Dino Saga 060528___License Plate | FerrariChat

Dino Saga 060528___License Plate

Discussion in 'Corbani's Corner' started by John Corbani, May 28, 2006.

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  1. John Corbani

    John Corbani Formula 3
    Honorary Owner

    May 5, 2005
    1,153
    Santa Barbara, CA
    Full Name:
    John Corbani
    #1 John Corbani, May 28, 2006
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Dino Saga 060528___License Plate

    Car came with a plain vanilla 7 digit plate and a dealer frame. After the shock of the buy wore off, my wife thought I should be easier to find in case I started picking up chicks and frequenting motels. As if the Dino wasn’t distinctive enough! My next birthday brought the present plates and a kiss. I started looking around for a decent frame. Anything you put on a Dino has to be just right. Nothing was. Car was white at the time which made choice much harder. Finally settled on a thin black metal frame that could be slightly curved to follow the rear panel. Have been happy with it ever since even though there have been a few problems. The front plate was off until I got a fix-it ticket. An angle of 0.031 stainless slipped under the bottom of the aluminum grill outline was the quick solution. Plate touched speed bumps but it was on. Too low but the CHP bought it anyway. Plate got pretty banged up but lasted 9 years that way.

    Problems have all been about corrosion. The car is outside virtually all of the time. Car port and car cover keep the big stuff off but temp changes, condensation, fog, etc. make sure that there is some moisture everywhere. Even in the Santa Barbara summers. We get year ‘round ocean driven air conditioning whether we want it or not. Every night!

    About 10 years ago I decided that the white color had to go. First Dino I ever saw was a GTS in a dark metallic blue. Most beautiful car I have ever seen. Color choice was a given. Then we started pulling trim and found lots of corrosion at every screw hole through the body. Area under the rear plate had bubbled. Water had gotten between plate and body and just couldn’t get out. Lower screw tabs on frame had corroded too. Looked for a new metal frame, same simple style. Unabtainium.

    Cut lower tabs off of frame, polished and faired cut edges. Painted frame semi-gloss black. Glued frame to plate with black Silicone and let cure. Used 10-32 stainless screws, 1/16” nylon spacer washers and stainless stop nuts to hold pate just off rear panel. Black Silicone under washers made a water tight seal. 10 years later… so far, so good. The 1/16” space between plate and body lets water, dust and leaves run out and residue dry quickly. Never put the front plate back on. CHP is not so picky now.

    Wife is happy. I am happy. Car is happy. Plate is starting to run out of paint though and month sticker has seen better days. Gonna get a new plate one of these years. Probably will keep frame.

    John
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  2. synchro

    synchro F1 Veteran

    Feb 14, 2005
    9,294
    CHNDLR
    Full Name:
    Scott
    Funny, nearly the same concept I've used on my Maserati Bora which is in nearly the same Metallic Blue color. I have spent many hours (days/weeks) replacing fasteners with stainless steel ones.
     

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