Massachusetts is the only state of which I am aware that will not allow the restoration of Year of Manufacture (YOM) license plates. Yesterday I wrote my State Senator and Representative asking for their support in revising the law to repeal the provision that prohibits plate restoration. I referenced House bill #3064 which was filed on 1/4/13 and has gone nowhere. I also asked for a rationale for the non-restoration position if they would not support the repeal. If you are a Masshole and would like to be able to restore your YOM plate, now would be a good time to write your legislators. My suggestion would be to write a paper letter and mail it. The fact that you will take the time to actually send a snail mail and pay for an envelope and stamp sends the message that you really care about the issue. This is not a partisan issue; I do not consider this post to be political. I hope that the moderators will see it the same way.
The problem is that it wouldn't take a genius to notice that my 88-year-old plate that looks brand new has been restored. If it were a 1975 plate, a restored plate might not draw attention, but there's no way I could get away with it.
I have a 1959 plate that looks brand new. Never touched, so it is possible. I see many at shows that look new so something is up.
Do the cops in Massachusetts have so little crime to contend with that they would hassle an owner of an old car because the license plate looked too new?
If you cant dazzle them with brillianace, baffle them with bull$%^&. Tell them they were hermetically sealed in Argon gas for 88 years. Let them prove they weren't.
It is Registered with a YOM tag. I got it off Ebay. When I saw the plate number I had to have it. The first three numbers are the street number of my house, the last three are 322. BTW: I have contacted two different plate restoration companies; neither will touch a Massachusetts plate. My skills in this area do not leave self-restoration as a possible solution.
I'd go for it. Strip, prime/sand to fill rust pits, spray background color. While I haven't done a complete tag yet (luckily able to find good FL HI MD plates that cleaned up well with compound and wax), have done touch-ups, tag frames, and Pennzoil cast-iron sign base (for my drive-in speakers). Hand painting with thick hobby paints works well on embossed surfaces...doesn't run down sides. Tedious, but as good as some recent DMV issued tags. Tried short-nap trim roller, but couldn't keep pressure light enough...maybe try stencil roller when I restore 1942 MD tag (no, I don't have a '42 Buick)...
Once you have the base color down, if your a little shaky on painting the numbers, find a sign painter or a pinstriper. I bet it wouldn't even cost you much
Well...IMO, don't ask, don't tell. What could they possibly say? They look too new?o No: Like they're plate experts Tell them you paid a fortune for a set of brand new unissued plates. You got me curious about license plate restoration. Turns out there are several outfits that do this type of work. Some of the "before" shots look like perforated pieces of rusted out scrap metal. One website in particular stood out to me- http://darrylsplates.com/ And if your really against having your plate refinished, this guy will restore whats left of your old plate- Chuck Sakryd (#893)Cleveland, Ohio Phone: (440) 734-3800 Email: chsakryd@aol.com Cleaning, rust removal, straightening, bring out original paint remaining. No painting. Cost: $16 first plate, $12 after Turnaround: 4 weeks
