Period correct plates for Tractor
Discussion
Recently bought myself an old tractor and have managed to get it registered for the road with an age appropriate number plate.
Didn't give it too much thought until I went online to buy some black/silver plates. There are endless variations...
Any ideas on what would have been fitted new in Dec 1964?
Didn't give it too much thought until I went online to buy some black/silver plates. There are endless variations...
Any ideas on what would have been fitted new in Dec 1964?
Not sure it matters, don't plates bought today have to meet today's standards?
But in Somerset, the number would have been painted on with a stick.
Pressed ali plates with polished characters on a black background would have been posh.
White stick on letters on a black background or v/v?
But in Somerset, the number would have been painted on with a stick.
Pressed ali plates with polished characters on a black background would have been posh.
White stick on letters on a black background or v/v?
OutInTheShed said:
Not sure it matters, don't plates bought today have to meet today's standards?
But in Somerset, the number would have been painted on with a stick.
Pressed ali plates with polished characters on a black background would have been posh.
White stick on letters on a black background or v/v?
Haha, in darkest Aberdeenshire so painting number plates with a stick or marker pen is still very much in vogue... Although I reckon the supplying dealer would have made up plates if it was road registered from new. But in Somerset, the number would have been painted on with a stick.
Pressed ali plates with polished characters on a black background would have been posh.
White stick on letters on a black background or v/v?
It seems like you can fit whatever was legal at the time which includes a surprising variation in fonts.
60's tractors will go on for ever, if looked after.Snow and Rocks said:
Recently bought myself an old tractor and have managed to get it registered for the road with an age appropriate number plate.
Didn't give it too much thought until I went online to buy some black/silver plates. There are endless variations...
Any ideas on what would have been fitted new in Dec 1964?
Probably the same as to what you see on this tractor, from a very famous photo taken in 1962 of George Aird banging out of a Lightning over Hatfield airfield, which looks like white hand painted numbers on a black board Didn't give it too much thought until I went online to buy some black/silver plates. There are endless variations...
Any ideas on what would have been fitted new in Dec 1964?
Not sure if it helps or not but two of our old ones are still on their original plates - black and white
The MF 165 was purchased at 1 year old by my late dad back in the 60s, it was his first tractor that was truly his rather than his dad's (my grandfathers).
The DB was acquired by my dad sometime in the early 90s as payment for some hedge-cutting work (using a DB 1212 with a huge side-mounted Econ - also still in the family). Both the red DB and the 165 have been rebuilt a couple of times as were in pretty much daily use until a couple of years ago.
Now both still in the family and now working at my sister's place down in Cornwall.
The MF 165 was purchased at 1 year old by my late dad back in the 60s, it was his first tractor that was truly his rather than his dad's (my grandfathers).
The DB was acquired by my dad sometime in the early 90s as payment for some hedge-cutting work (using a DB 1212 with a huge side-mounted Econ - also still in the family). Both the red DB and the 165 have been rebuilt a couple of times as were in pretty much daily use until a couple of years ago.
Now both still in the family and now working at my sister's place down in Cornwall.
I bought new plates for a 1967 car from here:
https://www.tippersvintageplates.co.uk/
They are very knowledgeable and should be able to advise you, but I suspect the majority of tractors used the 'painting with a stick' method in the early 1960s.
https://www.tippersvintageplates.co.uk/
They are very knowledgeable and should be able to advise you, but I suspect the majority of tractors used the 'painting with a stick' method in the early 1960s.
theadman said:
but I suspect the majority of tractors used the 'painting with a stick' method in the early 1960s.
Back then, there would still have been many local sign-writers around in most villages/market towns that would have hand painted numbers on a black border on new tractors, I doubt many would have been fitted with actual number plates then. That would likely have changed by the end of the decade.Thanks for the links everyone, will have a look through and see what looks right and isn't too outrageously expensive.
Also good to see everyone's tractors - we should maybe start a dedicated tractor thread?
The MF multipower chat reminds me of an "incident" when I was in my early teens. I was given the usual job of topping up some water troughs using a trailer mounted bowser and our rather decrepit 135 multipower. All went to plan until I had to descend a short but fairly steep hill with the full water tank on the back - the tractor took off at a terrifying rate of knots. It probably wasn't all that fast in reality but I certainly never again forgot that there's no engine breaking in low range with the multipower setup. Ridiculous design!
Also good to see everyone's tractors - we should maybe start a dedicated tractor thread?
The MF multipower chat reminds me of an "incident" when I was in my early teens. I was given the usual job of topping up some water troughs using a trailer mounted bowser and our rather decrepit 135 multipower. All went to plan until I had to descend a short but fairly steep hill with the full water tank on the back - the tractor took off at a terrifying rate of knots. It probably wasn't all that fast in reality but I certainly never again forgot that there's no engine breaking in low range with the multipower setup. Ridiculous design!
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