my grandfather rebuilt many of these old cars and they never had metal other than the hub and spokes of the wheel. if i were to reproduce one of these wheels i would use a hardwood. also you would want a piece of old growth that way the rings of the wood are tighter which would be stronger i think. you could also look at the aftermarket. they pretty much make anything for a model t that might be the same as your chevy in diameter. good luck mo
