W_Higgins

Good catch! I used to have a copy of McCalley's book at my disposal and got lazy and never ordered one for myself. I ordered a new copy tonight. I had never noticed that before and am looking forward to picking it over when my new book comes in. Thanks for sharing that. Does the McCalley book have a picture of #68,400, or just specs?

Thanks everybody. I just thought that since the whole car itself is unusual, the wheels might have been part of a package. Are there any other instances of a Ford factory offering using different wheels? Perhaps in the DB days, things were less standardized. After rereading the paragraph with that car, it doesn't specifically say that Ford built those special Torpedos. Do any of you know if the car itself is a Ford offering, or if they were created by a different firm? Since the paragraph reads, "Note demountable rims, "special" equipment on these fire-department cars." -- that seems to be written with some authority that all ten of those special cars had the same wheels. I think from a speedster standpoint, that is one sharp design. It would be interesting to know more about its origin.

The vehicle in question (top photograph): They don't look like 30x3's, but they don't look like typical 21" either. Note, they have six lugs. I plan on making a replica one of these, so I'd like to be as accurate as I possibly can. Do you think it's a 21" with oval shaved spokes?

Thanks for the advice and the link, David. This is a new wheel and is nice and tight, but what you are saying makes perfect sense. For a dry, slightly loose wheel, would the preferred method be to soak in linseed oil, then apply the epoxy, thereby trapping it inside? I'm not a wood person, so I've always wondered what would be the effect if, what I would consider contamination, were soaked into the wood. You'd never get away with stuff like that on metal. Wood is a mysterious thing to me.

Thanks for the tips, Jan. This wheel has been rebuilt, so all the wood is new. It should make a good first piece on which to learn. What grit do you sand it with prior to continuing onto the paint portion of refinishing, 120, or so?

Hi, I placed my order this morning. The two gallon offering is the most economical buy, and I will probably use all of it eventually. I asked the seller for tips, and he said it is basically an apply-and-sand system until you get it as smooth as you want. Large cracks and open grain may require multiple applications. After that, you switch over to your preferred automotive primer and proceed just as you would with a piece of sheet metal. Again, thanks for your help.

Ah, that's it! Thanks so much. I was spelling it wrong. I seldom have trouble Googling things, so after all the searching I did, I just assumed the fellow with which I was speaking gave me a little misinformation, not knowing I was the one who created it. If it helps, based on what he said, after you coat the wood with Kwik Poly, just proceed as you would with painting metal when using your automotive paint. I'm anxious to see how this works. His wood bodied cars were gorgeous, and were painted some time ago. Again, thanks a bunch.

Hello, I need to paint a wheel with the same automotive finish (acrylic enamel) I've used on the rest of the body. Painting wood properly is something I have never been able to achieve, nor find information about. No matter what, it always seems to crack after it has been out in the sun a few times. I even suggested to a friend that he use flex additive, but that hasn't helped, either. I'm painting a wheel that has been stripped down to bare wood. It was once suggested to me by a '10 Buick / Reo owner (with very nicely painted wood) that the wood should first be sealed with a product called Quick Poly, but I cannot find it. Any suggestions would be appreciated.