Detailing License Plates !!

[JeffW]

OK, my wife thinks I'm now more nutso than ever before. I disagree and tell her I just found something else that needs some polish and shine, that's all.

It dawned on me this weekend as I was mopping around bored silly that the license plates on the cars need to be cleaned and detailed just like the rest of the car. Don't know how I never realized this before...

Wash with dawn
KAIO'd x2
KSG'd x2
QD'd with HGAS

Fortunately didn't notice any swirls in the plates or else I'd had to pull out the PC and my Opt polish.

Best looking plates in town, no doubt.

 

[CalgaryDetail]

nice nice. I like to take the plats off so i can give them a good scrub. Its a small thing but it makes a huge diffrence. Its nice to see you found somthing else to detail, just means you get to spend MORE time on your car. Every detailers dream

 

[JeffW]

nice nice. I like to take the plats off so i can give them a good scrub. Its a small thing but it makes a huge diffrence. Its nice to see you found somthing else to detail, just means you get to spend MORE time on your car. Every detailers dream

I guess the part that really bugs my wife is that, especially during the warmer days of the year, the more time I am spending on my cars the less time I'm doing stuff like yard care, inside maintenance (although I did just install a new water softener and there is only 1 small leak. Weekend project for mid summer to tackle that leak), painting the house, blah, blah, blah...

Did clean her plate also, so she too can be the envy of the town.

 

[Beemerboy]

You might want to be real careful cleaning or using polish on them the paint is super thin (at least the CA are) you can go right threw the paint on the edges of the letters and numbers...I use PB P-w-C to clean up and then sealant and that's about it

 

[JeffW]

You might want to be real careful cleaning or using polish on them the paint is super thin (at least the CA are) you can go right threw the paint on the edges of the letters and numbers...I use PB P-w-C to clean up and then sealant and that's about it

Oh, I figured the coating was super thin and there's no way I'd use a PC on it...

 

[Beemerboy]

Oh, I figured the coating was super thin and there's no way I'd use a PC on it...

Jeff

I'm not talking about that either....I was able to rub threw the paint by hand on some that I have cleaned....mainly older ones that have faded...again just be careful they are real thin on paint

 

[jdoria]

Buy a plate frame with a plastic cover.

You can also spray the cover on the inside with the anit-reflective coating that will prevent you from being photographed by intersection cameras....nice addition.

You are just donating $$$ to the cops by making your plates more reflective, the laser detectors eat that up.

 

[JeffW]

Buy a plate frame with a plastic cover.

You can also spray the cover on the inside with the anit-reflective coating that will prevent you from being photographed by intersection cameras....nice addition.

You are just donating $$$ to the cops by making your plates more reflective, the laser detectors eat that up.

Beemer - OK, understand ya now, man. Good tip.

jsatek - Good idea... I've seen that spray advertised. Regardless, I guess I really don't want my plate numbers standing out like a sore thumb with all the traveling I do, eh?

 

[jdoria]

Beemer - OK, understand ya now, man. Good tip.

jsatek - Good idea... I've seen that spray advertised. Regardless, I guess I really don't want my plate numbers standing out like a sore thumb with all the traveling I do, eh?

Its just a big target for a laser detector.
I have a passport Radar / laser detector with a shifter system front and rear and I spray the plates. NYC has those "donation" cameras at hundereds of intersections. The shifter pisses cops off tremendously. I see the anger in their faces when I pass. One actually stopped me and wrote a fictional "I saw you speeding ticket", I got is squashed by the D/A, just a total waste of time, but better than higher insurance rates.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Does anyone else use those clear plastic liscense plate covers on their vehicles? I have them on both of ours and it really helps keep the plates clean and shiny. I generally don't do anything with them more than once a year when I pull off the plate to add a new registration tab.

 

[JeffW]

Does anyone else use those clear plastic liscense plate covers on their vehicles? I have them on both of ours and it really helps keep the plates clean and shiny. I generally don't do anything with them more than once a year when I pull off the plate to add a new registration tab.

I've never thought much for those cuz you see so many that are yellowed and look yucky (just the ones who don't take care of them, and generally they match their car if you know what I mean). Up until this weekend all I ever did was just swip the license plate with the mitt when I was done with the car.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

I've never thought much for those cuz you see so many that are yellowed and look yucky (just the ones who don't take care of them, and generally they match their car if you know what I mean). Up until this weekend all I ever did was just swip the license plate with the mitt when I was done with the car.

Oh yes, I definitely know what you mean about people who don't take care of 'em. I figured folks on DC (who obviously would take care of them) might see them as a viable option for plate protection.

 

[exile]

Does anyone else use those clear plastic liscense plate covers on their vehicles? I have them on both of ours and it really helps keep the plates clean and shiny. I generally don't do anything with them more than once a year when I pull off the plate to add a new registration tab.

Yep, I do Now, if I could just find those little black caps for the screw heads or find shorter screws in one of those kits for mounting same. I'll figure it out one of these days.........

 

[TrueDetailer]

If you want it to shine, go buy a can of automotive clear from autozone. Polish/clean it with whatever you got, then apply like 4 or 5 coats of clear and you'll have the cleanest plate in town.

 

[SNike05]

When we sold our Odyssey and bought the ML we had our plate transfered to the new car. The mercedes dealer polished the plate before putting it on. Residue was visible when we picked it up.

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

If you want it to shine, go buy a can of automotive clear from autozone. Polish/clean it with whatever you got, then apply like 4 or 5 coats of clear and you'll have the cleanest plate in town.

Isn't that illegal? I would think that might interfere with the reflective paint they use for the numbers.....

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Yep, I do Now, if I could just find those little black caps for the screw heads or find shorter screws in one of those kits for mounting same. I'll figure it out one of these days.........

You can get those caps in the hardware aisle at Home Depot. It would be in one of their "bulk/misc." drawers.

 

[JeffW]

You can get those caps in the hardware aisle at Home Depot. It would be in one of their "bulk/misc." drawers.

Saw some in AutoZone just yesterday... black cap, silver cap and some with skulls (which would look boss on my wee little Honda Civic, eh?)

 

[Havuser]

If you want it to shine, go buy a can of automotive clear from autozone. Polish/clean it with whatever you got, then apply like 4 or 5 coats of clear and you'll have the cleanest plate in town.

If one lives in Ohio, it would be the RUNNIEST plate in town. I tried it once years ago and had nice "Pull Me Over Now, Officer" streaked characters on my plates.:nutkick

 

[exile]

Does anyone else use those clear plastic liscense plate covers on their vehicles? I have them on both of ours and it really helps keep the plates clean and shiny. I generally don't do anything with them more than once a year when I pull off the plate to add a new registration tab.

I use a smoked cover, really like the look