Custom Dash Plaque
1/28/07, 04:34 PM
#1
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Custom Dash Plaque
Does anyone know where to get a custom dash plaque made, that coud look something like this one that Stangnut thought up:
http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showpo...79&postcount=9
I did a search, and that was pretty much all I could find. I don't want the shelby name/signature, but I want something kind of like that, or like what Shelbyautos.com has (albeit without the Shelby nomenclature).
I'm sure that there is a company that does these (I remember that people with Bullitts and Terminator cobra's were having something similar done.
It doesn't have to have the cutouts for b/w the vents...I just want to know if anyone does these still. I think that the dash really needs something, and a custom dash plaque with the VIN would look great IMO.
Please, someone help my car...
EDIT: This is off my shelby print, but is almost identical to what I want. But I want it to have the GT name instead of GT500 (and, obviously, it would say Chassis or VIN number, not print number). I attached the GT name so that you know what I'm talking about
Attachment 18269 Attachment 18270
http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showpo...79&postcount=9
I did a search, and that was pretty much all I could find. I don't want the shelby name/signature, but I want something kind of like that, or like what Shelbyautos.com has (albeit without the Shelby nomenclature).
I'm sure that there is a company that does these (I remember that people with Bullitts and Terminator cobra's were having something similar done.
It doesn't have to have the cutouts for b/w the vents...I just want to know if anyone does these still. I think that the dash really needs something, and a custom dash plaque with the VIN would look great IMO.
Please, someone help my car...
EDIT: This is off my shelby print, but is almost identical to what I want. But I want it to have the GT name instead of GT500 (and, obviously, it would say Chassis or VIN number, not print number). I attached the GT name so that you know what I'm talking about
Attachment 18269 Attachment 18270
1/28/07, 05:49 PM
#4
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Yes, I colored the emblems. I used red spray paint (I believe it was Ford Red engine paint, because I had some left over from doing my calipers on my 00 a few years ago), and then just removed the excess paint. It was a PITA to paint, though, because I first had to scrape the chrome off the inside of the emblem in order to get the paint to stick. I also painted the "FORD" letters on the rear medallion, before switching to the SHR medallion (in which I painted the "GT" in black on that one).
1/29/07, 12:15 AM
#5
I can't do it too cheaply, but I can do a really nice piece in polished stainless steel with pretty much whatever you want... let me see if I can dig up a picture of a really old one I did...
Ok, here's a really bad picture of the one we did in our old race car. This was done on our older equipment, not the stuff we're using for our products now.
Remember, in a thing like this, the material is cheap, it's the time to sit down and do a custom one-off that kills it...
Ok, here's a really bad picture of the one we did in our old race car. This was done on our older equipment, not the stuff we're using for our products now.
Remember, in a thing like this, the material is cheap, it's the time to sit down and do a custom one-off that kills it...
1/29/07, 05:11 AM
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Marcello, looking at the plate that I posted, do you think you could do it, and for how much. The plate isn't actually engraved, it's just colored black in some spots, and chrome in others. the only thing engraved would be the VIN. Here is pic of a shelby factory plaque (off shelbyautos.com), which is the style I am going for.
1/29/07, 08:29 AM
#7
Well,to do something like that, where part of it is engraved and part of it is not, the best solution would be a combination of a laser etcher and a rotary engraver (they are probably ink-stamping that - cheap and quick for production). We have the engraver in-house, but I only get to play with the laser when we are at an event for our sponsor - the next time (if they stay with us for another season) would be in April - at least until I can justify 38k for a big toy...
The other alternative is to anodize the piece black and engrave the whole piece, at a depth of only .001-.002". It can be done just as easily as the laser / engraver combo, and then just engrave the VIN deeper to achieve the look. So long as you don't want to "infringe" on anyone's trademarks, I can do it up pretty much from a Word file, so long as you have the fonts called out and we have them in the engraver's memory - if not, I can approximate them pretty closely. The only issue is graphics - if you want any, they need to be in a vector format (dxf) or else I have to go through a pretty clumsy process to try and convert them.
The other alternative is to anodize the piece black and engrave the whole piece, at a depth of only .001-.002". It can be done just as easily as the laser / engraver combo, and then just engrave the VIN deeper to achieve the look. So long as you don't want to "infringe" on anyone's trademarks, I can do it up pretty much from a Word file, so long as you have the fonts called out and we have them in the engraver's memory - if not, I can approximate them pretty closely. The only issue is graphics - if you want any, they need to be in a vector format (dxf) or else I have to go through a pretty clumsy process to try and convert them.
1/29/07, 01:16 PM
#8
Mach 1 Member
I can't do it too cheaply, but I can do a really nice piece in polished stainless steel with pretty much whatever you want... let me see if I can dig up a picture of a really old one I did...
