"Datsun" tailgate lettering

[zed1]

After I have had the tailgate of my 1966 520 repainted, I want to have the "Datsun" tailgate lettering highlighted in white. I have seen some decals on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-decal-tailgate-lettering-pick-up-truck-620-521-/160653698038?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2567b4e3f6). Has anyone had experience using these?

If so;

Have you clear coated the tailgate after adding the decals?

Do the decals match the contours of the raised lettering?

Any comments or alternative suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,

Keith

[DanielC]

I do not know if the font, and letter sizes are exactly the same on the 520, and the 521.

 

I would be a little worried about solvents in the clear coat doing something funny to the decals, or the glue.

If you can clear coat the decals, I would just mask, and paint the letters.

 

If you want a nice bright white, I recommend 1982 Chevy truck "Frost White" Chevy OEM number (no kidding) 521

[Guest Rick-rat]

 

I had mine painted by asign painter that does lettering on commercial trucks

[dgi]

After I have had the tailgate of my 1966 520 repainted, I want to have the "Datsun" tailgate lettering highlighted in white.

 

Any comments or alternative suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,

Keith

 

I don't have any experience with the decals. But, here is a brief description of how my painter did my 72 PL521 a number of years ago, before the existence of vinyl lettering.

 

When I told him I wanted the lettering repainted white, he just laughed and said "Sure, but it will cost you a bit more." His main job was painting over-the-road trucks for his employer and lettering them, I figured he had a trick and sure enough he did. Simple, but a bit time consuming.

 

He took an Xacto knife and purposely dulled the point. Then he carefully outlined the lettering using that knife leaving a "scratch" or slight cut in the original paint. Then he tokd his "helper", namely me, to be sure not to sand that scratch away while prepping the tailgate.

 

After the spray job and drying, he then used something he called "tracing" tape (said he got it at his body supply shop, but sometimes had to find it at an art shop). It was a thin, flexible nearly transparent white tape similar to normal masking tape about 3/8" wide. He laid that over the "scratch" with the inside edge just inside the "scratch". You could just feel the scratch under the tape and almost see it. Then he took a sharp Xacto knife and blade and ran that down the "scratch" carefully cutting the tape. Then he removed the part inside the "scratch and used normal masking tape and paper to mask the rest of the tailgate. Then he sprayed the lettering white, removed the masking and cleared the truck.

 

The final result was an exact copy of the original white lettering and looked great.

 

When I asked where he learned that trick, he cussed a bit and said he just figured it out to keep his day job. He didn't know how to do lettering and his employer was too cheap to pay the sign painters to redo the original lettering jobs. But, he was a notorius teller of tall tales, so he could have been pulling my leg.

[HRH]

I had Graveyard Graphics make my Datsun tailgate sticker. (Creepy Cruiser on here) Not quite the same as yours, I patterned mine after a 720 tailgate, which is substantially different than a 620 gate.

 

Todd told me there aren't any fonts that much up with the old style. He ended up combining 3 fonts to get mine right. Came out bitchin', but I'm also not putting it over embossed letters on the gate. Regardless, you can have them made, might have to bring the tailgate in or take some "to scale" pictures. That's what I did with Todd since it wasn't that critical.

 

[DRIVEN]

Post #56. He used Magna Mask stencils. Good luck finding a set.

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/10425-backwoods-tribute-72-521/page__st__40

Spray the letters white. Once dry lay on the magnetic stencils. Shoot the body color. Remove stencils. Spray the clear.

This set is labeled for a 620 but it was used on a 520 and a 521 so they are the same.

[Rubberman]

Those are mine zed1 on ebay. I've sold alot of these without any complaints. If you want a different color than black or white then let me know, at the same price also.

Rusty

[zed1]

Rusty,

Can the decal have clearcoat paint applied to them? (My body shop wants me to verify that the solvents will not compromise the integrity of the decal.)

Keith

[Rubberman]

Rusty,

Can the decal have clearcoat paint applied to them? (My body shop wants me to verify that the solvents will not compromise the integrity of the decal.)

Keith

Let me check with my decal guy tomorrow and I'll let ya know tomorrow afternoon. I would think so, but I don't want to tell ya anything thats incorrect.

Actually, I just thought if you wanted to use them as a template to spray the letters your color you want and then apply the decals, spray the truck color and then remove the decals, then clear coat. But thats 14.99 to do that. Let me know if thats an option for ya and I'll cut ya deal on a set.

Sent you a pm