License plate restoration

[JOJABOY]

Does anyone on here know of anyone that does license plate painting? I know the guy in Tennessee that runs FinishYourPlates.com However, I was wondering if anyone had a better turn around time?

[leddzepp]

I did my own, it's not that difficult. Here is a thread with some good tips:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=346538
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[JOJABOY]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

I did my own, it's not that difficult. Here is a thread with some good tips:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=346538
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I was debating trying it myself to see how it turned out. Worse case scenario, I send it off to someone. I have a new tag also. Georgia issues you a new tag that you have to keep in your glove box or under the seat when displaying pre-'70 plates.

[JOJABOY]

It didn't look too bad when I first put it on but it started rusting and would have gotten worse had I not pulled it off. So I stripped it down to see how it looked.

[JOJABOY]

@leddzepp Did you primer your plates first? I was thinking self etching then a light coat of filler primer. My plate was a faded or flat black with white lettering. I'm not sure what the correct finish would be. Being that I'm not a purist...I think I am going to go with a satin black with gloss white lettering.

[special-K]

I just did these on my '72:

[slow-1]

My 1972 NC plates have the retroreflective paint on them...anyone know where to find that kind of paint?

[TobyArnot]

I just recently bought this 1970 S.C. tag and have submitted my Y-O-M (Year of Manufacture) registration. According to the S.C. DMV, I should be able to run the plate and don't have to display the month, year stickers, just keep them with the truck. I think I'm going to fabricate a little "add-on" bracket to display them. I don't want to be hassled by some "gung-ho" Highway Patrol. Incidentally the "HB" designation was for 1/2 ton trucks.

[Hutch]

If you would like them powdercoated try boardmember Tx Firefighter
Kevin also has a web-sitehttp://kneeknockertruck.blogspot.com/
It says on his web-ste that he is mostly on Facebook these days

[JOJABOY]

Originally Posted by TobyArnot

I just recently bought this 1970 S.C. tag and have submitted my Y-O-M (Year of Manufacture) registration. According to the S.C. DMV, I should be able to run the plate and don't have to display the month, year stickers, just keep them with the truck. I think I'm going to fabricate a little "add-on" bracket to display them. I don't want to be hassled by some "gung-ho" Highway Patrol. Incidentally the "HB" designation was for 1/2 ton trucks.

Georgia has the same policy. I can display my vintage tag on the back as long as I keep my 2013 tag with month sticker inside the vehicle somewhere. It's in my glove box along with a print out from the GA DMV website explaining the YOM system for GA. I live and drive in California. Still haven't been pulled over yet. I'm sure some "new kid on the block" cop will grab me one of these days.

[JOJABOY]

Gonna have to ask TxFireFighter what he would charge to hook up a set of California black and yellows for me. I can only run the Georgia plates for 10 more months. Then I retire from the Marines and will have to get California plates. My plan is to go with YOM vintage CA plates and let my GA plate become a wall hanger in the garage.

[special-K]

I know TxFirefighter does powder coating,but not sure about doing lettering/sign painting type of work. Maybe he does,but those are two completely different skills.

[skorpioskorpio]

You know, by the time you change over to Cali plates you should be able to get new issue black and yellows or blue and yellows. The new ones will be reflective and not exactly like the originals, but then again it's not an original Cali truck. YOM or re-issues, you will still need to pay an annual fee for the privilege of either. At least initially, the YOMs are gonna cost you a lot more, especially if you want them clean and pristine, remember you also have to have an original year sticker on them. Also truck plate black and yellows are 1 letter 5 numbers, and I do believe that specifically '70 truck plates the letter is last and all other years the letter is first so that may matter for YOM, so check first. 1970 I belive is the last year for black on yellows on trucks and cars were already blue in 1970.

YOM plates need to be clean enough to be displayable to register, but do not take restored plates to DMV as they may very well reject them as altered. So if you want to restore them get paperwork in hand *before* you restore them. I personally think the reissues will mostly kill the YOM program at least for the blacks and blues, and maybe that is the point. The YOM program is kind of a big pain, and in the end you still need to pay an annual fee anyway.

