accept the rim blow horn. The wheel was also made with the 3 spokes of the wheel to fasten to the rim of the wheel from behind the horn. This way the rim blow horn can be taken out of this groove with out any obstacles. This wheel was designed to be repaired if the horn part failed.
The Olds wheel is a 3 piece affair. It has the moulded steering wheel piece. It has a groove to accept a 1/2" horn. Then it is capped/ finshed off with a plastic laminate/acrylic piece that has the chrome strip and wood grain insert. This piece is snapped/pushed into a groove on top of the rim blow. Two of the spokes hook-up to the wheel from behind and also from the top of the horn. Meaning the horn has to be feed through these two pockets before it is set into place.
So, from what I can tell this wheel was never designed to have the horn replaced if it failed. The reason being is that you could probably never take that laminate piece off the wheel to access the horn for repair.

Does anyone know where a new switch might be had? Lots of info for Ford rim blow on line but cannot locate any Olds/Gm info....???

This is still an elusive one. Nothing new has been reported at this time.