'67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

[Joe L.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

More.....


DSCN4003.jpgDSCN4004.jpg

[Garry B.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

Thanks for the additional photos Joe.

[Sal C.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

Seeing as though the frames were not installed at the assembly plant and assuming that not every dealer actually installed them, why don't we judge them off the cars. That way the clips and rivets are the defining factor, and not the magnetism.

[Keith K.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

After reading all this, I decided to go check my 67 which has the original frames and the original California black plates. Yes, the original frame would hold a magnet, and the old 60's vintage license plate held the magnet so strong that it took a little effort to pull it off the plate. Just another confirmation of conclusions above.

I have lots of old frames and license plates (all 50 states), so I experimented a bit.

- I used a fairly thin plastic license plate frame, and the magnet did hold to the plastic due to the strong draw of the old 60's vintage license plate underneath.
- Chrome plated pot metal dealer frames do not hold a magnet.
- Plates from the 90's and early 2000s - there were 16 state's plates that would hold a magnet (+ a couple of Canadian provinces), the rest would not. Some were a very strong attraction like the 67 California plate. Some states do offer old style vintage plates for collector cars and these will generally hold a magnet.

While playing with the magnet, I decided to try the beauty rings. I have repop beauty rings on the car that look very much like the originals, clips and all. The repops would hold a magnet on the edges of the rim, but not on the dish area. The originals from the car will hold a magnet on the dish area as well as the rim.

I guess I would be on the side of not using magnets at judging in general, but I do see that they do provide true proof of originality and probably valuable at the highest levels of judging.

Keith

[Gary B.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

Keith,





Gary

[James W.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

I finally got around to digging out this new GM license plate frame and got some pictures of it (first four pictures). Everything is magnetic. The US Patent Number is 3.314.18. More leftover parts from my late father's collection.

The last six (6) pictures are of a license plate from off of an unrestored '65 that was bought from the second owner in 1975. The differences I see are the size of the rivet head and the shape of the tangs. I did not see any US Patent info on this one. Every part of the frame is magnetic.

Hope this is of some help.

James

I think I may have found an original license plate frame and from the jg it should be stainless and a magnet should stick to it. Rivets hold the clips, the retaining clips appear to be correct. What else do I need to check? Parts vendors do have reproductions available. Does anyone know if they pass judging and do magnets stick to them? Thanks.

[Garry B.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

James, I appreciate your photo contribution to this thread. I too recently acquired two originals, one still in the same package as the one you show. Yes, both draw a magnet.

[Joe L.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

I finally got around to digging out this new GM license plate frame and got some pictures of it (first four pictures). Everything is magnetic. The US Patent Number is 3.314.18. More leftover parts from my late father's collection.

The last six (6) pictures are of a license plate from off of an unrestored '65 that was bought from the second owner in 1975. The differences I see are the size of the rivet head and the shape of the tangs. I did not see any US Patent info on this one. Every part of the frame is magnetic.

Hope this is of some help.

James

James------


Keep in mind that the frames you pictured are SERVICE-supplied frames and are thus packaged in SERVICE packaging. The frames supplied in PRODUCTION were not packaged this way. Those frames were individually packaged in plastic bags just as I pictured in my last photo, above. There was no marking of any kind on the bags. So, if one were to display the frames in the car, as delivered, the SERVICE packaging would not be correct.

I am not saying, though, that there was any difference in the SERVICE or PRODUCTION supplied frames themselves. At any given point in time, the SERVICE and PRODUCTION frames were identical.

[Keith K.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

Keith,





Gary

Simply NO - we are a "Corvette Restorers Society". There are awards for untouched originality, but the vast majority of our cars are restored.

Keith

[Gary B.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

Keith,

I think what you say is 100% correct and I think that is what most NCRS member would say. And yet, I think more than half of NCRS judges would say the use of a magnet is acceptable in flight judging.

Gary

[Harry S.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

Keith,

I think what you say is 100% correct and I think that is what most NCRS member would say. And yet, I think more than half of NCRS judges would say the use of a magnet is acceptable in flight judging.

Gary

So does the National Judging Chairman, please review my post # 31.

On paint, I took a 100% deduct on a C1 that was lacquer. The owner eliminated the lack of paint at the bottom of the doors and valances. Then he polished everything everywhere so it looked like a mirror. The car did not represent an original paint job. Lacquer did not matter.

[Gary B.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

So does the National Judging Chairman, please review my post # 31.

On paint, I took a 100% deduct on a C1 that was lacquer. The owner eliminated the lack of paint at the bottom of the doors and valances. Then he polished everything everywhere so it looked like a mirror. The car did not represent an original paint job. Lacquer did not matter.

[Jack M.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

Here are a few shots of the one I have that both the frame and rivets are magnetic. It does not have the patent number on the tang, and unfortunately one of them broke off. Again, both the frame and the rivet are magnetic and it came from a low mileage, two owner car.

Garry- That one frame you describe may indeed be legit. If you are looking for the US Patent Number, just wondering how it would be present if the patent wasn't issued until very late in the 1967 model year... unless they possibly had 'Patent Pending' language? I know next to nothing on this topic, so hoping others can clarify the idiosyncrasies regarding patents.

US Patent Number - 3314181-01.jpg
US Patent Number - 3314181-02.jpg

[Jack M.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

UPDATE: I've done some research, reached out to subject knowledgeable people, and even contacted the US Patent and Trademark Office. Everyone claims it was NOT possible for the Patent Number to be present on a manufactured item, BEFORE the patent was issued (4-18-67)... as the patent number was not available, prior to approval.

'Patent Pending' language was possible after submission (2-5-64)... but I do not believe anyone has reported seeing that on any License Plate Frames.

I also searched multiple Chevrolet Assembly Manual 'Misc Shipping Lists' for Passenger Cars (1961-69) and Camaro (1967-69). Unlike the MANY years these frames were used for Corvette, none of the other Misc Shipping Lists included a License Plate Frame. I do not have AIM access to other GM brands, so I'm unaware of other possible vehicles using a similar License Plate Frame.

Currently, we have no idea exactly when the Patent Number first appeared on plates (or when old inventory was used up), but do have an original 1969 owner indicating his frames contain the Patent Number.

Patent info via Google:
US3314181A - License plate frame.jpg

[Joe L.]

Re: '67 stainless license plate frame - how to tell if real

UPDATE: I've done some research, reached out to subject knowledgeable people, and even contacted the US Patent and Trademark Office. Everyone claims it was NOT possible for the Patent Number to be present on a manufactured item, BEFORE the patent was issued (4-18-67)... as the patent number was not available, prior to approval.

'Patent Pending' language was possible after submission (2-5-64)... but I do not believe anyone has reported seeing that on any License Plate Frames.

I also searched multiple Chevrolet Assembly Manual 'Misc Shipping Lists' for Passenger Cars (1961-69) and Camaro (1967-69). Unlike the MANY years these frames were used for Corvette, none of the other Misc Shipping Lists included a License Plate Frame. I do not have AIM access to other GM brands, so I'm unaware of other possible vehicles using a similar License Plate Frame.

Currently, we have no idea exactly when the Patent Number first appeared on plates (or when old inventory was used up), but do have an original 1969 owner indicating his frames contain the Patent Number.

Patent info via Google:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]111557[/ATTACH]

Jack-------

From what I have been able to determine, the GM #3797485 was applicable to all 1964-66 Chevrolet passenger cars as well as 1963-75 Corvettes. No other GM usage I can find. The 3797485 was released in 1962 and discontinued from SERVICE about 15 years ago.