What to do about wheels was the next problem I had spent a great deal of time trying to decide what they should look like,

I favored spoked wheels because of the look, but due to the hubs I was using it proved to be impossible so it would have to be solid wheels with wheel trims they would look period and more than be able to take as much torque as I wanted . I did find a company that could supply steel rims but I thought that the price was far to high and decided that I would continue looking.

  About a month later I was delivering some R R Merlin engine spares that I had sold to a man and I just happened to mention that I was building a special and wanted some wheels at which point he said that he had got five new old stock 20 ins x 6 ins rims in bare metal  that had laid at the back of his workshop unloved for at least twenty five years if they were of any use to me.

     On inspection apart from a small amount of surface rust they were unmarked and what was more important they were undrilled, and surprise surprise he wanted exactly the same amount of money for them  that he owed me for the engine spares. I shook his hand we had a cup of tea and  I made my way home very pleased with my self.

         It hay be a good time to say that  about this time I adopted a family motto, It sounds a bit pretentious      but I think its  apt.

                                MELIUS    ESSE    FELIX    QUAM    DIVES            Better  to  be  lucky  than  rich.

     In fact all the way through the build and the rest of my life really, I have all ways been lucky , it seems that just when I have a problem or need something that I cant get my hands on the phone will ring or I will be introduced to someone who will say I have got one of them at home I never use give me a drink and its yours. Happy Days.

       Tyre's tubes and rim tapes were a lot easier to source , I purchased five 20 ins X 6.50  7.00 from Blockley Tyres  and they were delivered in less than a week.     

    As I was using the original hubs the best thing was to cut the wheel centers out of the 16 ins wheels then all the hole centers would be correct and the wheel nuts reusable. I set the centers up on the lathe  and turned the o.d. true ,the next job was to have five huge washers lazer cut and tack weld them to the old centers they could now be placed inside the new rims and packed up and down , to get the  correct offset to make everything true and flat. Then  all five wheels were fully welded and dressed before I set about spinning the aluminum wheel trim discs ,never having done this job before I spent a bit of time on utube and book research to see how it was done.

   I started by turning a glued stack of MDF to the diameter and profile I wanted ,in the mean time I had 8 x 18swg aluminum discs lazer cut with a 2 dia hole in the center to the largest dia I could fit in my lathe.

    These I held in position with a 2ins plug under pressure from the tail stock, I then gently forced the aluminum against the form with a piece of hardwood and hey presto wheel trims.  I made and fitted inner aluminum trims as well purely because I found the look pleasing.

Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the process as I was enjoying what I was doing and I forgot too take any.

   All that was left to now was fabricate false hub extensions to carry the wheel trims before the wheels went off for blasting and powder coating, as soon as they were back I had the tyres fitted and balanced then I bolted them on and I had a rolling chassis at last.

    The springs I used were a set of one ton Land Rover springs with the front on the back and the  rear on the front because it suited the weight distribution better,  I made the spring hangers to suit.

    Next I was going to sort out and build  the transmission train  and the road gearing so more reading and research .