WANTED- aluminum # plate

[Zeke]

You're kidding, right? BLANK plates??? IMHO, the only way such plates and/or VIN decals should be supplied is through authorized dealerships, after documented proof of ownership is presented. They then should be presented stamped. If not? Hell, we could all be driving RS's or R's. "numbers matching". Caveat Emptor...

Paul, don't worry. The plate is more of a convenience in the world of auto registration. When CA DMV checks out a car, they have a guide to all the locations of numbers and are trained to be on the lookout for things such as welded in clips containing the stamped numbers. Only a fool would weld in less and try to pass muster.

First of all, I know these things because I worked for a Corvette dismantler when I was 19 (that would be 40 years ago) and they weren't above glueing two cars together to make one. We've come a long way since then, but there was a way to do it right and legally, a way to do it illegally, and a way to get caught if you didn't have the right paperwork, even then. The least of the worrys was any of the pop rivet VIN plates.

Disclaimer: I'm not saying I ever did anything that was illegal, let's just say that I left that place when things didn't seemright. They were busted by dectectives 2 weeks later. All the employees were interviewed but not booked. Can't say the same for the owners. Glad I didn't even have to testify, but I saw enough to know how cars were "tagged" then.

If someone is going to do wrong with VIN plates, he is going to do it. The underground will see that what is needed is available. Honest people like you and me should be able to buy repros of things like this. I got all new nomenclature plates for my '44 Jeep including the VIN from a place in TX and they are very nice, but they don't fool anyone. How can a no. plate on a 60 year old vehicle look new? (I have the original.) Same for a 40 year old Porsche.

If I were going to buy an RS, the last thing I would expect to see is a perfect VIN plate. If I did, I would be relentless about documentation. There is no worry about having repro plates available, IMHO.

[rst73]

The blank VIN plates that Dave Asse sells are ORIGINAL Porsche and NOT reproduction. Trust me on this one guys, they ARE the REAL thing!

All the best!
Roger Grago
Parts Sales Manager
Porsche Motorsport of North America

R Gruppe #27

[911scfanatic]

Well the saga continues...Dave Aase can provide the vin plate, but I can't find anyone that does the stamping. I did call Andial, and the sales/service guy says he does not have the stamps (while implying that I'm some sort of thief). Anyone have a lead on who can stamp these?

BTW, I called Stoddard today, and they say that Porsche no longer provides replacement VIN stickers for the door jambs for cars from the mid-80's and earlier.

[RandyWebb]

I have a related question:

My plate is going to come off for a repaint. Where can I get the special rivets to put it back on so it looks like it was stock?

[Greg D.]

Are those plates model specific ? I mean, unless mine is a fake too, most of the info on the plate is not stamped, it's "raised" (or stamped from the other side, if you will)... Do the plates come totally blank ? If so that'd be a bit of a job to make a correct repro ! Stamping a VIN is easily done at home with a set of harbor freight stamping tools for $12 but doing all the raised stuff backwards in the right spots would be a $%$#%$ of a job!

As for the DMV knowing where to look, it all depends. I am just fresh out of a DMV nightmare as I bought a California car and "imported" it to Florida. The title was off by one digit - the last one - and I was too dumb to notice until later (7 are almost like 2s, aren't they ;-)

First DMV inspector team was a crack team (or were they on crack?) and once they shrewedlypointed out the discrepancy they tried to find other corroborating or incriminating VINs under my tranny's linkage cover plate !!! One insisted in looking all over the engine! One used the paint code for my car as a Possible VIN and would not believe my explanations that KunstarLack or whatever was a paint code !!! In the end I had to get this "fixed" by CA's DMV (and inspected by a cop, equally clueless incidentally, but a lot nicer) which took 3 months ! Second inspection, I went to another DMV office just to be safe. Gran'pa security guard was tasked with the job and looked thru the windshield for 2 seconds and signed the form. That easy... So it all depends on your karma that day !

PS: My VIN plate is dented and scratched, as if the hood latch had fallen on it, now that the car is officially mine (and legit for those who wonder), I'm thinking about straightening the plate, filling and sanding the scratches and repainting it silver or something, and putting it back on the car. Same deal lowly T, nothing to be dishonest about, just ugly...

PPS: Not one found the secret Vin

[kenikh]

I was just told my someone that they needed one when their's was lost during a repaint. He went to the Porsche dealer, they ran a verification of the car's authenticity and then ordered him one from the factory. He said he was going to pick it up at the dealer this week. If I get any more info on this, I'll make sure to post.

[raspy2point2]

You may be able to order from the factory a sticker that tells the month and year produced; but I am pretty sure when you receive the sticker it will be black in color. As most of us know with early 911's that sticker is silver. Does anybody know when Porsche changed the color from silver to black like the ones you see on mid 80's cars? Regards Chris 1970 911S #212

[kenikh]

You may be able to order from the factory a sticker that tells the month and year produced; but I am pretty sure when you receive the sticker it will be black in color. As most of us know with early 911's that sticker is silver. Does anybody know when Porsche changed the color from silver to black like the ones you see on mid 80's cars? Regards Chris 1970 911S #212

You were 100% correct, Raspy. The sticker ended up being black. Now my car needs silver sticker, whcih I am going to try to reproduce, as well as the VIN plate. Aase is getting a phone call from me today.

[boxster03]

Keni

if you can figure out how to reproduce the silver door pillar sticker let me know and I will pony up some $. this is discussed in another thread and you will need to find:

1) correct sticker material
2) photo shop correct font/layout
3) perforate the vin and production date
4) pressure stamp from rear the self destruct circles.

Let me know what you come up with and like I said I will help with costs.

thanks

[kenikh]

Keni

if you can figure out how to reproduce the silver door pillar sticker let me know and I will pony up some $. this is discussed in another thread and you will need to find:

1) correct sticker material
2) photo shop correct font/layout
3) perforate the vin and production date
4) pressure stamp from rear the self destruct circles.

Let me know what you come up with and like I said I will help with costs.

thanks

I have the font.

Laser cut vinyl machines can do all of the perforations, VIN holes, destruct circles, etc. It may not be PERFECT regarding looking like a pressure stamp, but won't know until I try. It will be cost prohibitive to make a die for those destruct circles, but it is doable if the money is there. If laser cutting isn't satisfacory, I'll look into it.

Vinyl shops have TONS of different adhesive vinyl material; I'd bet they have a nuts on match. Now if I only had access to an original sticker or hi-res photo of one. There are guys around here I can ask, but figuring out schedules is the sticking point.

I'll keep you posted, but I can tell you right now, I have a LOT of projects on the plate so this will most likely take months.

BTW, I hope you are nowhere near Chatsworth. My bro in law lives in the Box Canyon area and got evacuated. I know Sandy is down there, too. I wish them all the best of luck.