Tank Sticker on my 69

[Fred C.]

I have the original tank sticker on one of my vette's a 1969. I can read it but it is very hard to see. Is there someone out there who can make a copy of the original?
thanks
Fred

[Steven H.]

Re: Tank Sticker on my 69

Fred

That would be the Holy Grail if we could all get that.

I think it is 99.9% impossible.

[Joe W.]

Re: Tank Sticker on my 69

There is hope.

If you have a computer at home and Photoshop software,
then it might be worth the investment of buying a high resolution digital
scanner. From there, it is possible to decipher. However, plan on many hours or
months in cleaning it up enough to read. Been there, done that. Not fun.

Good Luck.

Joe

[Steven G.]

Re: Tank Sticker on my 69

Having your build sheet is a great start, Look at other build sheets and scan or taking digital photo of yours and start from there. I'm not sure they are the same as the earliest 70' that I have, (check out 70' CORVETTE REGISTRY also). If you are able to post a pic., you may get some help here, I have many photos of build sheets on cd to get you started, but a pic. of yours would be helpful for comparison. Steve

[John M.]

Re: Tank Sticker on my 69

Isn't there a special solvent you can soak them in that disolves the grease and dirt but does not attack the paper or Ink?

I remember reading that somewhere.

[Terry M.]

Re: Tank Sticker on my 69

Before you try those kinds of DIY things, ask at your local historical society or library about paper conservation. Even an on-line search will yield a lot of information, but this is an area where one can easily do more harm than good. Once damaged, there is no going back. A professional paper conservator will have experience in this area, so a couple of dollars will be well spent.

If you can get a high-resolution digital photo you can manipulate the image electronically to enhance the characters, or a good quality copier might be adjusted to enhance the image also. These kinds of experiments, so long as the paper is handled carefully, will cause little to no damage -- and are worth trying yourself. Anything else, especially attempts at cleaning the dust and dirt from the paper, should be left to professionals.

[Gary S.]

Re: Tank Sticker on my 69

I was able to scan my tank sticker and then play with the scanned image using Photo Shop to alter the background and other variables to the point that my 70% readable document went to about 95% +. Do you know anyone with Photo Shop skills, or even another photo processing software?

[Steven G.]

Re: Tank Sticker on my 69

I used a soft artist brush under an illuminated magnification lense and the results were good, this timely process did remove the dust that made #'s and lettering barely, but visable for photo or scanning. As Terry mentioned, you have one chance of recovery so be very very careful. Steve

[Jack H.]

Re: Tank Sticker on my 69

There was a prior post/thread (maybe 3-4 years back) from a fellow who used infra red photography. The contrasting pictures he posted (ordinary light photo then IR photo) were STRIKING! The first was almost completely illegible while the second was crisp and clear...

This makes sense to me since the document was originally printed via impact technology using a carbon ribbon. Despite the years of aging/fading, I suspect there are STILL carbon particles embedded in the impact depressions on the paper that when exposed to the heat of sunlight will show up distinctly from the non-carbon impregnated surrounding paper...

[Chris E.]

Re: Tank Sticker on my 69

Before you try those kinds of DIY things, ask at your local historical society or library about paper conservation. Even an on-line search will yield a lot of information, but this is an area where one can easily do more harm than good. Once damaged, there is no going back. A professional paper conservator will have experience in this area, so a couple of dollars will be well spent.

If you can get a high-resolution digital photo you can manipulate the image electronically to enhance the characters, or a good quality copier might be adjusted to enhance the image also. These kinds of experiments, so long as the paper is handled carefully, will cause little to no damage -- and are worth trying yourself. Anything else, especially attempts at cleaning the dust and dirt from the paper, should be left to professionals.

Terry's advice is good. I tried that last year by calling the Minnesota Historical Society and speaking with their document preservation expert. I even brought the gas tank and sticker to his house one weekend. He tried some solvent on it on a corner that didn't matter, and it didn't TOUCH the glue.

So, I now have the original tank and sticker (still stuck to it) and a PICTURE of the original sticker, printed out and laminated, that I'll be applying to the new gas tank that is going in the car.