68' 400 Valve cover decal question

Discussion in 'The Bench' started by Mike Trom, Jan 22, 2019.

  1. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    Mike,

    I have a pair of these for my 430-4 (with the - embossed) and I will contact the folks at American Nameplate tomorrow and see if they think they can reproduce these and a ballpark on cost.

    I also have a friend in the sign business and he may know of a source that can do these.

    Are both 400-4 and 430-4 the goal?

    Hope to have some info next week.

    Michael
     
  2. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    My goal was for the 400-4 :D but I was going to look into the 430-4 once the 400 was figured out.

    Good luck and I hope you have better luck than me.
     
  3. Daves69

    Daves69 Too many cars too work on

    Check with John Csordas the northeast chapter had the GS455 air cleaner decals reproduced correctly embossed.
     
  4. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    This is what I made in CAD 10+ years ago, Home printing would not work due to the shields having to be white. Everything in gray would actually be chrome finish. Drawing those deer heads was interesting.

    upload_2019-1-27_22-11-33.png

    I really can't stand the current repros that are available....
     
  5. red67wildcat

    red67wildcat Well-Known Member

    A46357F4-69AD-47A4-AB4A-F3CFC392EE26.jpeg 4B2D307B-CF20-4153-94F2-709A3A55903D.jpeg Late to the conversation but the orig ones on a motor I have it looks flat black
     
  6. Chi-Town67

    Chi-Town67 Gold Level Contributor

    TTT
     
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  7. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    Thanks for bringing this back to the top.

    One place stated more than $2k for dies, and another just said; "it would probably be too much" and another stated; "sorry, we can't help you."
    All of them advertise metal embossing, and some of there products are "one off" items, such as nameplates and other very thin metal, embossed or engraved work, so I am not sure why this is so difficult. I have had silver and copper 1 oz "coins" sculpted art, dies made and pressed, so I know a lot of the issues involved.

    I am still trying to find someone who can make them "correct". Not giving up easily, but it will take more time.

    Perhaps I will send the information to my "mint" contact and see if a younger die art sculptor might take it on. It is simpler art than a coin's detail, so it should be much less to have dies made. And I have a friend in the sign business that is looking into the material, so this may be a small batch, hand made gig.
     
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  8. Chi-Town67

    Chi-Town67 Gold Level Contributor

    :cool: Thanks for your effort Michael.
     
  9. Kenny462

    Kenny462 Gold Level Contributor

    black is gloss-white border around numbers tri-shield has no color on a chrome background. hope this helps! kenny462
     
  10. BUQUICK

    BUQUICK I'm your huckleberry.

    Having correct 400-4 decals someday would really be cool. Sounds like it will be difficult but thanks for continuing to look into it and not giving up.
     
    mrolds69 likes this.
  11. Chi-Town67

    Chi-Town67 Gold Level Contributor

    TTT- Any updates Mike?
     
  12. TrunkMonkey

    TrunkMonkey Well-Known Member

    Unfortunately, anyone I have spoken to that does any type of metal engraving or embossing states the initial costs are too prohibitive to proceed.

    (seems it either is too much honey for a dime, or they outsource and do not want to bother with such a low profit margin for their involvement)

    Let me try a couple of folks that did not reply and see what they say.
     
  13. Chi-Town67

    Chi-Town67 Gold Level Contributor

    Thanks Mike!
     
  14. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    Just to add confusion to the thread...My NOS decals have no embossing in the dash between 400 and 4, but, like all the others shown, my originals on the engine do.
    Patrick
     

    Attached Files:

  15. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    Both of the originals I pulled off a past GS also had embossing in the dash. Possibly two different printers for GM.
    The GS I pulled them from was built in Flint.
     
  16. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    This exactly what I found out recently and 15 years ago when I tried to get them reproduced.
     
  17. BuickV8Mike

    BuickV8Mike SD Buick Fan

    Might have to do the embossing one line at a time manually.
     
  18. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    Tried that but the material of the current reproductions does not seem to work well. There are methods used for embossing, pressure, heat, etc that may be difficult for the average joe. And you still need to create the tooling.

    As someone suggested, printing fake embossing for the numbers and shield background might work.
    upload_2019-3-26_19-22-9.png
     
  19. BuickV8Mike

    BuickV8Mike SD Buick Fan

    Mike PM me your address. I can send you some poly/alum pouch material to try. It alum sheet and should hold the impression. Can you "fake out" a inkjet printer for white?;)
     
  20. 69GS400s

    69GS400s ...my own amusement ride!

    With today's hi-tech CNC machines and/or additive printing, I cant see machining or "growing" a die to be that difficult .. ?

    I'd think programming either would be the time consuming element

    .. be back from the garage with pic's off of Sportn'Wood decals in a bit (just to add to the confusion)
     

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