Camaro Steering Box - Super Chevy Magazine

The Classical Resurrection certainly deserves a cool-looking steering wheel mounted to a tilt column-and it got one with this Budnik/ididit combination.

The Classical Resurrection certainly deserves a cool-looking steering wheel mounted to a t

It used to be that if you wanted to adorn your performance machine with creature comforts, you had to check the option box when you ordered the car, and pay a lot of extra money to boot. Upgrades such as an 8-track stereo, power windows, or a tilt steering column (things we take for granted today) all were plush-and expensive-add-ons during the early years of musclecars.

Fortunately, there are now aftermarket companies that make retroactively installing many of these sought-after options a relatively simple procedure. So, if your machine didn't come with A/C or power door locks, don't fret; you can still get what you want.

Recently, as we were readying the Classical Resurrection Camaro for its trip to the painter, we discovered that we didn't want to keep the stock steering column (which was broken) and its accompanying original steering wheel. No loss, though, since the factory job was a basic, non-tilt version that was desperately in need of some esthetical attention, as well as mechanical fixes. As for the steering wheel, a broken black plastic unit would have been an eyesore in our first-gen's meticulous cabin, anyway, so a new wheel was definitely in order.

The ididit tilt steering column comes complete with all of the necessary hardware to install it in a first-generation Camaro. We chose a steel, unpainted version and then had it covered with a couple of coats of black enamel. Adding a bit of class to the combination was this beautiful Budnik billet steering wheel, which came complete with the required adapter, a leather half-wrapped polished rim, and an ultra-trick horn button. Connecting the column to the stock steering box was a neat rag-joint adapter from Borgeson.

The ididit tilt steering column comes complete with all of the necessary hardware to insta

With that in mind, we got on the phone with the good folks at ididit to see what they suggested for a steering column. Now, as much as we love billet aluminum-in either the plain or polished versions-our first thought in making a choice was to determine what was best going to fit the style of the car. (As a reminder, the Classical Resurrection has been an ongoing buildup that was originally designed to imitate a late-model Z28's all-around performance and comfort for a fraction of the new car's cost.) Based on that, we chose to go with an unpainted steel tilt column that would fit precisely where the original did.

The ididit column came complete with a billet knob on the end of the turn signal stalk, a tilt lever, and an emergency flasher. It also came with a wiring pigtail that allowed it to connect directly into the factory wiring harness.

With the decision of what column to use made, we turned our attention to deciding what steering wheel would go well with the car. That was easy; with billet rolling stock from Budnik hanging on all four corners, it only made sense to use one of Budnik's popular billet steering wheels. Our choice: The Prism, a three-spoke classic design that features a black leather half-wrapped ring.

To make the connection between the custom column and the Camaro's stock steering box an easy one, we enlisted the help of Borgeson Universal Company. Their rag-joint adapter accepted the column's double-D shaft into one end and connected to the box's spline on the other. It was a piece of cake, as was the entire installation.

But the outcome of this install was more like a fine wine, as you'll be able to see by the accompanying photos. Check it out, and don't delay in upgrading to those options you've always wanted. As the old saying goes, it's worth the wait.

With our Camaro's dash still awaiting its trick array of Auto Meter gauges, pulling out the original column and wheel was a relatively easy task. After disconnecting the shaft from the OE rag joint, all that was necessary was to unbolt the column's hanger from the underside of the dash support. Three nuts did the job, and the column simply dropped in our lap.
With our Camaro's dash still awaiting its trick array of Auto Meter gauges, pulling out th
In order to keep all of the remaining pieces of the dash structure in place, it's a good idea to reinstall one of the nuts onto the stud that goes through the column hanger.
In order to keep all of the remaining pieces of the dash structure in place, it's a good i
This is the old factory rag joint. The toughest part of this install was removing the old unit from the splined shaft on the steering box. Once the retaining bolt was out, a few smacks with a hammer loosened it up enough to "wiggle" it out of place.
This is the old factory rag joint. The toughest part of this install was removing the old