Detailing License Plates

crobinso

crobinso

The Grand Marquis Man
(1) Does anybody actually detail license plates? What product(s) do you use on them? (Note: I've seen many faded LPs from people who use harsh products or scrubbing devices. I don't want to damage mine.)

(2) My rear license plate is bent. It makes the whole car look terrible. I don't want to go to the MVA (motor vehicle administration) and getting new tags! How can I straighten the tag successfully?

(P.S. - It looks like somebody tried to pull the tag by hand, thinking that my gas filler cap was beneath it.)

Charles
 
Can you get a replacement tag from the BMV online so you won't have to go to the bureau. I think this is possible in some states.
 
If you can't bend it back into place with your hands then just use some pliers. The only other way would be to hammer it out. I would take it off the car for this, of course.

I usually just scrub them down when I detail the car. My front plate is behind a plastic cover, so I don't worry about that one. The rear one never gets dirty, so a simple wash is good enough. On customer cars I just scrub the front plate and mabe hit it with AIO when I do the rest of the car. Generally it doesn't need anymore than scrubbing. I've never seen a license plate that benefits much from being detailed.
 
Charles, take the tag off and gently bend it back in the opposite direction -say over a table or counter edge. I have done this before and it did the trick.
 
To detail, use a wash, clay, and polish procedure. I only use chemical polishes (Pb PPP, Klasse AIO) because the license plates are not cleared. I don't know how thin the paint is.

After this, seal it up with your strongest sealant as its usually subject to a rough environment.
 
I tried using the magic erasers (mr clean) on them and it seems to clean them just fine....only problem is that a little coloring came off on the pad but it didnt show any difference on the color of the license plate....i guess if you do it to much to a license plate over time it wouldnt be good
 
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