Hot Rods Ageing a alumunium VIN Tag

I'd like to 'age' or 'distress' this VIN tag which we have had to put on my car for registration purposes here in Japan. Any suggestions on how I can do that?
Thanks
Pete

 

salt water probably would do fine would be easier to do before installing it though. Are you looking to keep the surrounding metal clean?

 

https://www.wikihow.com/Age-Aluminum

 

Give it time....

 

It will get ugly quick enough as it is, "aging" it artificially could eat the aluminum to where the stamped number isn't legible.

 

Yellow Mustard forced patina

 

Spray it with Easy-Off oven cleaner.
Let sit to taste.

 

Leave the car outside, under a tarp, for a couple decades. That should do it.

(sorry...I couldn't resist)

 

A diluted mix of Lye and table salt in water [5% each]
Soak it into a sponge/rag and place it up against the alloy .[keep it wet]

I have also had great success adding patina to alloy wheels with dry powder from a fire extinguisher

 

As above, test on scrap to get desired results.

 

squirrel thats hillarious...the humor on the Hamb is priceless...

 

Give. I to me because I can’t have any nice stuff. In a short time it’ll look all used up

 

Pee on it. That's how my dog ages my mags.

 

Squirrel......I completed the above instructions for you in bold.

Lynn

 

Thanks for the laugh Squirrel. For those that missed it here she is the day the previous owner Jay, found it and the tarp came off it after 20+ years. If only the tag was on it then

Yeah, nah. That's not in the cards for this one.

Cheers!

Dont think I'll get a dog to piss on it either @blowby

 

Why? This is the tag on this truck , that’s 60 years old!

 

I’d drive that

 

bury it in your cat's litter box for a couple weeks

 

A friend of mine refinishes antique furniture and uses regular bleach on aluminum and decretive tins to achieve the look of time, he sprays bleach directly on the piece he is working on and the sit's it out side in the sun, it will fade the piece, check it every now and then to ac==get the look you want. HRP

 

Is that the number on your title? That's a fairly early '32 serial number. 1934 number should be 18-450,000+.

 

Man, that is sweet looking coupe!

 

Can it be distressed with a scotch brite pad?

 

I think soda blasting.

 

For US production the 1934 Ford did not have a VIN tag. They used the serial number stamped into the top of the frame near the steering box (it may be faint). The same number also appears on top of the frame rail under the body where you need to pull the body to see it. Here is a site with a lot more info on serial numbers (thank you Mac VanPelt). The tag you have looks like something from EBAY. If the inspector is knowledgeable showing him a VIN (or serial number) tag when there shouldn't be one will probably get you off on the wrong foot.

Charlie Stephens

 

Hey @Charlie Stephens , I think you missed a bit of important info.

 

What the Emperor says, you do