70s Prototype

Momo Prototipo

Momo Prototipo

Yes, another one. What can I say? I’m addicted to steering wheels. I guess there are other vises I could have. Actually, there’s vices I’d LIKE to have. I’d like to be addicted to rare, vintage Japanese wheels – the kind that come in fours and get wrapped in rubber. I’d like to have a tire rack full of uber-rare wheels and rotate through them monthly, but I honestly don’t have the cash for that. I’d also not mind being addicted to old Japanese cars, but I don’t have the garage space for that.

So, steering wheels. Old ones. Like this one.

Nicely aged.

Nicely aged.

I'm not much older than it.

I’m not much older than it.

This is a Momo Prototipo from June of 1978. I’m about a year older than this wheel. (About half of you are now going “holy crap you’re old!” and the other half are saying “damn, you’re a youngin’.”) It might not be that old for a human, but it’s pretty well aged for a car part. This wheel is a survivor.

It was originally installed in a Dino 246 GTS. (insert drool here.) The owner had a ton of Dino parts on ebay and was apparently getting out of the game. He also had this steering wheel (no Dino horn button). I put in an offer. I crossed my fingers. A few days later, the wheel was mine.

This wheel also has a very interesting feature. Trait? Aspect?

DSC_4133

It’s really really small. 310mm in diameter. That’s… not large. The OEM NA wheel is about 370mm if I remember right. Most of the steering wheels in my collection are 360mm. 350mm seems to be the most popular size to put on a Miata judging by the message boards. And it seems like 99% of all Momo Prototipo wheels made are 350mm.

This one is 310. That’s really really small. I had never actually seen one this small. Ever! At the time of this writing, there’s a 2nd one on ebay in 320mm. If I hadn’t already purchased the one you see in the photos here, I’d probably be bidding on that one.

This wheel also features a nice, thick grip. The grip is my #1 beef with the Momo Prototipo sold today. It sucks. It’s thin and vague. I got my 2009 Prototipo and was all excited because I’d heard such great things about it. And over the course of a year, I slowly grew to… well, not like it. The grip on this 310mm model is only 1/4″ larger in diameter, but that really makes all the difference. It feels meaty to hold. It is easy to grab. It doesn’t immediately promote hand fatigue.

This wheel is lovely.

Installed.

Installed.

Black. It goes with everything.

Black. It goes with everything.

So. Let’s recap.

  • Old.
  • In a rare size.
  • With a nice, thick grip.
  • In decent shape.
  • And really really tiny.

The tiny size meant not being able to really see my Barcode gauges. The speedometer was cut off right above the odometer. The oil gauge was barely visible at all. I drove to work and back and had no idea how fast I was going around town. Everything from 10mph to 80mph was blocked.

I just installed them a few months ago, but now, my pretty gauges weren’t very useful. Something had to be done.

The view.

The view.

I designed a new set of gauges that very night. Something that would allow me to see most of the speed and rpm scale. Something simple. Something that would complement the design of the Prototipo wheel.

I call these gauges “Version Prototipo.”

Simple.

Simple.

Minimal.

Minimal.

I often type things like “this set of gauges took me MONTHS to design” and it is often true. But not this time. I put this set together in about 2 hours. I started out with my 1028 gauges and started simplifying. Everything that didn’t help with usability was stripped away.

Simplify. It echoed in my head while I clicked the delete button. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

Speedo

Speedo

I took note of exactly where I couldn’t quite see the rpm and mph scales on my previous gauges and rotated the scales on this set. Zero on both large gauges is juuuust barely hidden by the wheel. Those with smaller wheels might need a bit more rotation on each gauge, but this works perfectly for me.

I extended the scale a bit to make the tick marks nice and long. I added the yellow km/h scale on a whim, lifted straight from my GT-40 gauge set. Everything came together very easily and quickly.

Oil Pressure

Oil Pressure

I also lengthened the tick marks on the small gauges to be about as long as possible. This lets me see the oil pressure reading. Though I still have to dip my head a bit, it’s better than not being able to see it at all.

Tach

Tach

Last, I added the red zone. The orange/red is in homage to the Dino 246 gauges. I not only liked the style, I also was impressed by the dual-temp redline. This lets me rev into the orange and shift before the red.

I slept on the design. In the morning, I had nothing to change. I made the gauges up, and then took my little girl for a long drive in the mountains to test them out.

Night mode.

Night mode.

We drove about 200 miles. Lots of highway, lots of rural roads, and a 5000 foot elevation change over 14 miles. We drove, me and my daughter. We vroomed. We hiked and explored. We drove more. Someone constantly shrieked “SHARKA SHARKA SHARKA!!! BOOST!” though I will not share who it was doing the shrieking.

