California black plates

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Vali68

Vali68

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most of the black license plates i see on cars have faded or rusted up. With a new paint job and rechromed bumpers, the plate should be re-done as well. I plan on taking mine off and redoing them so they shine like a dime!!!!!!
 
Just so you know, altering license plates, including painting them back to their original colors, is technically illegal.

Plates do get restored, but if you're wondering why so many don't, well, its legality does come into play.

If you do restore yours, I suggest you do your homework and match the colors well so that they appear original and not "modified".
 
Check with your local tag office first. I know here in Kansas you can have them redone but they have to be the exact color as when it was issued. Some auto restoration guys have paint codes or so I was told.
 
Drg racr said:
Interesting. I have a Cali black plate and a blue/gold plate in my plate collection. They're still in good shape.
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The blue plates are pretty much useless for anything other than collections, at least at the moment. California has a "year of manufacture" plate program, which allows you to run a set of year correct plates on your car if they pass inspection at the local office. For a fee of course. :banghead: But, for cars the program ends with the black plates, so, 1969 is the last year you can get YOM plates for. You also have to present BOTH plates, a single doesn't get you anywhere. Blue and yellow plates started in 1970, so, they're only good for wall hangers unless you have the car they came on. But if you've got a '69 you can run a set of black plates if you can find a pair in good condition with a '69 sticker that have a number that's not already "in the system".

As far as plate restoration goes, I have heard stories of people being turned down for YOM plates at the DMV because the plates were restored. Which is a problem, because the plates obviously still need to be in decent condition to get approved. But that approval is based on an inspection of the plates at your local office, which can cause headaches. One office might approve the plate, another might not. Just depends on the clerk doing the "inspection". Final approval is done at the main office of the Ca DMV in Sacramento, but they just get all the paperwork from the local office where the inspection takes place.
 
Hmmm, I have one Ca blue plate to a car that I can not find the other one at this time. It is original to the car. So, what if I just photo copy it, laminate it, stick it on the front? Bet they not ever notice it. Or just get a company to do me another one? who re pops the blue plates?
 
hemibee said:
Hmmm, I have one Ca blue plate to a car that I can not find the other one at this time. It is original to the car. So, what if I just photo copy it, laminate it, stick it on the front? Bet they not ever notice it. Or just get a company to do me another one? who re pops the blue plates?
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For reproductions, i would check with your local chop shop or car thieves, they would have the inside scoop on anything illegal.
 
I was thinking legal. Not legal? Well that is interesting. That is why I asked about getting the matching plate. So, only states are allowed to produce plates if you are missing one...Reminds of the money supply issue.
 
hemibee said:
Hmmm, I have one Ca blue plate to a car that I can not find the other one at this time. It is original to the car. So, what if I just photo copy it, laminate it, stick it on the front? Bet they not ever notice it. Or just get a company to do me another one? who re pops the blue plates?
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hemibee said:
I was thinking legal. Not legal? Well that is interesting. That is why I asked about getting the matching plate. So, only states are allowed to produce plates if you are missing one...Reminds of the money supply issue.
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If the plate is original to the car and you can prove it (ie, old registration etc) then you don't need to do anything other than register the car in California. They'll let you keep your old plate, and you don't need to have two in order to re-register it. And if you have an old Ca registration form or title you likely won't even need the car to be inspected, just pay the dues. This is assuming that your car is currently unregistered.

As far as "reproducing" plates, no one does that. If you lose one, the state will give you a pair of new ones with a different number.
 
Ok, yeah they let me reg it. during the rebuilding, one plate has gone astray. I keep looking around for it. hate to have to get new ones. if that the case, have to come up with something clever. a long time ago I saw a yellow Porsche with monypit as his plate. think there is 8 digits now.
 
I have a title w/plate number for a car that was issued in 1977. The DMV won't let me keep the blue plates on my 70 Swinger last time I asked because it had fallen out of the system.

I may try to revisit this when I register the car.
 
lucky in IL, can use date of manufacture IL plate !!
 

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hemibee said:
Ok, yeah they let me reg it. during the rebuilding, one plate has gone astray. I keep looking around for it. hate to have to get new ones. if that the case, have to come up with something clever. a long time ago I saw a yellow Porsche with monypit as his plate. think there is 8 digits now.
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I wouldn't worry about it. They only GAVE me one plate for my Challenger, not sure what they did with the other one. I've never been hassled, and I drive my car almost daily.

crackedback said:
I have a title w/plate number for a car that was issued in 1977. The DMV won't let me keep the blue plates on my 70 Swinger last time I asked because it had fallen out of the system.

I may try to revisit this when I register the car.
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You should be able to register it with that plate as long as you have proof it belonged to that car. Ie, old registration, title, etc. You may have to do a little research to get the paperwork right, but it can be done. Just a matter of finding a clerk that knows that. Or doesn't and doesn't care.

EL5DEMON340 said:
lucky in IL, can use date of manufacture IL plate !!
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You can use year of manufacture plates in California, as I outlined in one of my above posts. You just have to find a pair of decent plates that aren't in the system for the year of your car. The only draw back is at the moment it has to be 1969 or earlier. Not really sure why, I would suspect that they originally intended that year to be fluid, like the smog laws used to be at 25 years or older. But of course it hasn't changed.
 
That was my suspicion. Meant to be fluid, but like all things Calif, half baked, half assed, because the state legislature creates more problems than they actually fix...All bad ideas do originate from our legislature. Do not attempt to repeat any of the Calif laws in your states people. Your freedom goes away everyday.
 
ocdart said:
Check out this link: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/legacyplates/index.htm

The California Legacy License Plate program also includes the blue plates but read the info on the link for details.
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This has been in the works for awhile. Of course, there's no way to know how close to the 7,500 pre-orders they are, or if come 2015 the program will go into effect at all anyway.

The real downside to this is that although it won't replace the YOM program, it will eat up number configurations. And of course, the YOM plates have to be clear, ie, the numbers can't already be in use. So, the new program could keep someone with a set of old plates from putting them back into the system because the numbers are in use on a set of "legacy" plates.
 
Yeah sure, open up a can of worms first and than tell us why someone else controls your life and your freedom is being threatened.

Or keep your mouth shut, have it done professionally by one of the many pinstripers or custom paint sign people in California and get on with making your life worry free.
 
Its alot like seeking out other professional services that are in the gray area of life. Pro call girl, she thinks she is a hands on sex therapist. Dam good at her line of work usually.
States insist on monopolies on services and than do not delivery the goods. Presto, under ground economy of sorts. Same every where in the world. Go talk to so and so, he get you what you need today.
 
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