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J.B. Donaldson Sreering Wheels

J.B. Donaldson Company Phoenix Arizona
beautifully recast original steering wheels
we also design and manufacture custom steering wheels

J.B. Donaldson Steering Wheels

1937 Buick steering wheel recast in original ivory

Billy Gibbons' Slampala Steering Wheel
Customized early Chevy Impala steering wheel

The Slampala is a '62 Chevy Impala with custom oversized dash switches, an airbag suspension — and affectionately referred to as his "Anonymobile." ...From the driver's seat, you'll see a custom-molded steering wheel with matching, oversized dash switches, made by J.B. Donaldson using a technique developed for that famous "kustom," the Hirohata Merc.

Multi-spoke wheel -- totally custom steering wheel designed by JB Donaldson

1939 Ford Banjo Steering recast in custom color
Please call us for our fiberglass bodies ~ other available parts and current pricing 602 278-4505

2005 PPG / Street Rodder Road Tour |

J.B. Donaldson Company Pheonix Arizona
J.B. Donaldson Steering Wheels ~ Classic Hot Rods / Roadsters
2533 West Cypress Street ~ Phoenix AZ 85009
Tel: 602 278-4505 • Fax: 602 278-1112
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Billy Gibbons' Slampala

The ZZ Top guitarist's daily driver
Steve Temple / autoMedia.com

If you were a rock star, what kind of car would you drive? Anyone you want! And that's exactly the choice of Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, "that little ol' band from Texas." Seen in his music videos and magazine features, Gibbons' cars and motorcycles are very well known — Cadzzilla, Kopperhed, Eliminator, Hogzilla, Pearl Necklace and so on. Of course, most of these street rods and custom bikes are so extreme they're only for display. So, what are his daily drivers? Good question, because even though they're a bit more practical, don't expect the ordinary.

Take his "Slampala," for instance. From the outside it looks like a clean '62 with a stock Chevy V-8 underhood. "It's kinda my Anonymobile," Gibbons chuckles. (Though it's hard to imagine him not getting noticed whatever he drives.) From the driver's seat, you'll see a custom-molded steering wheel with matching, oversized dash switches, made by J.B. Donaldson using a technique developed for that famous "kustom," the Hirohata Merc.

Hirohata Merc - George Berris |
Also, in sharp contrast to the Tequila miniature hanging from the rearview mirror is a Madonna statue perched on the dash. Although Gibbons doesn't seem especially spiritual, given the earthy lyrics of his songs, he does like to give a nod to the Catholic imagery of the Tex-Mex Border culture, which also appears on his stage jacket and other personal items.

Gibbons came across Slampala during a late-night road trip across a remote region of Canada. He wandered into a truck stop at 2:00 a.m., and began thumbing through an Auto Trader. A photo of a lowered Impala caught his eye, and also the text, which read, "Must sell for hot rod project." He liked the sound of that, and after talking with the young owner, who was wide-eyed with awe at meeting one of his music idols, Billy gave him some tickets to a show after shaking hands on a fair sum for the car.