dealing with the main large letters/numbers is one thing but, still have trouble with the smaller letters used for state -California
I just got done with my 36 Texas plates. Painted the background color then mixed up some proper one shot color and SLOWLY painted the letters with a striping brush. The one shot flowed out real nice then clear coated.
"great info but would any of you guys happen to know the correct or close enough yellow for the California 1956-1962 plates" I would also like to know this?
If you don't get a response how about taking a plate into the paint store and having them match the color. Plates of the vintage you are working with should be easy to find for a color match. Charlie Stephens
I used the paint numbers first then background color technique, but after several attempts and reblastings to start over, ended up removing the background color off numbers with my thumbnail. That required patience, but was the only way I found that I did not have to repaint. Then, I had to find a clear that wouldn't dull or craze the paints. You should have seen me at the DMV, scratching black off of the silver letters of what would be the front plate so that they could make a copy of it for their records. The finished one was on the car out in the parking lot awaiting inspection.
This is a interesting topic. I thought of doing my '56 Texas plates myself but I finally decided to send them out when the time came to Darryls and let him restore my plates I also figured I could have him make me two duplicates and paint them proper as well that way I can have my original '56 plates taken in issued but the car will carry the duplicates just incase someone wanted to steal them. But I would love to do them myself but I like how Darryl does the plates and I am not sure if I could achieve the same results as well as the proper color.
I've done a few now the same method as the OP used, all the rollers/brushes left some sort of mark and then the plate MUST be perfectly straight. Had a friend use frisket film that came out ok, but the edges lifted a bit after awhile. If you don't have access to an air brush or not an ace with a brush and not a total body pro, the sanding was works best. Blast, bodywork, blast again, prime, sand, med coat letter color, sand, light coat background color, wet sand letters down to letter color, wet sand whole plate and clear coat. Before clear coat:
I'll look on the can tomorrow to see if it even says a code, but I just went through the book years ago.
I have done a couple the way you describe and they turned out ok but they have to be super straight and not even new plates are always that flat. I do several coats of primer and sanding to get them nice and flat. Then lightly sand with some 400 wet until the top color gets thin, switch to 4000
I found that National School Bus Yellow (Ditzler) was a perfect match for the yellow used on the '30's -'50's NYS plates and would probably be the same for CA plates.
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