My original CA black and yellows for my '70 Jimmy are at TagDr, ironically in GA, he specializes in California plates, though he does all states (non-reflective). He also did one of my bike blue and yellows. In a sense I am also paying an annual fee in that my Jimmy never required commercial plates and I pay a higher fee for them than I would if it had been registered as the passenger vehicle that it is. I'm betting the number of other Jimmys with original black plates is essentially... none, since there are no '69 Jimmys and registering it commercial was, well, just dumb. But because all the previous owners needlessly paid extra for 40 years I get cool plates.

I already have an NOS original issue month sticker waiting on them to return, not needed on YOM vehicles since you display the month and current year on either a tab or the frame. Before 1976 (so all YOM qualifying plates) only had year stickers that alternated side to side, original month stickers were red on white with background slashes, later and current ones are blue on white.

I personally find it sad that so many of these black plate trucks have lost them when they ventured east to fill the demand for early trucks in the lands where the iron termites live.

[skorpioskorpio]

Originally Posted by slow-1

My 1972 NC plates have the retroreflective paint on them...anyone know where to find that kind of paint?

I don't know any plate restorer that will touch reflective plates. Are they white background? I don't think reflective plates are painted, I think they are punched and stamped from material that is laminated with the reflective coating and then the letters painted over that. So what you would probably have to do is blast it clean and re-laminate it with 3M retroreflective vinyl film and then repaint the letters over that. Anything else is probably bait for getting in substantial trouble. I don't know about NC but in a lot of states altering plates will get you a job making new ones .

[JOJABOY]

Originally Posted by skorpioskorpio

You know, by the time you change over to Cali plates you should be able to get new issue black and yellows or blue and yellows. The new ones will be reflective and not exactly like the originals, but then again it's not an original Cali truck. YOM or re-issues, you will still need to pay an annual fee for the privilege of either. At least initially, the YOMs are gonna cost you a lot more, especially if you want them clean and pristine, remember you also have to have an original year sticker on them. Also truck plate black and yellows are 1 letter 5 numbers, and I do believe that specifically '70 truck plates the letter is last and all other years the letter is first so that may matter for YOM, so check first. 1970 I belive is the last year for black on yellows on trucks and cars were already blue in 1970.

YOM plates need to be clean enough to be displayable to register, but do not take restored plates to DMV as they may very well reject them as altered. So if you want to restore them get paperwork in hand *before* you restore them. I personally think the reissues will mostly kill the YOM program at least for the blacks and blues, and maybe that is the point. The YOM program is kind of a big pain, and in the end you still need to pay an annual fee anyway.

My original CA black and yellows for my '70 Jimmy are at TagDr, ironically in GA, he specializes in California plates, though he does all states (non-reflective). He also did one of my bike blue and yellows. In a sense I am also paying an annual fee in that my Jimmy never required commercial plates and I pay a higher fee for them than I would if it had been registered as the passenger vehicle that it is. I'm betting the number of other Jimmys with original black plates is essentially... none, since there are no '69 Jimmys and registering it commercial was, well, just dumb. But because all the previous owners needlessly paid extra for 40 years I get cool plates.

I already have an NOS original issue month sticker waiting on them to return, not needed on YOM vehicles since you display the month and current year on either a tab or the frame. Before 1976 (so all YOM qualifying plates) only had year stickers that alternated side to side, original month stickers were red on white with background slashes, later and current ones are blue on white.

I personally find it sad that so many of these black plate trucks have lost them when they ventured east to fill the demand for early trucks in the lands where the iron termites live.

My truck is a Cali native. Had lipstick plates when I bought it. I'm military so did the GA YOM since its only $20 a year aftet initial $26. I paid my $50 for new black and yellows before I switched to GA. But new black and yellowa aren't going to be embossed.
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[leddzepp]

The new issue plates aren't even going to be close to the originals they are supposed to represent. I doubt production will even get off the ground.
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[skorpioskorpio]

Where did you hear that the new plates weren't going to be embossed? That sounds kind of crazy. The samples on the CA DMV website certainly look embossed. I had heard they were going to be stamped on the same dies as the last blue and yellows which is the same as the standard red and blue on reflective whites, embossed state and plate number, and recessed sticker wells on aluminum, with reduced type width for 7 character plates. I knew they were going to be reflective, but if they are screen printed, I think there is going to be a lot of disappointed people who have preordered and waited a year for a plate only to get something that looks like a souvenir plate from some store in Disneyland.

