licence plate refinish

whizzernick

whizzernick

Well-known member
I am looking for someone to paint numbers on several licence plates I have refinished. I would also like to find tools to do the paint on numbers.
I think it is a roller type print system ? Any info would be good.
you can call me at 510-889-1933
Nick
 
I painted my own & used Peggy liquid masking material from her crafts.Worked very good.
 

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I have a friend hand letter mine, he is an artist. Me, not so much. If I have any that need work, I send them out.
Here is a plate that was a real mess that I had a guy in Penn. do. He did an awesome job but took 10 months and I had to hound him and listen to him whine about not making any money.
 
There have been other threads on this, I think on the HAMB but not 100% sure. Some guys paint the numbers first and then go back and paint the background color over everything. After the background coat dries they use super fine sand paper to gently sand the base coat off the numbers to reveal the number color. Other posters said they painted the background color and then pour a liquid on the plate up to the edge of the numbers and then spray the numbers. I've never done either but the posters said it worked for them as opposed to hand painting the numbers or using a hand roller to do the numbers.
 
Nick, go to Michaels. They have a 3" rubber roller that i used for my script battery logo. Quick and easy, no masking, no fuss.
 
Regarding normal on-the-road-use, the NY State DMV will not register a plate that has been repainted (maybe they think law enforcement can't see or feel the embossed numbers/letters ? ) .... have to bring in the plate with photo when registering it so they can inspect it.

Use of NYS historic plates on public roads here is limited to travelling to/from car shows/rallies, trips for repairs (I would include non-ethanol gas stations) etc .... i.e. not intended for regular driving.

Bought a '47 plate in good condition; just had to polish it up; only one per car that year. I think it's a commercial plate but DMV didn't notice. Aside from travelling to car shows, I make note of "repair" places in the general direction I want to head. My one old plate has not "delayed" my local travel but I haven't been outside the State yet.
 
Just FYI excellent license plate restoration.
Jack Brewer
Fort Worth, Tx
Vintageplaterestoration.com

He does not keep the plate for months. Turn around is quick.
 
willowbilly3 said:
I have a friend hand letter mine, he is an artist. Me, not so much. If I have any that need work, I send them out.
Here is a plate that was a real mess that I had a guy in Penn. do. He did an awesome job but took 10 months and I had to hound him and listen to him whine about not making any money.
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Sounds like Darryll had mine for three years.
 
I did 1930 plates many years ago. I first applied several heavy coats of the letter/number color. Then one good coat of plate color. After letting dry for about a week I rubbed off the letters and numbers with compound. Lots of work but the results are as good as it gets. This was back in the 70's so the plates have been hanging in the garage a long time. Best part is there is no ridge it feels like the plate was painted all at one time.
 

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ct1932ford said:
I did 1930 plates many years ago. I first applied several heavy coats of the letter/number color. Then one good coat of plate color. After letting dry for about a week I rubbed off the letters and numbers with compound. Lots of work but the results are as good as it gets. This was back in the 70's so the plates have been hanging in the garage a long time. Best part is there is no ridge it feels like the plate was painted all at one time.
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That's a great idea! I'm going to try that next time.
 
You can checkout a few plates I have done .just go to my profile page and click on the flathead pics and they will show up .Some plates in the pictures are still in original condition .most plates are from my home state and county in Nebraska
 
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37 Coupe said:
Sounds like Darryll had mine for three years.
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The work was great. He and (mostly) the old woman, are lying sacks of &*%$. Avoid them.
I've use the method to paint the letter color on first, then sand down to it, works great if the plate is perfect, some never were. I'm going to get one of those rollers, pretty sure that was the original method. But we get too picky when re painting. I have maybe 4-500 plates and there are some real sloppy originals in there.
 
Darryl has my plates and has had them for months. I paid him in Sept and thought they would be here by now, but no. I called up and got a lecture about how this takes time. I get that, it's just when they called and asked for payment, I figured that they were done. He came very highly recommended by a local club member. I am in no rush, but I would like to get them before spring!

As Willowbilly says, the original plates were not that well done. I remember many plates from the 60s that were pretty sloppy when they came from DMV. Like many of the restored cars look better now than they did back in the day, some of our license plates are better now than when new.
 
Quality of the original paint on the plate depends on which prisoner was operating the roller!
 
Darryl did plates for me, about 13-14 years ago. Two, maybe three years for him to have them seems to be common. The work is perfect. mhsprecher, you will have to keep on them, if you really want your plates in the spring. I wouldn't hold out much hope. In my case, I got to the point where I said to them, 'send them back, unfinished'. That's when the plates finally got done and were sent back.
 
Go to Darryls, I don't know about him having plates for 3-4 years though!?!?!?

Superb output and if you pay an extra $25 for expedited service he has them back to you in 3-4 weeks. I sent him mine in the third week of September and it arrived back around Oct 20th. AMAZING quality.
 
wex65 said:
Go to Darryls, I don't know about him having plates for 3-4 years though!?!?!?

Superb output and if you pay an extra $25 for expedited service he has them back to you in 3-4 weeks. I sent him mine in the third week of September and it arrived back around Oct 20th. AMAZING quality.
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You were very lucky or you live nearby to threaten him. I had him do a set of 1939 plates that were my dad's new about 15 years ago and the work was perfect and the price very fair but it took about a year.Back then they never wanted any type of payment until plates were to be sent out at works completion. I sent him my dad's original set of 1937 plates that are on my coupe 10 years ago and they wanted paid up front and it took 2-3 years of hassle and bs by his wife. Really was relieved to get my dads plates and they are very nice but I will never deal with his wife again and listen to her fairytale after another.
 
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