DARRYL's LICENSE PLATE RESTORATION Opinion...

Lone Star Mopar X2

 

I recently had a set of Arkansas 1932 plates restored by Brian Mabry at http://www.finishyourplates.com in Cleveland, Tennessee. Great work. He emailed me when he received the plates, then emailed me because he was having trouble matching the yellow and it was going to delay the job a bit, then he emailed me when they were shipped. Took a couple of months which was what he estimated up front.

 

those are new plates with old colors. they have nothing to do with actual old plates. kinda like thinking a "street beast" 34 ford resembles the real thing.

 

I don't have a dog in this fight but why not E-mail Darryl's this thread,,I would think all the publicity may light a fire under him and get him motivated. HRP

 

Try me. the web site is www.tagrestorer.com. Any state from 1900's thru 1960's. Better quality at a fair price. Quick turn around and good communication.

 

SHIPPIE....I had Dan Cox do my 40 "PC" plates a few years ago, he charged me $139. I'm not sure what his prices are now?
Did a great job on them and took him about 50 days. He's up in Clovis Ca, that's in Central Cal.

 

I had the identical experience with a guy in Washington State.. He had my plate for over 7 months and I learned through a HAMB member that the guy was actively soliciting additional business at cars events around Seattle.. I kept bugging him and finally the plate arrived.. work quality was not the best and the entire event was a waste of money and stressful at best... your restorer will most likely finish your plates on his schedule and not yours.. crappy way to do business.. must be the result of sniffing the paint all day?

 

Would somebody please explain to me why it takes people longer to restore a pair of license plates than it takes me to repair, metal finish, prep, paint and buff out an entire car.

 

Thanks for all the replies gang ~ Here's the kicker ... They were brand new plates ~ hot off some CA. Prison press and all Darryl had to do was strip it and paint it a different color ~ no repair work needed. I did'nt pay them until they called me and said they were done and ready to be shipped and required payment, which is understandable ~ until they realized they were the wrong color after I confirmed with them on the phone at the same time I made payment. On the phone they said, "Oh ya, black with yellow letters", but in fact didn't discover they had made the mistake until after the phonecall. Then they just left me hangin and didn'nt bother calling me back admitting the mistake until I called them back a week later inquiring where my "shipped" plates were. At this point, I just want the plates back... finished or not.
They don't have an email address listed on their website so I can't email them. This couple sounds like their getting up in their years and probably couldn't work a computer if you paid 'em!!! I'm concerned he's gonna drop dead before I get them back!... Awww, bless the 'ol guy for trying to keep up with this crazy world.... But if/when I do get them back~ I will keep all you guys who offered to do them for me... I'm hoping to post a picture of the plate real soon, like this week would be nice, of the restored, actually repainted plate that I bent over for $170.00 for.....


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This is what I was thinking, power of the Hamb. Sometimes it's better to handle dealings in person!!!

 

It could be that they are to embarrassed to tell you that your plates had sat in the back of the oven so long, they melted in to a round ball?

 

I find it hard to believe that someone would pay $170.00 to repaint a pair of otherwise nice plates. I'm in the wrong business.

 

I don't restore plates for anyone but I do play around with it as a hobby. My family has been in Nevada for about 100 years so I like NV plates.....No big demand for them in any case, but it's fun... and satisfying.

Soooo...who cares, right???

Point is this. It's not that tough to do. Yeah, yeah..I know how to do metel work, paint and pinstripe/letter, but just the same, It's not an insurmountable task to learn the basics and retore your own plates. Especially for guys who build at least most of the rest of they're hot rod..

This '32 commercial plate was crushed on the lower left up about halfway through "Nevada", plus some other, more typical damage. The reflections make it look like it's still bent, but it's actually very straight. It took a while but it finally came around. Rattle canned and hand lettered with 1shot.

Here are a few pictures of some homemade tools and how I use them...Maybe crude by the pros standards but effective nonetheless. A soft touch and patience are the biggest key.





I'm not trying to denigrate the pros out there that do this kind of work or say that "you can do it better"...just trying to illustrate that it can be done with some patience and a soft touch.

 

I find it hard to believe that I paid that amount myself now that I'm seeing offers for much less!!!
The original plates were those new reflectorized plates which we all know doesn't fit well with the newstalgic theme ~ and their personalized plates on top of that.
Gonna give 'em another call tomorrow and see what excuse they drum up this time.... I just want this 3 month nitemare to end with my plates arriving in the mail this week all shiny and repainted ~ but I've said that for 6 weeks now..... The saga continues!!!


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Brand new, undamaged plates that need only to be repainted in correct CA colors?????

If you're able to get your plates back look around your area for a pinstriper/graphic artist/signpainter.....ask a couple body shops/hot rod shops for names of the guys they use for their striping/sign needs.

Any competent striper/signpainter can do the work your looking for, and CA has an abundance of talented artists...Almost certainly for much less then you've been asked to pay by someone 2500 miles away.

If you can't get them to return your plates have DMV reissue them so you can get on with your project...send the bill to the delinquent shop..

If the east coast shop refuses to send 'em back after you have paid them you will be well within your rights to report them to the PA police as having stolen your property...That will certainly get their attention.

 

I do em in powder.

 

That's interesting.... How do you powdercoat the lettering?

