Project FD RX-7

[Goodspeed]

I love it, except for one thing.  All these new OEM parts an restoring back to its original beauty...and you’re going to put a ‘04/‘05 Miata steering wheel in it? Just seems....wrong. Why not keep the whole interior OEM? I understand the intake, but a steering wheel is much more noticeable.

What's the OEM wheel look like? No airbag?

So the plan for the car has expanded a bit, from pure-(USDM) stock appearing, since the decision to go '99+ with the exterior.  One of the only major interior differences between the earlier and '99+ FDs in Japan was the updating of the steering wheel, and they used essentially the exact same wheel as the NB Miata.  I'll then be "updating" the interior in kind, and I think it's a great looking wheel, with no goofy huge early 90's airbag.  Another large benefit is that the USDM wheel is a rather large 380mm, and the '99+/Miata wheel is 365mm.  The difference that makes gets rave reviews:

I am absolutely giddy driving my FD now, I was always a little disappointed about the feedback received from the OEM FD steering wheel. I find that to be the biggest difference with the '99 spec wheel. Being smaller in diameter and thicker in rim, the change in steering feel is NIGHT AND DAY different. I have driven a good number of performance cars, and the only one that I think has better steering feel is the E46 M3 - and now, it's only winning by a hair!

vs.