MBT Data Plate Remove or Leave

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Raflad
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MBT Data Plate Remove or Leave

Post by Raflad » Sun Feb 11, 2018 9:00 pm

Hi all, started stripping the paint off of my MBT and was wondering what to do with the data plate. Leave it in place or remove it to strip behind it. So far found no corrosion anywhere, so I'm assuming all is well under the plate. Hate to de rivet it if there is no need. Any thoughts are much appreciated.
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Adam Smith
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Re: MBT Data Plate Remove or Leave

Post by cushman » Mon Feb 12, 2018 9:45 am

Defiantly leave it where it is. Just clean around it and mask it off when you respray.

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Chris.
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1957 Hotchkiss M-201
1942 Willys MBT
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lt.luke
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Re: MBT Data Plate Remove or Leave

Post by lt.luke » Tue Feb 13, 2018 12:50 pm

Three of those rivets don't look original anyway. Remove it, and get some new ones to reattach. I think dataplates4u out of Belgium has the proper rivet style.

If it had been in-dorked with, I'd be a "leave it" proponent.

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Re: MBT Data Plate Remove or Leave

Post by Joe Gopan » Tue Feb 13, 2018 3:35 pm

Wrong Rivets, remove , clean it up and reinstall. Or get DeRuyter to do you up a repro, his are excellent.
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Raflad
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Re: MBT Data Plate Remove or Leave

Post by Raflad » Wed Feb 14, 2018 7:31 am

Appreciate the advice. However, does anyone have a photo of what the original rivets look like installed. The reason I am questioning this is that the trailer has had 3 paint jobs in its time. The original factory finish, another coat of olive drab during the war (the USA number was in blue on the original paint, then in white on top of the second paint) and finally a coat of white paint post war. The data plate shows signs of over spray from the second coat of olive drab paint. Looking at this evidence I do not think the plate has ever been removed. The attached photo is a little better and was taken before any paint removal.
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Adam Smith
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MBT 2470, 8-42, USA #0160905

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Re: MBT Data Plate Remove or Leave

Post by Joe Gopan » Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:55 am

Can you post a pic from inside the trailer? Normally the rivet head would be toward the front.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
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Chuck Lutz
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Re: MBT Data Plate Remove or Leave

Post by Chuck Lutz » Wed Feb 14, 2018 10:00 am

I stopped looking at my collection of mounted, original MBT data plates at about a dozen or so when I noticed that the rivets on them were EXACTLY like the ones on the data plate above....so they ARE original.

If you restore the MBT to perfectly then that data plate is going to bug you down the line. So, you can restore it before you do the trailer and mask it off for the sandblasting of the trailer or...remove it to restore it and remount it after restoring the trailer AND the data plate or...my suggestion....restore the trailer and send a pic of the data plate to Robert de Ruyter and get a PERFECT copy of the original. Then keep the original to go with the trailer.

Same problem for guys restoring jeeps....exactly the same problem...some jeep guys have TWO glove box doors; an original on they scrounged up and restored with Robert's repop data plates mounted on it on their restored jeeps and the original glove box door with nothing done to it or the data plates whatsoever for display purposes.

PS...rivet head is INSIDE the tub.
Chuck Lutz

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Re: MBT Data Plate Remove or Leave

Post by Joe Gopan » Wed Feb 14, 2018 10:16 am

And guess what, DeRuyter says so too, 9/64" X 3/16" Oval Head Steel. The Head goes inside.
Who would have thunk? :wink:
Last edited by Joe Gopan on Sat Feb 24, 2018 6:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Raflad
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Re: MBT Data Plate Remove or Leave

Post by Raflad » Wed Feb 14, 2018 8:53 pm

Thanks everyone, especially Chuck. I will look at Robert de Ruyter as an option.
Adam Smith
GPW 80535, 11-19-42
MBT 2470, 8-42, USA #0160905

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zepher11
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Re: MBT Data Plate Remove or Leave

Post by zepher11 » Thu Feb 15, 2018 5:42 am

Robert made my MBT replacement data plate. He does supply the rivets. Looks fantastic:

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Zeph

'42 Script GPW Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

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Raflad
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Re: MBT Data Plate Remove or Leave

Post by Raflad » Thu Feb 15, 2018 6:16 am

That does look very nice. I sent him an email.
Adam Smith
GPW 80535, 11-19-42
MBT 2470, 8-42, USA #0160905


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