I'm restoring a set of 1971 Texas plates for my father in laws 71Chevelle. I had trouble finding any type of guidelines, I'm assuming it needs to stay the original colors, I'd like to paint the letters body color if it's legal. Also does it have to be done with reflective paint? I'm hoping my paint supplier can mix up a close enough color to the original reflective paint, if not I'll need a online source.
[This message has been edited by jmbishop (edited 08-02-2014).]
Yes, in TX we can use plates from the cars manufacture year instead of classic plates. There are lots of threads on other forums about the restoration process but not much information on what you can and can't do.
Wait, putting plates on from the 70's is street legal?
Brad
Ayup you can here as well in Maine, problem is you have to find the old plate yourself and that can be hard to do for older cars say early 60s as many states Back then had the year Stamped into the plate like the numbers are today. Not sure about the colors and paints but here's a bump for you.
Steve
------------------ Technology is great when it works, and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't
Yes, in TX we can use plates from the cars manufacture year instead of classic plates. There are lots of threads on other forums about the restoration process but not much information on what you can and can't do.
Cool because you can run around with a vintage plate, pay less for registration and no more window registration sticker.
That's for the bump 84
I believe we have the same or very similar rules here in Maine for antique cars as well. Only ours is no more safety inspection stickers in the window but the registration cost is still the same. The plates were very similar in 86 only the colors where different and we still had the stick on labels for the years back then.
My 53 F100 runs a 1953 plate, but you have to keep paperwork and the modern plate inside of the cab in case you get pulled over. I restored mine by sand-blasting it. the original colors are black and orange. My truck is red. So I put the orangist red (or maybe the reddist orange?) onto my plate when I repainted it. The original paint was not reflective, s that was not an issue for me. I found out there's no easy way to paint the the numbers/letters. I spent a lot of time on that one plate.
[This message has been edited by carnut122 (edited 08-03-2014).]
I know that "back in the day", in the early 1900's people could make their own plates, or buy them from companies that made them, which sounds awesome.....Until you have to spend a weekend making a plate that looks decent.
My 53 F100 runs a 1953 plate, but you have to keep paperwork and the modern plate inside of the cab in case you get pulled over. I restored mine by sand-blasting it. the original colors are black and orange. My truck is red. So I put the orangist red (or maybe the reddist orange?) onto my plate when I repainted it. The original paint was not reflective, s that was not an issue for me. I found out there's no easy way to paint the the numbers/letters. I spent a lot of time on that one plate.
Ohio is the same way. Old Ohio tags were stamped with raised letters...best way to do them is a small paint roller. Now there flat, so you need to mask them. Some Ohio tags are reflective, some are not, so having reflective paint is a non issue.
Yes, in TX we can use plates from the cars manufacture year instead of classic plates. There are lots of threads on other forums about the restoration process but not much information on what you can and can't do.
Can do this in Missouri too.
I have year of manufacture plates on my 78 Z-28 Camaro. Rules stated only need one plate, and you can restore it but needs to retain original colors. DO NOT have to retain the reflective qualities of the letters/numbers. Mine were black background with yellow letters/numbers. I had found a pair of plates in a flea market and checked with the DMV to make sure the number was not being used. Could have been on a truck or motorcycle already making mine void. Was good to go so I sand blasted the plates, powder coated the entire plates black then painted the lettering and numbers with Rust-oleum yellow paint and a fine brush.
Ohio is the same way. Old Ohio tags were stamped with raised letters...best way to do them is a small paint roller. Now there flat, so you need to mask them. Some Ohio tags are reflective, some are not, so having reflective paint is a non issue.
I tried the small foam roller, but the edges on the raised numbers/letters were not up to what I wanted. I even masked it off, but it still requited a paint brush and very steady hands before I got something even close to what I was after. Since you worked with paint for a living, I'm sure yours worked out better. I just remember being amazed that it took me hours to get what I wanted.
I just checked Kansas and they have the same thing. Must be sort of a common thing. But they will actually register the plate.
Then I found out there is a dude who collects and restores these plates and resells them. Somewhat really reasonable. Like an 85 plate for my Fiero is only $10.
But plates from the early 1900's go for a couple of hundred.
I tried the small foam roller, but the edges on the raised numbers/letters were not up to what I wanted. I even masked it off, but it still requited a paint brush and very steady hands before I got something even close to what I was after. Since you worked with paint for a living, I'm sure yours worked out better. I just remember being amazed that it took me hours to get what I wanted.
I'll be masking them off and spraying, the right tape, a razor blade and the end result will be great, Rodgers method is great as well.
I tried the small foam roller, but the edges on the raised numbers/letters were not up to what I wanted. I even masked it off, but it still requited a paint brush and very steady hands before I got something even close to what I was after. Since you worked with paint for a living, I'm sure yours worked out better. I just remember being amazed that it took me hours to get what I wanted.
They make them at prisons here. They use a big roller like a printer to paint them all at once. The edges werent always that good either. Now theyre printed like silk screening on a flat plate.
They make them at prisons here. They use a big roller like a printer to paint them all at once. The edges werent always that good either. Now theyre printed like silk screening on a flat plate.
Yep, I figured it had to be a big roller of a very firm but absorbent composition. My own roller experiment was not acceptable.
Only ours is no more safety inspection stickers in the window but the registration cost is still the same. The plates were very similar in 86 only the colors where different and we still had the stick on labels for the years back then.
