Removing the VIN plate for painting?

Bmachine

Bmachine

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As I am prepping my car for respray I am debating whether to drill out the rivets so as to be able to clean and paint underneath or to mask it and risk have some damage to it during the sanding process.

I am not going for concours status so I would think that new rivets on the VIN plate would not be a huge problem. Is that correct or am I missing something?

Thank you.
 
You would be fine removing the plate. It will look much better than painting around it. It's a bit like not removing the rubber trim for painting -reeks of a cheap paint job. Bolts are routinely replaced on all cars so rivets should be similar.
 
Yes, it would certainly look much better. But I've always been a little suspicious when I see a VIN plate with brand new rivets... Know what I mean?
 
Yes, well in our cars we have the VIN number in up to 3 other places.
 
You can always record a video of the removal process. People swoon over vehicles with paperwork and maintenance trails. You can create a digital trail as well...
 
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