Ok, here's a really bad picture of the one we did in our old race car. This was done on our older equipment, not the stuff we're using for our products now.
Remember, in a thing like this, the material is cheap, it's the time to sit down and do a custom one-off that kills it...
Ok, here's a really bad picture of the one we did in our old race car. This was done on our older equipment, not the stuff we're using for our products now.
Remember, in a thing like this, the material is cheap, it's the time to sit down and do a custom one-off that kills it...
1/29/07, 02:58 PM
#9
One-offs where you supply artwork I can do, but we don't infringe on other's trademarks, so I can't just type in "powered by Ford" and blast it out for everyone. Now as to doing some custom stuff, where it doesn't step on anyone's toes, that we can do 
And if you supply all the artwork, and all we are doing is converting a file for you from electronic to finished, that is fine, but you are responsible for any trademark infringements then.
Price is going to depend on how many people we get involved, and what exactly everyone is looking for. In a one-off deal, it costs a lot because you have to set up for just the one piece, test it, etc.. lots of time for very little production. Figure our shop rate at around 70.00 / hr, and the more custom the setup, and the lower the # of pieces it can be spread over, and you see how it gets expensive quick.
I guess I'm saying we can definitely do something cool for everyone, but there needs to be some basic "ground rules" as to what the part will and will not have before we could get a realistic cost for everyone. I don't want to charge you guys 250.00 each for a one-off piece if we can come up with something that more people would be interested in which would then bring the price way down. Heck, a piece with widespread appeal could be brought down into the sub 30.00 range complete, maybe even lower, depends on how long it takes to produce.
Figure material cost on this is pretty low, even in stainless I can't see it being more than a couple bucks each, so the rest is setup time and finishing...
And if you supply all the artwork, and all we are doing is converting a file for you from electronic to finished, that is fine, but you are responsible for any trademark infringements then.Price is going to depend on how many people we get involved, and what exactly everyone is looking for. In a one-off deal, it costs a lot because you have to set up for just the one piece, test it, etc.. lots of time for very little production. Figure our shop rate at around 70.00 / hr, and the more custom the setup, and the lower the # of pieces it can be spread over, and you see how it gets expensive quick.
I guess I'm saying we can definitely do something cool for everyone, but there needs to be some basic "ground rules" as to what the part will and will not have before we could get a realistic cost for everyone. I don't want to charge you guys 250.00 each for a one-off piece if we can come up with something that more people would be interested in which would then bring the price way down. Heck, a piece with widespread appeal could be brought down into the sub 30.00 range complete, maybe even lower, depends on how long it takes to produce.
Figure material cost on this is pretty low, even in stainless I can't see it being more than a couple bucks each, so the rest is setup time and finishing...
1/29/07, 05:37 PM
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Yes, except for one problem: copyright infringement, depending on the design. If he mass produces them in the style that I posted, then he will be violating trademark/copyright laws
1/29/07, 06:45 PM
#12
Right... so I'm happy to try and help everyone out, but there needs to be some consensus on what the dash plaque should look like, and it should also not bend anyone's nose out of shape (ie Ford, Shelby, etc).
So long as we can meet those two criteria, I am open to exploring making these for everyone - each one can have like one line where we either put in text or a VIN, but other than that, they should remain almost the same, otherwise they get too expensive to sit down and do.
So long as we can meet those two criteria, I am open to exploring making these for everyone - each one can have like one line where we either put in text or a VIN, but other than that, they should remain almost the same, otherwise they get too expensive to sit down and do.
1/29/07, 11:56 PM
#13
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Interested in this too, waiting to hear more. If you get a rough design up there maybe someone could play with it a bit and then simply take a count of numbers(ie small deposit) and get a price and go for it. Great idea
1/30/07, 02:23 PM
#16
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That one that you posted from mach 1 registry would be perfect. That is EXACTLY what I was looking for originally. I knew someone made them for the bullitts and mach 1s, as that is exactly what I have seen on those cars before.
Stangnut, you are freakin awesome.
. You da man.
Stangnut, you are freakin awesome.
. You da man.
1/30/07, 04:48 PM
#19
Mach 1 Member
Thats a really good idea, i never even thought of that. Im gonna go stop by the one close to my house this weekend and see what they can do.
1/30/07, 08:08 PM
#20
Team Mustang Source Legacy Member
Mike, Glad I could help. Personally I like that Cobra one you posted. I think I might try to come up with something that uses that style. 
Anyone who gets one, be sure to post it here. I'd love to see how they turn out.
Anyone who gets one, be sure to post it here. I'd love to see how they turn out.