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Thu Aug 25, 2005 6:54 pm

Does anyone know the best method of "restoring" or cleaning up the ID Tag behind the spare for a finished car so that it can be clearly read wthout damaging the codes or engraved numbers? They get really rusty oxidized and look really nice when all cleaned up and visable.
Thanks

Thu Aug 25, 2005 7:12 pm

I heard naval jelly works good to get the rust off. I'd also glass bead them and then clearcoat with lacquer.

See the pics of my '51 Stds tag I just posted. LMK what you find works.... :)

Fri Aug 26, 2005 12:05 pm

I am taking mine to have it cad plated now that it is beadblasted. The coating is very thin. I'll post up some pictures when I get it back. I am going to attach it with round head aluminum rivets as I don't think I will be able to find any in steel that look right or that I have the ability to flatten once they are in.

Fri Aug 26, 2005 12:38 pm

Wire wheel works great. As long as it's steel. I just did mine.

Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:03 pm

Usually most will clean up ok with even steel wool, or a wire wheel as suggested with some care (but it could easiliy "gall" the surface if not done lightly). The original cad/zinc alloy plating itself oxidizes/corrodes first on its own independent of the steel, the worse it gets over time the steel then gets exposed eventually, then rusts when plating shield is broken. So, if you just wire wheel it, the rust will come back rather soon.

So, if you get a good one to begin with, John's suggestion of naval jelly is a good one too, it just removes the corroded material, but you could have some pitting leftover that stains the top finish. If no pitting is there then you can just spray clear coat on it with a decent non-yellowing matt finish spray, a good urethane will hold longer than an acrylic spray. About as best as you can get to retain the original look.

If you have to remove "rust" on the steel, or if you have noticeable pits, suggestion is to only then lightly blast it with preferably silicon carbide, the surface finish texture is tighter than glass bead and less damaging if done efficiently and applying it the right way, its a more similar finish to a plated look, options again at that point is to use a quality mat clear top coat as above.

However, done right, and only if you have an excellent trusted plater, thats the optimum option, a good plater will know how to replate this and not lose any detail at all. But, first I implore you to know the plater you are working with first, any mistakes could be very costly, and mistakes happen even with good platers who will reassure you on the phone over and over, so get a proven well known plater (there should be supplier list on this site by the way in this regard).

Good luck.
Gary

Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:10 am

Mine was off the car when I bought it & was all rusty & bent. Straightened it out with a hammer (gently!!) & then derusted it. An hour with a Dremmel & some polishing rouge brought it up to a mirror shine. Then 2 coats of clear lacquer & it looks superb

Thu Sep 01, 2005 6:34 pm

I have after removing rust with rustmort used aluminum radeater paint. Its real real thin piant and looks stock

Thu Sep 01, 2005 8:07 pm

I showed my car's ID tag to the guy at the plating shop and he said it was originally cadmium plated. So I gave it a gentle bead blasting and had it cad plated.