[Marshall V. Daut]

Here's another off-the-wall idea: The spokes of the Model A steering wheel are metal coated with soybean or plastic. If you removed that coating, you could heat the exposed metal arms at their bases near the hub and bend them downwards to make the steering wheel dish-shaped like a Model T steering wheel, with the hub now being the highest point. Wrap the hub and rim portions with wet cloths while heating the bases of the spokes so that they won't get hot and melt. Afterwards, just sand and spray paint the steering wheel spokes and hub to match. By doing this, you would gain maybe 2-3 inches clearance, yet still be able to use the hub of the steering wheel for the light switch rod.
Marshall