[ROVERNET - UK] Wheels

[Eric Russell]

I can't resist ;-)

My first Rover was a 2000 TC. I bought partly restored
and certainly driveable.  It had steel wheels with
stainless wheel trims.

I bought my first parts car.  It came with chrome
wheels (avoiding technical descriptions of what them
might be called ;-) which were interchangeable with my
driving car so I slapped them on. The chrome wasn't
the best.  
I bought another parts car (couldn't resist at
$100.00).  It had chrome wheels and a few spares. 
They were not that great either.  I did notice that
the chrome facing was riveted to the tire rims.  I
took a poor example along to the platers asking for a
quote on replating.  The wheels would have to be
separated by having the rivets ground off and then
re-riveted.  Who would re-rivet I wondered. Sounded
expensive.

In a Ruth Burgess and Art Baker connection, I came
across some excellent chrome wheels. They required a
larger diameter wheel stud then I had.  However, Ruth
found four large studded hubs for me.  I removed and
refitted the old hubs with the new ones.  Now I had
shiny chrome wheels that look great.  As time passed,
I was lucky enough to be offered more nice wheels
(some better than others) [the large stud version].

I restored another Rover 2000 TC and came upon another
design of wheels such that I could make up a set and
have one for the spare.  These had the basic steel
rims but an aluminum casting was riveted to the
wheels.  They had imitation spokes as part of the
casting with black matte paint accenting the "spokes".
 They were not magnesium but aluminum. I hate to
venture if they had a name.  They looked nice on the
car which ended as my daily driver.

Naming the chrome wheels has not been one of my
strengths.  However, at an ABFM in Washington State in
2004, Larry Williamson (of this village)was parked
behind me.  We had a discussion about the chrome
wheels and we walked between the two cars as he
pointed out the difference between the two types of
chrome wheels we had.  I look to Larry as an expert in
this field.  His car had the original Rover hubs with
the studs which accepted the stock steels wheels with
SS covers.  My car had thicker diameter bolts on the
hubs.

Anyway, the discussion has been interesting.  

Eric


--- Glen Wilson <rovercar at comcast.net> wrote:

>
http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/rovercar/nadatc/nada.htm
> 
> If you go to the above address, we have a brochure
> from the NADA TC 
> which was the first TC offered in the USA. I believe
> this was from 1967. 
> It shows two optional wheels: the Magstar and the
> Magnum 500. 
<Major Snip>



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