I’m sure you know, real wires and very expensive.

It’s likely going to be a challenge to find real wires for the early five lug Type 1 bolt pattern. even harder to find a wire wheel with close to the 48 spoke count for an original TD.

You might want to swap the drums for four bolt, which will make the search easier. You can also drill the five bolt drums, but I don’t recommend that, as your new bolt holes will be in unreinforced areas of the drum.

You can also use five to four bolt adaptors, although they may push the wheels out too far.

https://www2.cip1.com/acc-c10-6708/

If you really want to go crazy, you can also find knock off adaptors to bolt to your car, then use reproduction TD wires.

Lots of options, depending on the depth of your pockets.

You may know that wire wheels were an option on original TDs. The stock cars had steel wheels with a dog dish hubcap. Many of us have replicated that look with VW chrome moons, with reproduction TD hubcap centers.

Paul

You can drill (or have a machine shop drill) your brake drums to the BMC 4 lug by 4.5 inch lug pattern and then use Triumph TR2/3 bolt on hubs to mount the legit 48 or 60-spoke MWS wheels to your car.

That is what Roy did, and I did the same on mine. Our hubs were 4×130 late model VW hubs though, not your earlier wide 5s.

Given the bolt spacing differences, it should be easier with yours.

Here’s the caveat: Your wire wheels will add about an inch of width to each side. As our cars already have the tires out a little farther in each corner than an original TD, what will probably happen is, the wire wheel tires will stick out beyond your fenders.

Roy’s car was high-riding enough he didn’t care. Mine is lower, so I fixed it by sectioning my fenders and widening them to fit the wheels under them.

This was not a quick or easy job.

I blogged my journey and you can read what I did and how I did it, with many photos, starting here.

Then go here and keep reading.  (There are many posts about body work).

Be aware that if fiberglass modification is not your forte, your other options include narrowing the front beam—a 2-inch narrowed beam is available commercially—and narrowing the rear track, which on a swing axle car may be possible if you use shorter axles.

Good luck and let us know what you end up doing!