Has anyone ever seen a dealer tag like this?

[Chris]

I recently bought a pretty crummy 32 Ford coupe. It has had a rough life and was even a stock car...but some how this neat brass dealer tag stayed on the firewall its entire life. I have never seen anything like this, has anyone else?

Also, any tips on how I can clean this tag up without destroying the black silk screen?

[Bruce Lancaster]

Wow! I would start by carefully drilling the heads off of rivets, then do some slow, patient dabbing with Evapo Rust on a small artist's paint brush. Keep it very, very local.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lancaster

Wow! I would start by carefully drilling the heads off of rivets, then do some slow, patient dabbing with Evapo Rust on a small artist's paint brush. Keep it very, very local.

Thanks Bruce. Yes I removed the tag already and cleaned it with dish soap. But obviously that did very little haha. I would actually like to install this on my roadster and it does not have to be "like new" but as nice as I can make it without removing the silk screen

[Tim Ayers]

If brass, I would try Q-Tips dipped in Flitz or Brasso (if the Flitz doesn't work).

This way, you can work around the painted areas in a very controlled manner.

Really neat piece.

[bmwillia]

You could try this:
http://www.amazon.com/Brasso-Duragli...eywords=brasso

It is a chemical soaked wading that the reviews say does not hurt other painted areas.

[alchemy]

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I kinda looks like the tag was etched. If so, you could polish the brass, then repaint the black into the etched areas and wipe with a rag dipped in thinner.

[Bruce Lancaster]

The reason I suggested Evapo is that it will NOT do anything to the brass...once you get a shiny spot, you either have to polish the rest without destroying the black or maybe just let it set for 80 years to re-patinate...
Brasso and related use I think ammonia to attack the patina and also bear some mild abrasive. Evapo Rust will not mess with anything but rust. It WILL damage things tha are water soluble...even though the black there has survived enough water to half dissolve the deuce, I would still work very locally with a brush to just dissolve the very thin layer of rust deposit.

[Flowmeister]

Never Dull will put some oils back into the ink.
Anyhow you do it, it's going to be a tedious process
to get results without "taking away" from it.

That's damn cool!

[rotorwrench]

I don't believe I've seen one like that on an early car but some dealers were pretty proud of their establishments and it was inexpensive advertisement. In the late 40s, many already had the zinc diecast dealer tags.

[32phil]

Be happy ya got it off in one piece.
Leave it as it is ....it's earned all those "beauty marks"

[4tford]

I would not touch it. Keep as is as it is certainly a survivor.

[B-O-B]

PATINA Chris Patina You might try something like toothpaste & Q tip & try to stay away from the black. Watch & jewelry repair use a vibra sonic piece of equipment you might ask one.

[woodiewagon46]

I agree with the leave it alone suggestions. Too rare to screw up the painted portion. Very nice find!

[hotrodA]

Chris SCORES AGAIN!

The guy is a tin magnet, I tell you!

United Pacific is your new best friend.

[Don Rogers]

Chris, I've seen these types of tags before. I have several from 1920's era vehicles. Obviously it was practiced into the 30's.

Fries Malwitz was a Ford Dealer located in Chicago (Near Ohare Field?) This dealer was quite involved in early aviation as well. They sponsored several airplanes and a local airplane club. See the following:

[PeterC]

Originally Posted by Don Rogers

Chris, I've seen these types of tags before. I have several from 1920's era vehicles. Obviously it was practiced into the 30's.

Fries Malwitz was a Ford Dealer located in Chicago (Near Ohare Field?) This dealer was quite involved in early aviation as well. They sponsored several airplanes and a local airplane club. See the following:

Don - the stuff you come up with is amazing!

[Bubsyouruncle]

If the address is 4101 Irving Park Blvd, the dealership was right where Interstate 94 crosses Irving Park Blvd. O'Hare is a good 10 miles west of there. And didn't exist in 1932. I grew up about 2 miles away from that location.

[Tudortomnz]

Tags & plaques in those days were usually etched or stamped with enamelling filling the relief imaging. Probably either thin brass or alloy. I would only clean it with a polishing oil, do not use Brasso or anything abrasive.
The wheel appears to be Model A, so it fits the era for a'32.

[47Merc]

Maybe take it to your local Museum and ask the conservator/restorer there what they would use on it.

Some of these types of places have some very specialised treatments for different materials.

[Chris]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Let me clarify a few things:

It is a stamped (recessed) tag, not printed. You could repaint it if needed. I do want to clean it up a little. Not "restore" it by any means but get some of the rust stains off and shine it a little. We will see. The holes dang near line up with the holes for the "body number" tag on the firewall on my 34...I thought about putting it there. I'd love to use it so other can see it. I was amazed there is not a ding or scratch in it after all these years!