restoring vintage license plates

[Lumatic]

Hey Streamers,

Anyone know where I can get some emerald green reflective paint to restore my liscence plate. (See my new Avatar)

I found this nailed to the side of a barn. If I am lucky NM will let me use this plate as my official plate. I have never seen a green NM plate before. This is a RV plate. All NM standard plates I have ever seen are yellow with red letters. NM does not otherwise permit any special plates on trailers

[Fyrzowt]

That looks like "standard" green highway sign paint. If you know anyone at your city or county maintenance yard, they may be able to point you in the right direction. Or even give you a small amount. Just an idea...
Dave

[john hd]

i have run across folks in the antique motorcycle group that restore vintage license plates.

you might try contacting someone like that through ebay and see what they use. there are quite a few collectors of vintage plates that sell there.

most vintage plates i have seen were not reflective as they are nowadays. the highway shop idea might work too.

john

[safari57]

I think I need to check with the BC Ministry and see if I can use my 1951 Trailer plate I acquired at a flea market a couple of years ago. It would be easy enough to restore to original and as you have determined, it would really be trick to have it on the trailer. Great idea, thanks for bringing it up.

Barry

[S C Streamer]

Originally Posted by Marshall

Hey Streamers,

Anyone know where I can get some emerald green reflective paint to restore my liscence plate.

Hey Hippy,

Cool plate.

Check out ALPCA Online - Automobile License Plate Collectors Association for a list of license plate restorers. Look under FAQs.

[Condoluminum]

If you can find the right color green for the base coat, Krylon makes a clear reflective spray paint that gives it the "highway sign at night.." look. May have to special order it at local hardware, and doubt big box stores would carry it... Paint pad would work for second color on raised letters if needd, rather than brush or rollers.

CA lets you use old plates from year of manufacture, so long as they have clear history and are consistent with original coloring and condition...

John

[walter1]

Just as we seem to be nuts about aluminum trailers, there's a whole network of folks that are license plate collectors.

I’ve had antique Year of Manufacture plates restored for use on my Model A, 57 VW and Indian motorcycles.

Try Darryl’s plate restoration. He has correct paint for just about any plate. LICENSE PLATE RESTORATION SERVICE

ALPCA, the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association has a list of restorers and a whole website of license plate info. Check: http://www.alpca.org/faq.restorers.html.

Nice NM plate.

Walter


If the enemy is in range...so are you!

[Lumatic]

Just found out the "H" designates House Trailer.

[rickandsandi]

This is very cool stuff. You can spray it onto almost anything!

[SilvrSausage]

A trick for restoring the lettering on old plates. Paint the letters thickly first, with several coats and adequate drying for each. Then paint the entire plate letters and all. Then after the topcoat has cured sufficiently, use very fine wet sandpaper, 1000 grit or finer, to get the topcoat off the letters. I read about this a long time ago, and though I haven't personally tried it, I have seen more than my fair share of shaky-handed attempts to paint the letters themselves. The results can look like a kid with a bingo dauber. Something to think about, for those of us without ultra-steady hands.