In Indiana, we can restore our plates, they just have to be the original colors. I took a little break from my brake problems, and got started!
Picts:
1. After stripping
2. After grinding. Used brass wire wheel on the tough stuff, but moved to a stainless steel dremel brush pretty fast. That's thin sheet metal, didn't want to ruin it.
3. 4 coats of etching primer to fill in all the pock marks
4. 10 coats of gloss white.

Just have to do the lettering.. and we're done. Safety Red.

I'll be heading down there in about a week, so I will check on all the plates.