License Plate Restoration

JM 35 Sedan

JM 35 Sedan

Well-known member
I want to get a set of year of manufacture license plates restored for my '35 sedan. I would appreciate some suggestions for someone who does a top notch job on these old plates, in a reasonable time frame and at a reasonable price. Thanks in advance for your help!
 
Be careful on this John,some Motor Vehicle States will not approve for use on restored plates,they must be UNRESTORED for them to look at . You get them cleared by them and issued for use and ONLY then get them restored after. Better check this out. Vendors wipe them with motor oil to bring out the colors better.Wipe till almost dry. ken ct.
 
John, My neighbor is a license plate dealer and his father restores plates at a very reasonable price. He has done several sets for me. My neighbor's phone number is 937-218-6211. He owns an auto detail shop also. His name is Dave. Pat
 
In some states you can put an old plate on without sending it to the DMV as long as you have the current plate and owners card in the car. G.M.
 
In WV, you take a picture of the plate in and register the plate to the car and they give you a sticker that you can carry in the glove box. I plan to try a resto on a plate by using 2 stage paint and applying the raised numbers color first and then applying the second color and then block sanding until the numbers show up and then applying a clear coat. I've been told that this works well.
 
John,
Be careful in selecting a license restorer. I used an outfit advertised in Hemmings to restore a pair of Pa. plates. (Hot Plates Company, was the company) They returned nicely painted but they left all the ugly rust pits. They looked like a shot-gun had blasted them. When I called to tell them I wasn't happy, they said that is "How they do them", and wouldn't do anything further. So beware.
Milt K from Pa
 
I use a blead blaster on the ones I do .Also fill all holes and pound out all dents ,etc .Then I finish them off with two coats of clear coat after the correct colors are applied .I just do it as a hooby .
 
there are a couple dealers here in cali that sell restored plates that are also DMV cleared at the point of sale.
and there is a DMV office that has a wall framed with 50 or more plates restored with the name of the guy that restored them.
just get your plates cleared first and then restore them.
rich
 
I restored mine myself, found a decent matching pair of 1936 TX C-M plates on Ebay, removed all the rust, primered several coats. In Texas they obviously must be the same color set as original for that year, 1936 C-M plates were Turquoise Blue & Yellow, very pretty! Just found a close matching spray paint from Lowes & sprayed several coats of the blue, then the long daunting task of painting the raised lettering yellow with a fine artist brush, after all that 2 coats of clear. The DMV approved them right away, and it was kinda fun to do!
 
I had very good results from this person:

Wayne Tyler
Tags4U
804-883-5520
14548 Mill Creek Drive
Montpelier Va 23192

He's a buyer and seller of old tags and does restoration on the side. I had a pair of '36 Maryland plates done and they came out really beautifully.

Turnaround time was six weeks and the cost for a pair was about $100.
 
Ask around on the license plate club:
http://www.alpca.org/

I've done mine and it takes time. I use automotive paint as spray can will fade (I did my house number with spray can). Base color, then top color, wet sand through to base color on the letters/numbers and then clear coat.
 
I spray bombed mine, then with a 3" solid roller, rolled the lettering like a printing press would do. OK job and got approved.
 
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I did this one myself, I sandblasted it down to bare metal then found a spray can of yellow that matched 1934 Michigan color & luckily the lettering was black at that time so I used a magic marker & then clearcoated it. I don't know if colored magic markers will work or not.
Gary.
 

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I used a red permanent marker on the letters on one of my license plates and it looked good for a while, but now has faded mostly away, but I didn't clear coat it.
 
spray can lasts about 7-8 months in direct sunlight everyday. Last 2 picture are just before clear coat.
 

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I bought a pair rusted badly at a swap meet. Ground off all the rust, sanded them down, then spray painted the plate and hand brushed the letters/numbers. Maybe someone else could have done better. Or, maybe not.

OremSummerfestParadebyDoug26-13-09.jpg
 
31chevy said:
I did this one myself, I sandblasted it down to bare metal then found a spray can of yellow that matched 1934 Michigan color & luckily the lettering was black at that time so I used a magic marker & then clearcoated it. I don't know if colored magic markers will work or not.
Gary.
Click to expand...

Now that's a great and easy way to do letters if they're black and the plate looks fantastic. Good job.
 
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