It was great! The wheel was great. The gauges were great. It was the perfect test drive for both of the new parts.

Version Prototipo.

Version Prototipo.

My plan is to keep these gauges around. Once another design appears in my head, I’ll remove these Prototipo gauges and put them in another pod. Then, whenever I put this small steering wheel back in Sharka, I’ll swap out the gauge pod as well. It’s not much work to do that. Maybe 15 minutes to swap one gauge pod with another.

By the way, the gauges are not yet in my store. They’ll be up for ordering probably this weekend. I’ll update this post with a link.

Sharka's Prototipo.

Sharka’s Prototipo.

This tiny Prototipo has already earned a spot in my permanent collection. It has such presence. It’s so enjoyable to hold. It lives up to everything I ever read about the Prototipo. I just love it.

I just wish Momo still made them like this.

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  • Paul says:

    Gorgeous. I love the Prototipo design and the smaller diameter suits it. Regarding the feel, I think it has changed over the production period. My dad owns two MG’s, both with Prototipos but one is ~20 years older than the other and they feel really different to hold. The leather changes with age, obviously, but it feels like it’s different underneath too.

    • revlimiter says:

      Agreed. My older Prototipo is a bit… squishy. Along with being thicker, it has a nice give to it. The new one I have doesn’t really have that. Just rough leather and not much give.

      I’m so glad I gave it a chance. Such an awesome wheel.

      • Garett says:

        Adam,
        Since you seem to be very knowledgeable in the subject, I was wondering if you may be able to assist me with a recent steering wheel find. I recently obtained what I’m sure is a Momo Cavallino that is in brand new, unused condition with nary a scratch on it, front or back. It currently lives in my Miata in front of a set of RevLimiter F1 style gauges with the vintage Mazda font.
        I digress…. the wheel has all the markings typical of a Momo wheel, but what puzzles me is that it lacks a date stamp on the back. The limited information I have found suggests that it’s of early 1980s vintage, however this is purely speculative. I’m told that this wheel is rather rare however I’m not too certain of that. I’m aware that this wheel has been discontinued for quite some time, but what I would like to know is during what period was this wheel available, when did the manufacturer discontinue it, and why would it lack a date stamp. Hopefully, you’ll be able to shed some light on the subject. Thanks very much.

        • revlimiter says:

          Not having a date indicates it’s pretty damn old. My Momo Master doesn’t have a date. It was supposed to have been purchased sometime in the early 70s. My Prototipo has a ’78 date.

          I’d guess your Cavallino is in the 60s to 70s range rather than 80s. It IS a highly sought after wheel. They go for serious money on ebay. I considered bidding on one the other week just because I’d never seen one under $200. They usually go for 5-600. Add a Ferrari horn button and you might get 4 figures in an auction with good photos.

  • Garett says:

    Oh, wow. 60s-70s range?!? I wasn’t expecting to learn that. I think I may have stumbled upon a unicorn! The best part is that unicorn cost me nowhere near what they go for from an ebay seller a few weeks ago. If it’s alright, I’ll email you some pics of it so that you can get a better idea.

  • Jeff says:

    Awesome wheel adam. It can be a bit euphoric stumbling upon vintage car parts. Reading this article tempted me to check the mfg stamp on the back of my wheel. Apparently, my personal steering wheel was made three years after yours (November 1981) and is the same diameter: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8492/8323735448_5686894e7a_b.jpg

    Keep up the great work!

    • revlimiter says:

      UGH. I’ve wanted that horn button for a while. Your pic is tempting me. Nothing stopping me from ordering one, I just haven’t for whatever reason.

      Also, GREAT wheel Jeff. Really nice! I’ve never had a Personal in my collection. I might have to look into them.

  • Keith Tanner says:

    I need to see Sharka in person someday. I’ve got a current Prototipo and really like it – I’ve run smaller diameters on my street cars in the past and I like the size. The solution of tweaking the gauges is a nice one, though.

    Here’s my unicorn(ish) wheel: a Martini Racing Momo that was originally in an Integrale. There’s a black deep dish version that I’m trying to resist…
    http://targamiata.com/images_lrg/martiiiiiiiini.jpg

    • revlimiter says:

      Thanks Keith! I have plans to bring Sharka to you. I’ve wanted to visit an FM open house for years now.

      And that wheel, damn. I admit, it’s one I’ve never seen. Good luck with the search! If you find one, don’t resist. 🙂

      • Keith Tanner says:

        Oh, that’s a picture of my own wheel, not one I’m looking for. It’s currently on the wall although it was on my street car until the vintage gauges went in.

        There’s a suede deep dish one off some Porsches that’s even harder to find, I had one on the hook but couldn’t justify the asking price at the time.

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