1913 touring wheel and rim color

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Topic author
MMorse
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Mar 27, 2024 8:54 pm
First Name: Mike
Last Name: Morse
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 tudor sedan
Location: Falmouth, ME

1913 touring wheel and rim color

Post by MMorse » Sat Feb 28, 2026 3:42 pm

I'm rebuilding the wheels on my 1913 touring due to loose spokes and felloes, as well as large cracks, etc. This caused me to wonder about the color of the wheels and the rims. Are the wheels the same as body color? Were the rims cadmium plated or galv, or were they also originally wheel or body color? I don't find anything about this in Bruce's book, but maybe I missed something. If you know the answer to these questions, I sure would be appreciative knowing.

Thanks,
Mike


DHarmon
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:17 pm
First Name: Dave
Last Name: Harmon
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1913 Roadster
Location: Maple Valley WA

Re: 1913 touring wheel and rim color

Post by DHarmon » Sat Feb 28, 2026 4:34 pm

Mike,
Wheels (Rims/Hub/Spokes) were painted body color. When I restored my '13 Roadster I asked the same question on this forum and Larry Smith sent me a bunch of photos of original cars that validated that they were painted body color.

Dave


Topic author
MMorse
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Mar 27, 2024 8:54 pm
First Name: Mike
Last Name: Morse
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 tudor sedan
Location: Falmouth, ME

Re: 1913 touring wheel and rim color

Post by MMorse » Sat Feb 28, 2026 4:48 pm

Excellent, Dave. Thank you very much! This makes painting the wheels much simpler. I appreciate your help.

Mike

User avatar

KWTownsend
Posts: 1521
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 6:51 pm
First Name: Keith
Last Name: Townsend
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: late 1911 touring, 1915 runabout, 1919 touring, brass speedster
Location: Gresham, Orygun
MTFCA Life Member: YES
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: 1913 touring wheel and rim color

Post by KWTownsend » Sat Feb 28, 2026 7:04 pm

And correct body color for 1913 would be midnight blue.


rickd
Posts: 500
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:56 pm
First Name: Rick
Last Name: Duquette
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1913 Touring, 1914 Touring(2), 1925 Touring, 1927 PU, 1955 T Bird, 69 Shelby GT 350
Location: Grand Forks, ND
Board Member Since: 2015

Re: 1913 touring wheel and rim color

Post by rickd » Sat Feb 28, 2026 7:54 pm

A little more info from Larrys' article about the 1913 car; He indicates the wheels were blue with a V stripe on each spoke and a single stripe on the felloe. Just in case you want to add more detail to your wheels.


Allan
Posts: 7264
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:21 pm
First Name: Allan
Last Name: Bennett
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 van, 1917 shooting brake, 1929 roadster buckboard, 1924 tourer, 1925 barn find buckboard, 1925 D &F wide body roadster, 1927LHD Tudor sedan.
Location: Gawler, Australia

Re: 1913 touring wheel and rim color

Post by Allan » Sat Feb 28, 2026 11:25 pm

I believe the rims were not plated , cadmium or zinc. They were painted when the assembled wheel was painted.

Allan from down under.

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