NADA Tyre Warning (red dash plaque) Replication Project

[chilidavid]

MISSION:
Replicate the genuine NADA "Tyre Warning" dash plaque, as close as possible to the original, including MATCHING the awful line spacing that the Rover Company displayed on their original! YUK! Production technique: Laser etch my artwork on 23-mil aluminum plate stock, using a close-to-genuine Metallic Red background. I've included one of my prototypes below. I used better line spacing on my prototype just for fun. But I'd rather replicate the genuine thing - even though my line spacing looks better! See jpg labeled PROTO2. (The jpg labeled PRELIM is just a color layout, created in Photoshop. Again, it's not the same line spacing as an original plaque. And I want desperately to create an EXACT REPLICA of the original - including using the "early-style" Land-Rover logo, like the logo used on the face of our speedometers!)

THERE'S ONLY ONE PROBLEM:
I've never seen an original plaque! Only bad pics on the internet. I would love it if I could get some help. Can someone mail me a sharp photocopy of their original plaque? Or mail me a high-res scan of their plaque? Color, or even Black & White? Or maybe even trust me with their original item for a day or two, so I can complete my mission? All loaned items will be returned, of course, and the participant will be rewarded with a few extra...uh...guess what?

ROVER LOGO:
I've created my own version of the Rover Motor Company logo in Adobe Illustrator (See ROVERjpg.) which appears on the genuine plaque; but, I don't know if MY version exactly matches the original Rover logo! I created this artwork from scratch, using some poor reference material and a prayer! I definately want to end up with an EXACT MATCH! (Sorry, but I'm a little obsessed when it comes to accuracy!)

EJECT:
Oh, that fourth pic (EJECT.jpg) was how I utilized an extra Windscreen Wiper Motor Cover. Thought you might like a little entertainment while I seriously begged for help on my Tyre Warning project!

Thanks for any assistance! I'm starting to really like this Forum thing!

Chili David, Jupiter, FL
Daily Driver: 1971 Series 2a, 88, soft-top, LHD
(Mailing address supplied upon request. And, I'll even loan you one of my dogs for collaterol.)

[leafsprung]

I can probably help you with this - I may already have the artwork - let me know

[chilidavid]

Yes! I need help. All I really need is a good clean copy of an original plaque. I can then revise my current artwork to match that. If, in fact, you are in possession of actual art for the original plaque (reflective art?) then I could utilize a good clean copy of that art. My final artwork will need to be in digital form, first created in Adobe Illustrator, then converted into a bitmap (tiff file) to give to my laser engraver (conveniently being a family member!).

[greenmeanie]

If it helps Ike made some very specific plates for my 101 that could not be had anywhere else. Once version on an ali background and one on stainless. It was good work and looks original. I can understand if you want to reverse engineer this as a project for yourself as making stuff is always fun but if you just want a plate then Ike is your man.

[chilidavid]

If it helps Ike made some very specific plates for my 101 that could not be had anywhere else. Once version on an ali background and one on stainless. It was good work and looks original. I can understand if you want to reverse engineer this as a project for yourself as making stuff is always fun but if you just want a plate then Ike is your man.

Not sure who Ike is. I'm new to this Forum. But I'm receptive to inspecting (and returning) any and all materials, and do appreciate any assistance. If someone has their own "reproduction" of the Tyre plaque, then I would still prefer to see an original manufacturer's version (or a crisp copy of it) to finalize my digital art. I just want to produce something that even Land-Rover would approve to be used in a British Car Museum. (Not that I expect that scenario to ever happen, of course!) This project began to equip my own '71. And, yes, I do like completing my own to-do's, even though it's often a P-I-T-A! Thanks!

[stomper]

Look up pangolin4x4.com. that's who Ike is.

[o2batsea]

Not sure who Ike is. I'm new to this Forum.

He just replied to your post. He goes by "leafsprung". He is a hoarder of immense proportions. If you need Series parts, he will likely have original parts. As you are probably aware there is a LOT of reproduction garbage out there in the world. Ooops! I forgot you were trying to do just that very thing....my bad.

[jac04]

As you are probably aware there is a LOT of reproduction garbage out there in the world. Ooops! I forgot you were trying to do just that very thing....my bad.

It appears that he is trying to produce a quality reproduction part, not more "reproduction garbage". Cut the guy some slack. Maybe that's not how you intended your post, but that's the way it came across.

[chilidavid]

He just replied to your post. He goes by "leafsprung". He is a hoarder of immense proportions. If you need Series parts, he will likely have original parts. As you are probably aware there is a LOT of reproduction garbage out there in the world. Ooops! I forgot you were trying to do just that very thing....my bad.

I hope I'm NOT the only Forum-user who can appreciate o2batsea's humor!? I do enjoy it; and his contributions! Additionally, as we Series owners know quite well, the Rover Car Company did not actually FABRICATE (in-house) all of their vehicle components. That's why some identical-year vehicles had different brand-name parts on them; if a primary manufacturing source for, say, tail-lights couldn't supply enough tail-lights, then the Rover Company switched to an alternate source. I'm guessing that the Tyre Warning Plaques were NOT created by the Rover Car Company at all, but were out-sourced. Just think of my Tyre Plaque Project as a continuation of Rover's original "out-sourcing philisophy", and maybe you'll feel better about some after-market parts manufacturers "giving it their all" - especially those who supply parts to us which are actually fabricated better than the originals! And you know that's happening all of the time! C'mon. Admit it.

As always, thanks for any and all comments! I Love This Forum! And "non-garbage" reproductions!

chilidavid

[o2batsea]

Um, I stand just as guilty of fabbing stuff. I just don't try to hoodwink anyone into thinking it's OE, unlike many of the items you see on ebay.uk and the like. Not sayin chili is trying to fool anyone as it seems he just wants to make one for his own use. That is very cool in my mind.
Check out my fake Jaeger large face diesel tach build over on D-90.com. I also did a repro of the original RRC "Autobiography" script that I'm gonna plaster on my 94 LeWiB, even tho it ain't. I had Stahl run it up on his excellent printing equipment in gold foil. He also did the tach face graphic I designed in vinyl that looks like da schmidt. Gotta put that on the tach soon so it looks better than my lame work.

[o2batsea]

As for the warning plaques, there were many bows made to the feds in regard to vehicle safety. This was probably one of them, although less intrusive and hideous as the 4 inch lenses and the headlights in the wings. It was this kind of meddlesome crap that helped Rover retract from the market. That and poor sales figures, but hey...

[TedW]

I also have a jones for originality, and laud what Chili and o2batsea (and others) are doing. There are any number of esoteric Series parts that are hard to come by, and, in my view, are candidates for quality reproduction.

An example is the 4" amber lens used on late IIA and II NADA trucks. I have been hoarding these lenses like a crazy person.