[wrestlingclub142]

hey i'm 17 and a senior at west side tech. i'm doing my senior project on custom painting and how to french a license plat useing my 93 dodge dakota.i need help so bad with the frenching a license plat :sweat: i looked like all over the internet of it but i can't find anything. so can u please help me by eather emailing me or something. thank you so much. have a nice day:welcome:

 

[troy-curt]

I use 16 gage or heaver sheet metal. Start with a piece a little bigger than a license plate, weld a strip (Band) around it 1 inch or bigger depending on the cars contour and how deep you want it to be, forming a box. Cut a hole, insert box however deep you want it and weld it in. Grind and fill. TA DA.

Troy

 

[Beenaway2long]

1.) Decide if Frenched backplate is rounded corners or square corners.

2.) Cut backplate slightly larger than license plate

3.) Cut metal strip for perimeter of backplate. The width of this strip is the MAXIMUM depth of the French. So if its Frenched 1/2" on top and 3/4" on bottom, make your strip 3/4".

4.) Weld strip to backplate and grind welds smooth.

5.) Mark your tailgate/trunk,whatever to the size of the backplate. Cut INSIDE the mark, and adjust the fit, so its tight to the box you built. Tack in a few places, being careful of the heat. Grind down a few places on the vert. leg of your french to meet the body, so you can weld it to the opening. Repeat until its all welded in. BE CAREFUL of the heat when grinding or welding.

TV show Trucks did a segment on this a while ago. You may want to do a google search for the Trucks episode.

 

[MARTINSR]

Welcome, I have done many "frenched" lights, license plates, and so on, maybe I can be of help.

First off, lets get on the same page. Are you talking about a box that is sunken into the tailgate of your Dakota with the license plate in it? By old days terms that would be "Tunneled" or "sunken". "Frenched would be more of the plate mounted on the surface with a sort of body line around it or maybe a "brow" over the top.

Which are you planning on doing?

There are places that sell the "tunnel" for doing the sunken style but that would be cheating.

 

[wrestlingclub142]

thanks

now does anyone know where to get info on a website that will tell you how custom painting was created. i looked all over the Internet and cant find anything :smash:

 

[MARTINSR]

That is a tough one being it kinda morphed from painting. An interesting thought is that nearly every single custom paint effect every used is a "controlled mistake". Someone found that the "Mistake" can have a good side if used correctly and mastered it.

One of those is Joe Bailon it is claimed he created candy apple paint. This is where you have a base of say, silver, and you apply a clear that is tinted with a red or other color over it. You can see the silver thru this tinted clear when done. Joe makes this claim, it may just be on the west coast or something but there may be some info there.

I just did a search for Joe Bailon for you and found this "The history of automotive finishes, Street Rodder magazine" (click here) Maybe that may be a start? Man,what search engine are you using, try Google.

Actually I did use "Joe Bailon custom paint" for search words, that may be the difference. Anyway, you will see the names you need to study there. Joe Bailon, Larry Watson, Art Hymsl and the like.

I just stopped and read some of that article, very, very cool stuff there.

 

[jimbo]

thought Ed "Big Daddy"Roth invented it, my be im wrong.....must of inhaled too many paint fumes back in the day...

 

[poncho62]

Now that you have all the info....the obvious joke....

does anyone know how to french a License plate?

Shove your tongue down it's throat:nono: :spank:

 

[red65mustang]

George Barris was one of the earliest "customizers" doing custom paint etc. Goes way back to early 50's, "Big Daddy" was more 60's

do a google search on "George Barris customizing autos",,,,see where that gets you for info

(Who was the guy in Glen Cove NY, started in the mid-50's?, DANG CRS!, used to go to his shop when I was a kid, almost as famous as Barris...)

(Barris is still doing great, saw him on speed channel,)