Will early XK8 (1998-2002) steering wheel fit later 2003+ cars?
 

I'm sure this has been asked before but I couldn't find it. Will an early XK8 (1998-2002) steering wheel fit the later cars? There are a lot more wheels on eBay for the first gen cars. I see the airbag is different but the wheel and controls appear the same so hoping I can swap my airbag module over to the new wheel.

However, appearances aren't everything. Are the steering wheel switches the same or did they or their connectors change in 2003? Are the splines and mounting the same?

My 2006 Victory Edition had the all-leather wheel for a sportier look but the leather on ours has really worn off the top (can't believe how thin the outer layer was) and the wife has always wanted a wood trimmed one. I know the wood on the dash and console of the Victory Edition is a different/special type/color but figure I can re-stain to be close enough. After all, the wife wants wood and it's her car.

Thanks!
Doug

Or is there an aftermarket all-wood wheel?
 

Better yet would be if there was an aftermarket all-wood wheel instead of wood/leather mix. That is what she really wants, a more classic Jaguar looking wheel.

(I assume there is not since they didn't make enough of these cars and most buyers wouldn't do that).

A while back, purchased an all wood steering wheel from xk8interiors (web site appears to be gone in the last month or so) which is also myrtle products (web site still alive, long term producer of this type of product). Wheel is

https://www.myrtleltd.com/product-pa...steering-wheel

and is quite lovely on the car (below with replacement dash also from them in the background).

A caveat, I have had quite a bit of difficulty communicating with them, it has gone almost all one way and my messages remain unanswered even when I order from them. I have purchased from them three times in the past, and every time but one I passed money over the wall and product passed back about 6-8 weeks later. Right now, I have been waiting for a replacement part for months with no communication whatsoever. Product is lovely, communication is exceedingly crappy (hopefully just the covid times, but happened pre-covid too). Caveat emptor.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...cbe5f7e01c.jpg
Myrtle steering wheel, new dash wood behind it and on console.

From memory, the answer was that the wheels are broadly compatible, but there were some complications with the switch pack and associated connectors.

FWIW, you might be better off reaching out to one of the better known leather seat cover companies and ask for a properly matched leather covering. Worst case, you will have to send in what you have for proper duplication.

Appreciate that. I talked to a good local upholstery shop that has done some nice leather repairs for me in the past and they wouldn't touch it. Said customers never happy with steering wheel re-dos.

What she really wants is an all-wood wheel. I'm going to check with the British Auto Wood guy since want a shift knob anyway.

Update on myrtleltd. This thread reminded me to 'bite the bullet' and phone them instead of throwing emails. That was successful.

Good to hear. I decided to check with Saul at British Car Woodwork in Florida since I wanted one of his nice wooden shift knobs anyway, and his site said he did some steering wheels. He said he stopped doing those ~10 years ago since he is too busy with the other things he does. But he also shared this insight:Years ago, Myrtle Ltd. were called Burl Designs, and before that Autostyle. Autostyle used to do a real wood (veneered) steering wheel back then, but now they are plastic with some sort of reactive ink/stain process to make it look like wood. Just FYI.

Curious if your is actual wood or this process. Mainly because our car is a Victory Edition so has the lighter Elm instead of the darker Walnut (wife wishes ours had the Walnut...maybe one day I will swap it over and dump the lame nav for the classic 3 dials).

Fascinating question since one of the salvage parts people swears that all of the wood on the XK8/R models is ink/stain and they know a person with the original equipment (which seemingly cannot be fully true under any circumstance since I can see wood grain microstructure in the couple of bits I've played with refinishing, and it sands just like veneer).

All i can say is that it looks like veneer from the front and edge (what little can be seen). In fact, the Myrtle dash looks more like figured English Walnut burl than the original dash that had open wide sweeps of white that I have never seen in a veneer flitch. They also say it's matched walnut burl veneer on the web site

https://www.myrtleltd.com/product-pa...d-wood-kit-lhd

Of course, I'm not willing to cut into it to figure it out. On the other hand, it looks beautiful.

It may an idiotic question , but I can't help myself not addressing it
Since there was an option with carbon, instead of wood texture...
Do you like any of you- XK8 owners the idea of sporty look - like grip pad, flat bottom, led racing bar ??
It can be done directly customized on your wheel, but 4 spokes - doesn't look same sporty as 3pokes- still can be done to look much more sporty


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...7c060efb27.jpg

Hmm, in my car, this would look like 'aliens have landed' and there would be an interplanetary war between the interior and the wheel...

:icon_laugh:
Yes I know, I was asking for anybody else who maybe is having more sporty taste. I hope you don't mind-- I don't want to pollute your thread

No worries, not my thread, no pollution, just trying to keep interplanetary peace.