Chevrolet Colorado Recessed License Plate Box - Slick Gate Plate

  |   John Meyer at Clean Cut sure knows how to get our attention: cool body mods accented by the sweet Samantha Parrish. Remember back in the day when every minitrucker on the planet was finding a crazy way to mount the license plate? There were plates at weird angles that didn't match the truck body lines. Now, the in thing is to have the plate slide out from behind the sheetmetal on some sort of actuator. But, those magical disappearing plates can still bring down heat from Johnny law, and who wants that? Not us, that's for sure. We wanted to find a bitchen way to mount a plate that would still scream custom without being considered illegal. We contacted John Meyer, the main man at Clean Cut Creations in St. louis, Missouri, and inquired about a cool plate idea. He said, "i have a customer who just got rear-ended in his Colorado, and it is in need of some work. Would you like me to recess the plate box and cover it with clear Plexiglas?" We replied with an enthusiastic yes and requested him to take some pictures and notes of the process so we could show you how it's done. This job is not for the typical do-ityourselfer, unless you are skilled in block-sanding and painting. if you are an experienced welder and comfortable spreading a little mud, then go ahead. You can always have someone else do the final paintwork. Check out the following photos and John's notes. They should help you decide if you want to tackle this job or just have a professional do it for you.   |   chevy Colorado rear Ended Part One: Cut Some Holes

This custom modification is what inspired the owner to have the truck worked on. He was hit pretty hard by a new Silverado. The truck originally had a Sir Michaels roll pan with the license plate centered. It will now be replaced with a new Sir Michaels smooth roll pan, with no tag. We also installed a handle flip kit while doing the modification.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 

Part Two: Finish It Off
Editor's note: Because this really isn't a story on how to paint, we are going to fast-forward through John adding color to the gate. John did state he prefers to use Sikkens products when spraying custom stuff. Here are some shots of the parts after the paintwork. Once painted, the tailgate is ready for a Plexiglas outer cover and wiring for lighting.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

  |   chevy Colorado new Plates The Final Word

Here is the plate setup, once everything is complete. As you can see, it looks slick, and because the way John designed it, you can still change your annual registration stickers. John said, in total, this job will set you back about $1,000 in his shop, but you'll need to talk to your body guy for his prices.