A man who used a metal pan to replace his steering wheel has been arrested and charged in Adelaide.

Police said they were called to Norman Street in the CBD just after 8:00am after reports of a man loitering in the street.

When they arrived he drove off in a red Mazda sedan and turned into the car park of a unit block.

Police inspected the driver's car and found the steering wheel had been replaced with a metal pan and the front number plate changed.

The car had recently been defected, was unregistered and uninsured, and its defect label was removed.

A 32-year-old Adelaide man was charged with driving unregistered, uninsured, driving contrary to defect, removing a defect label, altering a number plate and breaching bail.

He has been bailed and will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on October 11.

Police said the car was impounded for 28 days.