BTW, if it had lipstick plates, how do you know it's a CA native? Those didn't come out until the mid '90s.

[JOJABOY]

The original sales paperwork was shoved in the springs of the seat. I rescued the truck from some people who weren't doing it any justice. It was red with black interior so I through the GA plates on it in support of UGA Bulldogs. LOL

I read about the new plates somewhere. I think the only way they can make them reflective is to screen print them. I dunno. Wait and see I guess. I think I am just going to break down and buy a set of restored, DMV clear plates and put my 1969 decal in the sticker well and register it back to CA next spring.

I'm still messing around trying to paint my Georgia plate. If it turns out good it will at minimum make a good wall hanger for the man cave.

[JOJABOY]

First coat of paint on the lettering. But it's coming along.

[eldogg]

Looks good. I have a friend that does tag restoration. He does amazing work for a REAL fair price. PM me if you need his contact info.

[slow-1]

Originally Posted by skorpioskorpio

I don't know any plate restorer that will touch reflective plates. Are they white background? I don't think reflective plates are painted, I think they are punched and stamped from material that is laminated with the reflective coating and then the letters painted over that. So what you would probably have to do is blast it clean and re-laminate it with 3M retroreflective vinyl film and then repaint the letters over that. Anything else is probably bait for getting in substantial trouble. I don't know about NC but in a lot of states altering plates will get you a job making new ones .

Thanks for the info...I will look into getting some retroreflective tape/film to use from a sign shop.

I wonder if they put the film on first, then stamp or the other way around when they make em...might need to call the prison and see.

I guess they would look ok just painted white..maybe off white to look like the retrorefective tape.

You have to have the current issued tag with you in the vehicle here in NC as well.

[skorpioskorpio]

I'm 99% sure they simply bought the sheet metal prelaminated with the reflective surface from a supplier and nothing else about the process changed, at least for early reflective plates. Most reflective plates when introduced were the same "stamp" as the non-reflective ones from a year earlier. It's probably as simple as calling the supplier and saying "hey you know that stuff you make for us for the speed limit signs, can you make that in thinner gauge?" and I wouldn't at all be surprised if you stop and get a good look at a freeway speed limit sign up close it has the same state watermark on it as the license plates.

Anyway there is high conforming retro-reflective vinyl for sign makers, several suppliers. You'd probably need to put it on with a heat gun to get it to conform to the state lettering, even with the high conforming. Better yet would be to apply it in a vacu-form though not something the average guy has access to. I know the plate restorers that I've talked to use a pin stripers / sign makers paint called "one shot" to paint the letters. Now all this is very interesting but I'm betting the more complicated it is to restore (reproduce/remanufacture...forge) a plate, the less innocent your intentions would be viewed by authorities. I imagine the line is pretty fine between getting a ticket, getting impounded and getting cuffed.

Just so you know I've dabbled in sign making, vinyl cutters and large carriage printers and automated metal stamping and vacuum forming processes, I find plates interesting but I'm not a collector or an authority outside of my own interest, but have researched a lot on plate history. That said, and the way state bidding procedures work, the way you would do this with as little waste as possible and preserve as much of the old process as possible is to prelaminate. I'm fairly certain that 90% of the plates are made on machines that were built before WW2 that have been hacked at over the years to make the product look more current. New processes tend to get approved under the idea that it's easy to implement and saves "the taxpayers" money.

[slow-1]

Thanks for all the info.

I will go by the sign shop at work (city sign shop, they make road signs) and see if they have any suggestions.

I have some old trailer tags, I may end up just painting one to see if I can get it looking like the original.

[JOJABOY]

My noble first attempt.

[67_C-30]

Looks great! I just had my restored '68 Alabama tag registered today. $4 to register and "good for the life of truck" said the clerk!