License plate, restore or not?
 

I got lucky and found an original 1931 Georgia license plate. It's a little rough but I'm leaning towards leaving it "as is". I can always restore it but can't "unrestore" it. Opinions ?

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

I tend to agree with you. Great find!

In some states, if you have the option to license the car with a "year of manufacture" plate, the DMV (or equivalent) needs to "approve" the condition of the plate. Unless your state requires it to look pristine, I'd leave it original.

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

I would clean it real good, use a liquid scratch remover lightly, & then a heavy coat of your favorite paste wax.. DONE

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

That plate if it was mine would of been bead blasted , metal prep , primed , and painted by now...It looks to be to far gone to keep unrestored. Restored car needs a restored plate... its like putting a unrestored Model a fender on a fully restored Model A" .just don't look right.

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

I gave up on trying to find a set of 1931 Alaska plates.

What a lot of guys here have done is to run a YOM plate from the state of their roots -- on the front of their vehicle. That works well especially since almost everyone here is from somewhere else. And the locals don't seem to have a problem with it. They always carry the "official" plate with them just in case.

I am anxiously awaiting a set of 1931 commercial Texas plates to display on my truck. Depending on what they look like in person, I may or may not have them restored.

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

I went to DMV this morning and got all the forms done to let it be "the tag" for the A. The tag office "approved" it. Right now I don't have any plans to restore it, it's neat to have it in original form. I'm new to Model A's and didn't know what the norm was. Heck, this way everybody will know it's real ! I cleaned it, waxed it and reinforced the mount with rubber gromets.

In Georgia the only year they made 2 tags was 1931. A small one, like I found, and a regular size tag. I'm told they stopped making the small one during the year because they were failing at the mounting holes due to vibrations. Supposedly the small one is the hardest to find. You won't believe it but I only paid 36 bucks for it ! :D

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

Im one for leaving most things as close to original as possible, But have to agree with Pete, restored car should have a restored plate. JMHO

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

You really have only 2 choices as you know. For my 29 I washed the plates well with soap and water, used a little liquid car polish on a wet cloth ( for dilution ) and buffed with an old towel. Then, I sprayed them with a clear semi-gloss enamel from a rattle can. They look old and have a nice preservative coat that does add a bit of lustre.

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

FYI:

For folks reading this, some states only accept unrestored plates if it is all shiney and spiffy they reject it as not original.

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

I'm partial to things that show some age and character. A bit of light work with some fine steel wool and some paste wax can really look good on something like that. How about an after picture?
Dave

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

Pete is right, it does look a little out of place on a restored car. I know I will restore it eventually but I will run it like it is for as long as I can stand it. There's just something about original that I love. My A has an older restoration (70's) and doesn't look as good in person as it does in pictures. Since it's a 20 footer I can deal with it for a while at least. Thanks for the opinions and Pete, I will have to fight restoring it, I know....

Bob

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

In Florida, they will not approve a restored plate. You have to mail in your plate, for approval.
A lot of people, restore them AFTER they have been approved.
MIKE :)

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

Massachusetts is one of those states that require only an original plate (YOM), not repainted, but has to be in "good repair". When I took my old '31 plates to the local registry office, they shot me down stating they were too rusty. (We only require a rear YOM also.) I went out to my truck and wiped them down with WD-40 and returned to the office to be OK'ed for the plates. (different window girl). I see a lot of repainted Mass. plates on old cars here, not even the right shade of paint was used on some, so I guess it's really a crap shoot on who is tending the office window and what mood they're in.

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

I would just clean it with CLR...

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

Hey Dave, that was the "after" picture LOL. I didn't make a "before" I guess I should have. Trust me, it was really dirty, could barely read the letters. The window I went to didn't know what I was talking about and had to get the supervisor. He asked if I brought the car, wanted to see it, liked old cars. He was OK with the plate, it was cleaned when I took it. In Ga. the law states that as long as I have the regular plate with me there's no problem. I don't know the policy on taking in a refurbished plate but I see a lot of them.

You can see I took off some paint on the second 7, the only green paint left is what you can see in the picture. I know I'll end up restoring it sooner or later.

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

There are a few '31 GA plates on eBay that are under $30. They seem to be solid but with bad paint and or surface rust. No significant rot. In my opinion, they would be better candidates for a restoration than this one. A single '31 short plate with what appears to have original paint is listed with a buy it now of $149.

-Tim

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

I only have $35.00 in this one and "free shipping" since it was about 3 miles from where I live. It has some rot at the mounting holes but otherwise solid. Nothing the right tag bracket wouldn't cover. I'll be happy with it but there are probably some better ones out there somewhere. I'm not into points and judging just washing, wrenching and riding !

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

Oopps.... glad you have a sense of humor about it. :o
Dave

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

Bob, I would leave it as is. It looks great as it is.

You're right, it can't be un-restored.

Re: License plate, restore or not?
 

I would leave the plate alone, and give a little "grit" to the car! Rust is good....