VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION What did you do with your vehicle today? License Plate Restoration

I was lucky to find a nice set of plates for my year car several years ago and finally got around to painting. Still have one left to paint. The first photo shows one before and another after paint stripping. I then glass bead blasted them and primed. Next I painted the green background with a spray can (Mack Green) . After that dried several days I applied the white to the lettering with a small roller using a Q-TIP to clean any excess. The roller left the edges rough so I then sanded lightly and touched them up with a brush to get (fairly) clean edges. Not perfect but much less expensive than sending out and the only waiting time was for paint drying.

Nice!

Thanks Chip.The next step is to see if I can get them registered to the car. N.H. does allow YOM plate use as long as the same numbers are not in use.

Steve nice low digit plates!

Here in Massachusetts I run on all my early 30’s cars yes Chevys and Fords YOM plates!

Our RMV also needs to run the #s same as you state does!

We had to bring the 1 plate or 2 plates in for RMV to look at them plus they did NOT allow restored or repainted plates because that was NOT ORIGINAL.

Here we were also allowed to run one plate if we only had one.

Well now last November 2017 the MA State has a new RMV inspection system!
They have cameras and take pics of the VIN #/title # stamped in the frame, license Plates!

When I brought my 33 Ford Hot Rod in for a sticker the first thing the kid said that he could NOT give me a sticker because one of my digits was slightly faded!

For one I DO NOT LIKE TO RUN WITH NO STICKER! A lot of old antique cars plus Hot Rods DO NOT run stickers on their cars here in MASS.

So while I had my car up on my lift getting it ready for spring I did just the #s ONLY just to PLEASE the RMV inspection when I pull the car out.

Rory

The problem I had here in Ohio was that Ohio did not issue a 1952 plate, just a sticker for the windshield. They kept the 51 plate. The DMV computer would not accept it because it was not the current year for the car. After about three years of phone calls to Columbus the computer was upgraded and I got the 51 plates registered to my 52.

Here in NC i run a 41 plate on my active 41 SD coupe. I have the regular plate on board in the back seat. I have never been stoped by the authorities. It is my understanding that here in NC one can do so as long as a current plate is on board. I have one on the front as well but it is not a match to the rear one.

Steve D,

It looks to me like you did a mighty fine job on that plate. Backwoodsy (and small) as MA was during the thrities I assume you got the last one manufactured for that year. Just think now there may be as many as 5024 cars in MA. That about right?

Best,

Charlie

BTW Steve: The lack of increased population in MA may have its roots in a language barrier. Outside that state no one can understand the spoken word you'all speak there thus no marriages from across the state line and no migration into it. Can I get an amen from anybody? (Jest a-messin with ya. Am too.

Charlie- many years ago some wise folks decided to break away from Massachusetts and settled in New Hampshire. That's what that N.H. stands for on the plate.

Steve,

Nice job on the plate, I have tried a few and it is a lot harder than it looks. Yours turned out better than my attempt. I wonder if the pros use screen printing or maybe a hard roller?

Dave

Dave on my MASS plate I hand painted with an artist brush ONE coat only the #s and letters only and did not touch the dark green and patina to give it the look of an 80 plus year old plate.

2 coats would have made it look brand new 80 plus years old!

Rory

Rory,

You have a steady hand!

Dave

Job well done!!

Thanks Terry. I do have to confess that they probably look a little better in the photo than they do up close but I am quite satisfied with them.

At one of the garage tech sessions I put on a few years ago we had a fellow who restored license plates give a presentation. He did it a little different. He would lay the letter color down first with a fairly heavy coat., Then top coat with the background color. After it cured for a little while he would carefully wet sand the numbers down to the number color using like a 1500 wet or dry paper. This gave the slightly feathered edge as seen on the original. If you mess it up just start over. If you want it can be coated with a semi gloss clear to preserve your work. Makes a pretty presentable plate. We had him come back another time and give a presentation on wood graining as well. Took some of the mystery out of these art forms.

I was going to paint my plates in that order but when stripping found that the background was painted first and then the letters so that is how I proceeded. An article I read described the above process but instead of wet sanding it said to carefully remove the top coat on the letters with a cloth and thinner before it was dry.. The first coat being lacquer and the top coat enamel with lots of drying time between coats.

Impressive work Steve !

My '32 is registered with original '32 plates with Connecticut's DMV but they almost denied me. I unwittingly told them I touched up a couple of numbers so as to be legible. They said the plates were "altered" and any modification including repainting is illegal even if for historical restoration. I went to the next window and hollered for a supervisor. After a secret meeting of DMV brass in the back room, my plates were approved, with reluctance I might add ! So don't volunteer much when you go to DMV.

Hoover for president !

I am hoping I can do the changeover locally at my Town Clerks office . I am familiar with some folks that work there. If it's a no no to have restored plates I do have another set but they are quite rough.

If the RMV won't let you restore the plates, don't. Bring them in so they can see them as they are. Once they say they are OK, take them home and paint them as you like. They don't re-inspect them once they OK them. You just get your sticker every year and drive happy.

Went to the Motor Vehicle dept today and got my approval for using the restored plates. Took my registration and both sets of plates and the clerk looked them over and commented on the restoration of the old plates that they looked good. He filled out a form with my information-address-license etc-stamped it and sent me on my way -all at no expense and other than waiting in line to get to the clerk it took about 3 minutes. Certainly made my day!

I have two sets of Ohio Historical License Plates. When I decided to use the Year of Manufacture plates on my 1934 Chrysler, I went to the BMV with the registration, the Historical Plates and the new 1934 Ohio plates. There was no record in the State of Ohio computer system of ANY Historical Plates registered to me. I have had these plates for over 40 years. After the clerk talked with the people in the state capitol twice and me talking with them the third time, they allowed me to keep my Historical Plates and add the new 1934 plates to my registration. Attached to the original registration dated 1972 was a piece of paper stating these plates were good indefinitely and had to be returned when the vehicle was sold. When the state of Ohio went to computerized motor vehicle records, they did not transfer the Historical records to their data base. So I basically had to register my vehicle all over again. NOW, these plates are only good for 25 years instead of forever and all this took about 1 1/2 hours and only cost me $4.50. I can't wait until I go back to re-register the YOM plates for my 1950. I think I will pack a lunch.

In lowa you do not have to tell the state just put your YOM plates on and have the current plates and registration in the car.