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Old Stye Number Plates


Marty

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Anyone know where the hell I can get some done in that sort of weird computerised like font that kept cropping up in the 70's and 80's? Been Googling all evening, but to no joy.

You mean like this?

 

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If so then I'd like to know too, there's a 55-reg Cayenne I've seen a couple of times locally with (mis-spaced) plates in this font - laminated plastic not pressed steel as I'd prefer - so someone must still be able to make 'em. Seem to be quite a lot of vehicles around T-W suffix with metal plates of this style and of course the bus companies/hauliers/councils etc preferred them to placcy ones on account of they'd last a bit longer.

 

Otherwise, any decent graphics firm should be able to replicate them :)

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Rubbish.There must be plenty of places have still got the equipment for making them - in the case of steel ones, the plates themselves are still obtainable and I presume that they went in a machine with the relevant letter punches lined up to the prescribed dimensions.I can see a market for this sort of thing as more 1980s cars get put through restoration - there's NOTHING worse than a 100% factory condition classic with every detail as it left the showroom, wearing horrible modern post-2001 style plates.Closest I've got to nailing down an actual producer of said plates is that the Wadham Stringer bus bodybuilder near Portsmouth attached them to vehicles it constructed up to D-reg at least - there's still a coachbuilder factory there under a different name so the machinery *may* still exist in a dusty corner to create them. Long shot but worth a try maybe!

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There are proper eBay sellers / vendors whose only line of business is number plates. I attached one of these said sellers to my favourite sellers list on eBay so I can keep track of them because at some point in the future I would like some old style metal plates made up for my R14. Pretty sure they are an 'any style, any colour' plates business (legal), but I'll check them out for you. If it looks like they do your type I'll post their business / shop name for you.

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My Charmant has those plates, I think they're ace!

 

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However, here's a pointlessly tough request - I would like a pair in tin, in the same font but smaller so they can fit into a Japanese size rectangle plate (not square). With a border round it the same. Go on, do that. Go on!

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That's a challenge - I'd start by searching to see if there's any countries use tin plates of the size and colour you require and source some blanks. Then (if it was me) would try to replicate the characters using the relevant stroke width and spacing, in matt black vinyl.However - there must be places that make up house number/name plates and suchlike that could probably fabricate what you're looking for. Otherwise, looks like it's laminated plastic!As it is, I think I'm gonna have a go using the self-adhesive plate backings that the local trailer accessories store sells at about a fiver each, then get a graphics firm to produce individual "Serck-style" (for that is what we have now defined them as) digits to the precise size :) Results will be posted here in due course :D

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  • 3 months later...

Just thought I'd let everyone know that I stumbled across a wonderful local number plate manufacturer last week that are still able to produce the "Bestplate" style in both laminated plastic (below) and pressed steel:

 

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They also reckoned they could still source the type with tin backing plate and plastic raised characters. I'm hoping to return soon so as I can get a couple pairs made up for myself and will be happy to buy for others or can pass on contact details via private message :)

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  • 2 months later...

Good news for anybody wanting this style of plate - found a place that can produce them in laminated plastic. Forgot to ask if they could do them punched steel, doh. They refer to the font as "EuroStyle" and charge £30 a pair, which I think is a bit steep but on the upside they won't ask for a V5 as these are considered to be "show plates". :?

 

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A1 Plates Ltd

Tel: 0870 851 9270

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That's pretty smart, I see them all the time on a car near my work and it was bothering me! They're like Serck ones but not quite! Nice in their own way though.

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  • 3 months later...

Just dragged this up to mention this place: http://www.pl8s.co.uk/They seem to offer quite a huge range! No metal Serck plates (will this wish ever be fulfilled?), but there's some more conventional pressed plates as well as those bonkers "plastic letters" type ones.

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  • 4 years later...
Is anyone any nearer finding some Serck-a-likes?

Even the font to produce some acrylic ones would be a start....

 

Yeah, there's a place I use on eBay called 'designaplate'. Bol has used them too. Very cheap and excellent service - all in steel. I replaced the HORRIBLE plates on the 305 with a set.

 

http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/designaplate/&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2754

 

DSC02315.jpg

 

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DSC_0036And4more_tonemapped800x531.jpg

 

DSC_0209And3more_tonemapped800x531.jpg

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The 604's nice shiny new front plate is the same type as Jon's. As it replaced a proper SERCK it had to be as close as possible.

 

Original (battered) SERCK.

 

180308_10150092871564644_804084643_5887503_4361160_n.jpg

 

Spud'u'like FAKE PLATE!

 

407727_10150482447369644_804084643_8371644_769799673_n.jpg

 

Without finding a SERCK plate making machine and running up a batch, I think that's about as close as it'll get.

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Wow, last time I posted in this thread I was still living in Leicester!

 

The company I mentioned can still supply a SERCK-alike in plastic though. Their current website is here:

 

http://www.a1showplates.com/creator.htm ... ow&submit=

 

serck.jpg

 

The font you want is 'Euro Style'. I did get a pair made up by them a couple of years back and they're pretty good.

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