The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Can someone explain to me why a steering wheel is referred to as a ‘Rim Blow’. I have my own thoughts but it's better I ask. I purchased a 1970 wood one on ebay and it's in the mail. I think they are killer look'n. I'm going to restore it myself - somehow / sometime!

Anyways, I'm curious why this horn thingy runs the length of one of the spokes? As Image shows.

Don't worry! It is not some sort of homosexual fetish.

The rim blow wheel did not have a horn in the middle of the steering wheel.

Instead the rim of the wheel was in two halves with a soft rubber in the middle. You sounded the horn by squeezing the rim in your hand. This compressed the rubber center and brought two contacts (that ran right around the rim) together and sounded the horn.

They are rare because most people found the horn went off by accident all the time. Many dealers took the cars back and modified the wheel to a normal type horn arrangement.