If they are chrome you might as well buy new since it will cost more to rebuild them than to buy new. But if they are painted like mine? Yes they are rare! Can't give you a price as I have not seen a set for sale in a long time!
They are local and look good Trying to see if they are worth 250.00 each because of rarirty with that bolt pattern
I have 2 sets. I see them for sale pretty often these days. They do not have the lip for the beauty ring so most folks don't want them. I have seen them for 75-150 bucks each depending on quality.
I sold a set of four original '32 Chevy 17" wire wheels with chrome caps with the old Chevy logo for $1,100. without any haggling. That was last year. The paint was a light yellow and in very good condition. Normbc9
I bought a set that had the rings welded in to accept the early Ford hub caps, with the caps and good tires for 400.00.
The painted wheels were a factory or dealer option in the 50s but were only available in the smaller bolt pattern for Dodge Plymouth and were rim laced as I show above. They were not chromed then stripped and painted. The wheels that he is looking to buy are from the 30s not the 50s and they were all painted back then
You can get very nice repops for 1500-2000, the higher priced are SS spokes and in some cases SS nips. Try Wheelkid, or Wheelsmith.
MoPar did not offer wires in the 40s so unless that are late 20s that puts them in the 30s Only the Chrysler and Imperials from MoPar had chrome wheels in the 30s
So are steel wire wheels that were not chrome to start with from a 20's Mopar or Dodge Did they have such a thing with a 4 1/2 " bolt pattern?
I just bought two 17" wires off a '32 Chevy last week at a swap meet for $20 total, no caps though. I have been looking for a while for two for the front of my '32 sedan. When he told me the price, I couldnt give him the money fast enough. Ya, they need to be blasted and painted... but $20 for 2 and they are good rims?
He said 15 inch!!!!!!! No OEM manufacturer used 15 inch wire wheels in the 30's. They must be an aftermarket upgrade type of thing like the General Jumbo was, or else they are 50's wheels. Either way, you need more info or some pics for us to be able to see exactly what you have, before we can say what they are worth.
I have a set of 16 inch, bent-spoke (40 spoke) wheels that look identical to my Ford pattern KH wire wheels, except that they have the 5 X 4.5 bolt pattern. They must be Dodge or plymouth, but I don't know which year. They are nice in original paint and cost $50 each 2 years ago. I think that they are probably Kelsey-Hayes wheels and not too common in 5 X 4.5" bolt pattern.
Check Coker or search maybe Wheel Vintiques. The wheels shown in the begining of this thread are probably Dodge as they are "lip laced". The Chryslers used a standard style lace pattern ( center laced). The lip laced wheels were also used on 50's T-birds. Depending on the car, the lip laced wheels came on smaller cars so they were inset more like a '54 Dodge. The hubcaps are the main difference.
The lip laced wires you see on little birds came out in '62. They were such a hit with the Bird crowd that (according to what I was told by a member) the Vintage Thunderbird Club considers them "correct" on 55-57. (I may not have the club name entirely correct) I have them on my 57 Fairlane, had them on my 62 bird and had them on a custom '70 Torino convertible in 1971. Someday I will scan pics of the Torino and post them (with permission as it is OT).