 

It really does suck when you have something planned out in your head and it doesn't work out that way. I had Darryl do mine and they tell you up front if you want them fast to pay more and go the expedited route. I wasn't in that big a hurry and I certainly didn't want to pay more. Personally, for this, the money was worth less than my time an effort as I was working on a tranny swap and didn't want that on my plate, too. Especially, seeing I wanted professional results because I was registering them under PA's new YOM program. Anyway, it took a handful of months to get it back with the last month being phone calls to Darryl's wife where the phone conversation felt like the movie Groundhog Day. I was told it was in the next batch a couple of times, was told it was in the group to ship a couple of times, and was told it had shipped a couple of times. Supposedly he uses old equipment and it isn't some of the methods someone would try in the garage. I did eventually get my plates and I was totally satisfied with the results. For me it was worth the money and the wait. I too think Darryl is probably an old-timer and with that I'll give his some slack. I honestly don't think he is deliberately trying to jack you around. I'm not saying you haven't been patient and that you shouldn't be upset either.

 

Isn't it illegal to take new 'reflectorized' plates and repaint them in any different color?
I realize that if the color is authentic to actual vintage plates, most cops wouldn't notice, but you say they are also personalized new plates, which any savvy cop will realize there were no such thing as personalized plates back-in-the-day.
Seems like a red flag.

 

As far as I know, and the unanimity of opinion of the LEO's I know, yes, it is illegal, and it is the officer's discretion to tow and impound the vehicle, until the condition is corrected. Still want to risk it?

 

Rich Wright, don't sell yourself short. That's a nice method you have there. And the quality of that palte is better than most of the refinishers I've seen..

 

And that old couple would be the first to yell, "BUY AMERICAN!"

 

Oh yes ~ being a retired LEO, I know their illegal... But like gimpyshotrods said, it's the discretion of the Officer... and I know all of them around "the Hood", and if that doesn't work, then maybe my retired LE I.D. would do the trick... It's just a fix-it ticket anyway- no big woop...
This project won't be driven much on the street anyways... It's so low that unless I put a bicycle flag on it, you might not see it in your mirrors~ so taking it out on the city streets will be like rolling the dice that some 'ol timer doesn't take me out!!!
I just called them and spoke with the old lady, she said they were mailed out yesterday and I would have them by the end of the week but I won't hold my breath... that's the 4th time I've heard that they've shipped them... only to figure out a week later that it was another B.S. excuse to put me off for another week or two... Really frustrating, I tell you.
I did discuss getting them repainted around here at some local body shops and all said not only would it be difficult to match the blue background of the plate, CA. can only use water-based paint now and not the good oil-based paint that would give it longer life and all declined to do it cause set-up time and material wasn't worth their time to strip and paint 2 plates.
I even searched HAMB with some results before I went with Darryl's... cause he seemed to have had a pretty good reputation from the info I was able to gather at the time.... now I'm gathering nitemare stories about this place since my post.
Once again ~ all I can do is sit it out till the end of the week and see if I got bullshitted for the 4th time!! I really don't wanna flip on the old lady over the phone, and she barely gives you the time to get two words in before she's saying goodbye, but if they BS'd me again, I think my emotions are gonna get the best of me and I'm gonna blow like Mt. St. Helens!!!!

I appreciate all your input HAMB gang!!!..... Shippie


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I don't want to hijack this thread, but I restore and sell plates. Turnaournd usually 2-3 weeks. see: www.OLDPL8S.com. PM me offline with questions, thx

 

Typical cop
The laws only apply to the 'other' people

 

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It is a Felony in Ca to repaint or "alter" License Plates.

I know quite a few people that have done it. It just doesn't sit right with me.
Stop being such a cheap fuck and get the RIGHT plates.
The YOM program in CA is STILL a "Pilot Program".
Piss of the CA DMV and it will ruin it for those of us that went the correct route and stayed legal.

 

Well 61TBird, before you start getting nasty and calling fellow HAMB members "cheap fucks", maybe you know what your talking about before you write your rudeness....
The original personalized plates were blue with yellow letters but were damaged last year when an asshole, probably someone like yourself, rearended me. When I went to get a duplicate, I was told it could only be replaced with a reflectorized one and good 'ol DMV would only replace both of them since I can't display a blue plate on front and a reflectorized one on the back. Now put yourself in my position, you've owned these blue plates for almost 40 years, and because some ass-wipe, (like yourself), ruins one, now you've gotta suck it up and forever-more have to look at these hitious reflectorized plates on a 30's car? Now if I was a real "cheap fuck" like you stated I am, and went the illegal route, then I probably would have painted it the period correct color of a yellow plate with black writing. Now that would be ovious that it was altered because of it being personalized. But instead, all I've done was put it back to the way it was for the past 36 years! It will look exactly as it was when it was LEGALLY purchased 36 years ago... I'm not gonna be the one to pay the price because some asshole, like yourself, rearended me and DMV can't replace an original blue plate with another blue plate. This topic was about past experiences with Darryls License Place restoration, not comments on my license plates, which you have no history of. When my plates are restored, they are exactly that ~ restored to the way they were for the last 36 years. If that means I'm a "cheap fuck" as you referred me as, then you just insulted a fair amount of HAMB members who's restored their plates back to the original colors........


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14 years ago I had Darryl's do my California black and yellow plates. They told me 3 months. 6 months later my car was finally road worthy but still no plates. I called them weekly for another 3 months and received false promises. I finally got them back after they had them for 9 months. They looked great but a couple months later, paint chipped off one of them revealing a couple of the original rust spots underneath. Good to hear they haven't changed over the years.

 

9 months? Holy-Moly.... it's incredible they're still in business... probably off foolish people like me ~ I'm getting more and more concerned and if I don't have by the end of the week.... I'm gonna take up an offer from a HAMB'R who lives close to their place and just get them back and ship 'em to me so I can move on without dealing with this madness of false promises and endless excuses!!!


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