Lagondaforum

Subject: Re: Restoring M45 steering wheel

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Whew ! I will have to relay this info to the judges at Pebble Beach if they want to deduct points ! LOL Thanks Laurence !
I also had the steering "tube" chromed on the advice I got on this forum but of course have now seen many others that are just painted ! To think I am just at the preliminary stages of my restoration. I do like the look of the chrome and it is properly triple plated. I have the article in "The Automobile" on Sir Malcolm Campbell's blue M45 but there are no engine or interior shots . I am curious to see what they did with chroming on that beauty.

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Subject: Re: Restoring M45 steering wheel

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Hi Barry,
It seems chrome finish was a bit pick'n mix at Lagonda. On my LG6, some of the carburetter rods,links etc are chromed, and some aren't. Famously, when finances were tighter than usual, you got painted lamps instead of chromed ones. Yes many years have passed since 1939, but these are parts that don't normally need renewing.
The two rocker cover nuts are nickel plated, whereas normally they are chromed, I think. No trace of chrome at all, so I feel unlikely that it's been polished or worn away. In which case, nickel finish in such a prominent area would surely have appeared incompatible with chrome elsewhere under the bonnet. Interestingly, the arms of both these nuts are drilled at their extremeties for locking wire, which I would associate more with a car intended for competition/racing. Perhaps simply more evidence of fitting simply what came to hand!
Laurence