My 1.5 litre SE version UK car is under restoration and I intended to strip the wire wheels for re-painting along with the bodywork. However, I’ve just taken some paint of a spoke (to see how easy it was to clean it up) and there looks to be rusted chrome underneath. Would the last production cars of the 1.5 liter SE have chrome spoke wheels out of the factory? I have only ever seen MK IV wire wheels either painted the same as the car body colour along with the rear brake covers, or some have been painted in silver (which I assumed was an owners update). Were Chrome wheels an optional extra in 1948, or standard on the SE ?
Certainly not standard. I doubt even as an option. It was early post war austerity and the MK IV sales brochure was not only printed in a very small formatt, to save paper, but it specifically said there wold be no variations from standard finishes.
And if you think about it. Chrome wire wheels were not that common then and if a buyer of anew car has cash to splash on chromed wired, one imagines he would have used it on a 2 1/2 or 1/2 litre car.
you need to be careful that chroming the spokes doesn;t cause hydrogen embrtittement. It can be de -embrittled just immediately after plating . but not later when the car is being driven.
There is a set of NOD SE 1 1/2 litre headlamp mounts on ebay at present.
Just worked on a couple more spokes on the Wire Wheels - not chrome at all as I first thought. Under the car paint, primer, and red oxide layer are well preserved and fairly bright steel wires. I’m going to strip them back and re-paint them to the body colour.
I don’t need any headlamp mounts thanks - just had mine re-chromed along with another 165 parts!!
Hi David.
Being a 1948 car I assume it doesnt have advance / retard controls on the magnate and has P80 instead of LBD166 headlights. Correct?
Q. In the boot area below the opened boot door is there a panel or material that stops items inside the boot falling into the spare wheel area?
Regards, Jordy.
Chassis 413158
There would be both
A strip bent about 45 degrees that sits under the floor panel and a strip of vinyl that is screwed to the top of the spare wheel cover and to the panel across the back, this mostly stops small items leaving the boot.
Ed is correct in his reply. The 1948 Mk IV 1.5 litre has Advance/Retard control on the steering wheel and the P80 lamps.
Although being a Special Equipment model, sold new in Australia, my 1 1/2 had LBD166 headlights, advance and retard and for some reason no evidence of the strip stopping items migrating into the spare wheel well or worse stopping the boot lid from opening.
BTW. I just sold this car this week. Always sorry to see them go.
Jordy.
Q.
Is it correct the brake drums were the same as the body colour?
Regards Jordy. (running low on cars these days)
Yes, they usually left the factory with brake covers same colour as body.
Yes, I noticed Ed’s photos too. I think he is just wanting to show off his alloy drums.
Peter 
Yes , if you’ve got it , flaunt it.
I put alloy backing plates on the blown cars as well , but you would n’t see them on a saloon.
I could paint them silver , I suppose.