License to Restore

[Mike Bradbury]

I decided to put this in the projects section because all the work that went into it was enough to be labeled a project on it's own.

Last year at the big three swap meet (which is the size of the stadium parking lot) I bought a set of black and yellow plates for $50 that needed to be restored. The good sets that were not smashed but needed to be repainted were $200, the set that was already restored was $400. So I elected to try the restoration myself and bought the $50 ones. Went to the DMV and made sure they were clear and registered them in my name.

The rear plate was in good condition but the front one was pretty smashed where it looks like the truck was in and accident, and half the numbers were flat.

I decided to make a mold of the good plate so I could fix the wrinkled one.

To make more sense of it I made a mold out of plaster of Paris with a perforated steel screen in the middle to take the strain of the reforming process. After I made a mold of both front and back of the good plate I dried it in my powder coat oven at 200* for a couple of hours to really cure it.

Once cured I sand blasted the damaged plate with low pressure and 80 grit. Put it in the press and applied 40 tons of squeeze to it. I am happy with the results, there are a few imperfections in the steel but I think it came out great.
The molds survived much better than I thought a few chips off the edges but I think I could use them again if I needed to.
I am going to powder coat the black and Frazee the yellow.

The original plate with all it's wrinkles.


The molding process, front then back get molded.


Screen to keep it all intact.


Front done and drying.


Came out great, on to the back side now.


Both complete now to the press.


Sand blasted the plate then squeezed it at around 40 ton


Worked like a charm and the mold survived well enough to where I could use it again if needed.


Powder coated the black and used Frazee oil based color "winch" lightened one shade and it is spot on. I touched up the four on the back plate after this photo and I have a hard time telling where it is. I conditioned the paint with penetrol to help it flow right so it would look more like the original.