One of the challenges in presenting a WW2 jeep is where to place the license plate. We’ve all seen jeeps with extra holes shamefully drilled for the plate. Some restorers put it the plate on their spare tire carrier, others on the bumperettes. Since my GPW is not a script jeep, I’m happy to put the plate underneath the jerry can holder, but it’s a tight fit. I measure the usable vertical space between the jerry can holder and the left bumperette as 6 3/8″ and the horizontal space between the left taillight assembly and the pintle hook safety chain loop as 14″.
The State of California has a pretty cool program called the Year of Manufacture, or YOM Program. You are allowed to mount license plate(s) from the year your vehicle was made, as long as those plates are out of the current DMV system. Here’s a link to a pdf about the program. It’s a great resource because it lists the size of the plates for each year, along with photos and a bit of history.
Prior to 1956, each state could size a plate as it wished. For example, a 1945 California plate is 6 1/8″ x 13 7/8″. In 1956 the federal government standardized all license plates as 6″ x 12″. Also to note, in 1945, vehicles were only required to mount a rear plate.
By the size of the 1945 California plate, you can see that there’s not much room to mount it under the jerry can holder, but it will fit. I decided to weld up my own holder, designed so that it could take both a modern plate and an historical California plate from 1945. I used 1/4″ x 3/4″ angle iron, cut to length and mitered at 45 degrees. The tabs above the frame will mount it to the lower bolts which hold the jerry can bracket. They’re 16 gauge and welded proud so that the actual frame sits rearward. The tabs inside the frame will hold my current plate, a California 1963 black and yellow plate. The extra vertical pieces welded inside the frame will improve the look when using the shorter, 12″ long plate. When I find a 1945 plate that I like, it should fit just right.
I used All-Metal on the visible portion to hide weld seams and grinder marks. Here she is painted semi-gloss black. I added welting to the back on the corners to protect the tub. These fit well because the attachment tabs were welded proud and give the space.
Restoration of 1945 Ford GPW 270351 
Hello,
yours is a good idea 👍🏻, I congratulate you.
Kind regards Giuseppe
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