Just thought I'd share my new project - restoration of a 1936 PA license plate. I picked it up on Ebay for about a dollar and figured it would be a cool mini-project. I'm having some trouble making the images appear from the attachments - sorry for all of the links.
First, the plate in original condition:
Cleanup with a wire brush and a "solution" to remove the rust:
Post-cleanup, just a light coating of anti-rust which darkens the metal a bit but preserves it until paint:
There's a small amount of metal work needed to straighten up the plate and clean up some of the pitting, but other than that it's ready for paint. Any suggestions for a long-lasting primer and paint combo?