Do you detail your liscense plate?

[GP Infinity]

Just wanted to know how much time and effort do you place on this part of detailing your car? please feel free to add whatever comments you want to explain your response..

Dana

 

[BradE]

I wash, polish (very lightly) and Zaino mine. I remove them and do the entire process twice a year. :up The plates are part of the car, need to keep them looking good!



I even polish and seal my chrome plate holder.

 

[ultrajim49]

I wash & wax it



It's a part of the looks of the car , isn't it?

What good is a good-looking car with a dirty plate?

Theoreticly(sp?) it is not alowed to add anything on a plate, but they have to be clean



Christiaan

 

[imported_Luster1]

I do. I just hate to see a very clean car with dirty plates.



Have you ever seen a car that was super-clean, but the tires were brown? Same thing.



I have a chrome license plate frame (to match the wheels), so it kind of makes sense to detail it.



Plus I have a personalized tag, so I want people to look at it.

 

[Jngrbrdman]

I give mine a good washing just to get the dirt off. I don't need them any more reflective than they already are. The front plate has a cover over it to help protect it from the rocks and bugs and stuff. Its easier to replace a messed up plate cover than to get a new plate when the bugs are just too thick. I'd imagine that a coat of Klasse would make the bugs easier to clean off though.... Oh well. I definitely detail around the plate though. Every painted surface on my car gets thoroughly detailed.

 

[Green Monster]

I wash mine and EO Wipe 'N' Shine it. I also use a nice clear with rubber gasket cover to help protect it. :xyxthumbs

 

[dcigupt]

I usually wax mine a few times a year.



My biggest pet peeve is when people have a beautiful shiny car and it has a rusted, bent and dented licence plate on it



Ian.

 

[37buckeye]

I wash and wax my plates.



During the summer, bugs tend to splatter all over the front license plate. Having a good coat of wax makes things much easier to clean up.



-ema

 

[Richt]

I wash mine, clean with plastic cleaner. I always remove and wash behind them before a show.

 

[john bennett]

I thought I was the only one who did that!



I was detailing a friend's car that had not been detailed in two or three years. I clayed the whole car - including the license plates - and noticed how much brighter the plates looked, which made the whole car look newer and fresher. Now I do it on every car I detail, before I apply the Zaino.

 

[Jake11375]

Wash it 99% of the time. Wax it about 3 times a year. Oklahoma tags are so ugly anyway.

 

[Mmmph]

My renewal came up recently, and rather than mail it in, I went to the office. I mentioned that my plate was dirty and wouldn't come clean. They offered me a new one, no charge. As soon as I got home, I removed it, washed it and waxed it.

 

[qsfanzone]

Not only do I wash and wax it, I even remove it every year and polish and wax behind it. It's funny that this poll should be on the site tonight as I just got done removing it and polishing and waxing behind it before I came in and went on line.

 

[matt@wheelwax]

I always wash and wax mine because the cheap Michigan "Mackinaw Bridge Sunset" plates clearcoat will start to peel if left un touched.

 

[chris0626]

Fellow Autopians, I am shocked -- shocked, I say! So far, over half of the respondents only wash the plates??!! Where is our commitment to excellence? Are we declining as an Autopicivilization??



Dana, you left out some important steps -- in addition to wash, polish, and wax, of course I also clay it and Zaino it.



ema, you're absolutely right: Zaino/waxing the front plates makes the bugjuice ever-so-much easier to remove!



:up

 

[Nick T.]

Do you detail your liscense plate?

Of course I detail my license plates (with a topping of Zaino for easier bug removal)! Don’t you remove your plates to detail the backs and the mounting surface?

 

[chris0626]

Of course I detail my license plates (with a topping of Zaino for easier bug removal)! Don’t you remove your plates to detail the backs and the mounting surface?

Amen, Nick T! After all, when you want to keep a vehicle in tip-top shape for decades (not just years), rust and abrasion are Public Enemy #1. This kind of cleaning and protection is a great defense.

 

[imported_Custom Detail]

Can I get a new front licence plate? ( N.J. )

I just about wore off the black lettering.

They are personalised plates. I don't want to give them up.

Lots of chips also.....

 

[MBZ 500E]

Ok so here's a question related to detailing plates.



I just picked up my personalized plates "500E 92" and seeing as they're custom made they should be freshly painted.



My question is, if it's fresh paint should I wait to wax the surface or do you think the 3 weeks of curing is enough

 

[Nick T.]

Waiting for 60 days or so might be the safe way to go. In the interim you can cover the new plates with Saran Wrap to protect them from dirt and bugs.