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Possible european license plate mounting holes?
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tperazzo
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PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 8:52 pm    Post subject: Possible european license plate mounting holes? Reply with quote

While stripping and prepping my car various holes were found in the back where the license plate goes.
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Does anybody here recognize this hole pattern and what plates may have graced this car in the past? The two unlabelled holes are for the US plate bracket.

The speedo was in km/hr and the front turn lenses are clear?

Thanks for any help!
Tom Perazzo
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Barry Brisco
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PostPosted: Sat May 19, 2012 2:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tom is your car a T1 or T2? What is the chassis number?

I'm just trying to figure out which holes are for the license plate light.

Barry
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tperazzo
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PostPosted: Sat May 19, 2012 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry, I forgot the details. Its a T6, so the license plate lights are in the bumper. VIN 218094.
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Barry Brisco
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PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 9:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tom, my apologies, I should have recognized it as a T6 because of the cutout for the backup light. My mistake.

It looks like the 4 holes were for a large squarish European type plate with a country abbreviation on it, like "GB" and the two wider spaced holes underneath for the long European style number lates, but really I'm just speculating.

Aren't there also some small holes for the rear scripts?

Barry
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tperazzo
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PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Barry, yes there are tiny holes for the porsche script and two more holes for the SC script. Probably can't make them out in the picture. I searched for a while on google for various vintage plates, but never could find the hole patterns. I thought maybe someone here might have an old european plate lying around. Not sure if each country had the same hole pattern or not. It appears no, because it has the square and long rectangle. Maybe I'll check the classifieds here.
Thanks,
Tom Perazzo
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Jacks
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PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lots of vintage plate shots here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=262268
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ensys
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PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. Perazzo:

Off hand I would think the top line of holes should be about the height of the scripts, tho you imply those holes are separate and unseen.

And I'm not sure I understand the interest in past license plates, unless the issue is whether some of the holes are "factory". If so, it is my impression that the Factory did not provide holes for plate fixing, tho the C may be an exception.

If, on the other hand, it is your desire to "know" what plates have been on the car in its past, I don't think I can help.
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Black Betty
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PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2012 6:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here the holes for the US license plate seem to be 'higher' than on your car:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I don't think the licenseplate holes were in the car when it came from the factory (none)

Here is one without bumpers (you could call it 'Outlaw') with Dutch license plates and an alternative license plate light:
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tperazzo
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PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2012 8:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ensys wrote:
Mr. Perazzo:

Off hand I would think the top line of holes should be about the height of the scripts, tho you imply those holes are separate and unseen.

And I'm not sure I understand the interest in past license plates, unless the issue is whether some of the holes are "factory". If so, it is my impression that the Factory did not provide holes for plate fixing, tho the C may be an exception.

If, on the other hand, it is your desire to "know" what plates have been on the car in its past, I don't think I can help.


Thanks for your reply. The top line holes are about 2" below the PORSCHE script holes. The script holes can't been seen in my photo, sorry. I exaggerated the plate holes electronically. Ha ha.

Going forward these holes don't matter, they are already filled. But my interest is knowing the history of the car. I know it has been in California since the early 80's (blue plate), but I would like to at least narrow down which country it came from. Kind of like a mystery. I wish those holes could talk.

Jack referred me to a link with this photo from Stoner Park in England in 1964. Those plates might fit my hole pattern? I have an inquiry into someone who is selling a set now.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Here's a 60's era British plate.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


My car is left hand drive. I'm sure there are plenty of other countries that have similarly shaped plates though. I saw a few from British Columbia that may have the same hole pattern.

My car was super rusty which also supports the theory that it came from Europe, especially the UK!
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bbspdstr
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PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2012 10:57 am    Post subject: Re: Possible european license plate mounting holes? Reply with quote

tperazzo wrote:
While stripping and prepping my car various holes were found in the back where the license plate goes.

Does anybody here recognize this hole pattern and what plates may have graced this car in the past? The two unlabelled holes are for the US plate bracket.
It was posted by Mr. Ensys Wink that the factory didn't add holes for a plate, they were done at delivery to the final customer. I believe that to be true and while never taking factory delivery on a 356, that may have been the exception. (Factory delivery of a Mercedes in the '60s got the Tourist tags on the generic mounts front and rear, my only personal experience).

The big square tag wasn't US and if the car is to stay in the standardized plated US, all the others are superfluous. It looks like the car went through at least two European countries before coming to the states. Do the holes above the teardrop light holes for the reflector pedestals look original and even?

Thus, the only bracket holes for what may be considered "normal" for a 356 would be the upper two smaller holes, as you say. That would be for a Stoddard-sold (and others) horizontal aluminum version with slotted tag-mounting holes dog-legged above the paint while the two center drop holes would likely match what you show and be obviously bolted to the body.

If it were, as many examples just like yours become....my decision, I'd fill (weld) them ALL and decide later what to do when the bumper is back on and up&down/side-to-side spacing can be determined. You may like the tag tilted, the bracket under the bottom, who knows? I'd mount the bumper soon and then put the tag as you like. Given your skills, a couple of more holes to fill isn't a challenge and better to do that before you fill the others and you change your mind. Measure AND eyeball, mark on masking tape, drill through the tape, then mark what stays, weld the rest.
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ensys
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PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2012 10:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mr. Perazzo:

I get it. Just eyeballing it, the Brit plate might be a good guess. I may be mistaken, but it seems to me that in that time frame, some of the Low Countries (Belgium, Holland, etc.) used a square format as well.

The lower hole pair suggest one of the long rectangles that many countries used at this time. I think sequential licensing is a likelyhood.

I wonder what Google would have to sell you if one were to inquire about old license plates?
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Jacks
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PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2012 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"Stoner Park 1964" cool. Cool
do I see smoke?
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Black Betty
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PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2012 11:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The square license plates that were/are used in Holland were/are fixed with 2 screws (in the middle of the license plate), not on the 4 angles...
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