When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I've been looking at securing my genuine 1961 license plate to my '61 Corvette and all possibilities I'm aware of have nuts that go on a special bolt behind the plate, but that area is totally inaccessible insofar as I can tell. For those who have locking bolts or fasteners of some kind on their plates, how did you access the rear of the plate area behind the rear of the car?
It is accessible with small hands. I had my youngest son help me get the nut started.
I see your photo is a '62 so I assume you did it on that car. I also have a '65 that I was able to access by making my hands as small as I could, barking some knuckles and so forth and still I couldn't really tighten the locking nut as it was too difficult but I have no idea how to even get to the '61 plate attachment area. I assume you went underneath the bottom panel somehow but the area behind that panel and the spare wheel narcelle is way too small for any human hands insofar as I can tell.
Is that where you accessed it or did you fine another opening somehow and please tell me where that might be?
I saw a '62 at a local show that had 1962 NY plates on it, and someone asked the owner if he was worried about someone stealing them. He told him to take a closer look . . . They were riveted on! They just had a big enough washer under the rivet. Sounds a little Bubba to me, but I must admit it wasn't that obvious and it sure as hell would work. Just drill'em out if you ever want to change plates.
I have original plates on my '63 and '61 and they aren't worth enough to me to work out some method of securing them. I really don't think they are all that much in demand or rare. I had the spare Florida original '67 plate off my Chevelle for a while and it took some searching at car shows to find anybody that even wanted it. I got my '61 plated for $13 and my '63 plate for like $18.
I saw a '62 at a local show that had 1962 NY plates on it, and someone asked the owner if he was worried about someone stealing them. He told him to take a closer look . . . They were riveted on! They just had a big enough washer under the river. Sounds a little Bubba to me, but I must admit it wasn't that obvious and it sure as hell would work. Just drill'em out if you ever want to change plates.
I have original plates on my '63 and '61 and they aren't worth enough to me to work out some method of securing them. I really don't think they are all that much in demand or rare. I had the spare Florida original '67 plate off my Chevelle for a while and it took some searching at car shows to find anybody that even wanted it. I got my '61 plated for $13 and my '63 plate for like $18.
Some historical authentic plates are not hard to find and some are extremely difficult to find. Then the cost of refurbishing them to acceptical conditions adds to their value. I believe you would be surprised if you really checked into it what the current value might be.
I know there was one guy who wanted to have his plate accepted that he paid over $2,000 for and hand carried it to the DMV in our capital city rather than entrusting it to the mail. I don't know the age but it must have been quite old and rare.
You could use the type of bolt that needs a key type wrench. They're used a lot as an anti theft/tampering deterrent. It sorta has a hexagonal impression with a stud in the center. The call box for my electric gate opener has them and I've also seen them on other types of equipment.
Last edited by Gary's '66; 09-29-2014 at 06:26 PM.
You could use the type of bolt that needs a key type wrench. They're used a lot as an anti theft/tampering deterrent. It sorta has a hexagonal impression with a stud in the center. The call box for my electric gate opener has them and I've also seen them on other types of equipment.
That's what I have but the problem is access to the back to put the nut on. I just can't find any access to reach that at all.
Where do you leave your car that plates would be stolen??
My cars are not trailer queens. I drove my '65 coupe from northeast Mississippi up the historic Narchez Trace to Nashville, then to the Cumberland Gap where Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky all join, then over to historic Rogersville, TN to an incredible private collection only open 1 day a year, then down to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN, then to Cade's Cove, adjacent to North Carolina and back home. It was a group trip with other collector cars. We spend the nights in motels along the way. I happen to like to sleep at night while my baby sits unprotected outside all night long.
Next week, I'll be traveling to "Cruising The Coast" , where around 7000 collector cars will gather along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I'll be staying in a motel.
Why do you not drive your car on road trips? Life is short. Drive the damn thing and enjoy it. Wear it out and rebuild it again.
It never occurred to me that someone would want to steal old license plates. I live in New York and I have never even heard of a car getting it's old plates stolen. Gas caps and other small parts are stolen all the time at large shows but I never leave my car alone long enough for anyone to get that close to taking something and if I ever catch someone trying to unbolt a part on one of my cars they will quickly and painfully learn the error of their ways!
But there again, you evidently don't drive it long enough distances to spend the night in a motel. I do. That's what these cars are for in my opinion.
Theft of antique (as well as new) license plates is not uncommon at all. That's why you have many different manufacturers hawking their anti-theft license plate attachments with unusual tools to attach and remove with. I suggest you research the availability and price (if available) a nicely restored 1960 NY plate is these days and they become rarer and more expensive as time goes by my friend.
My problem was access to the rear of my '61 where the holes for plate attachment are located. I don't see any way to put the nuts onto the bolts.
As for someone using a sawzall and other methods of theft, anyone can just about steal anything if they want to badly enough. The idea of deterrents is to create more work than probably they are willing to go through to get a nice historic plate for their wall.
I drove my 65 with a set of year of manufacture plates on the Hot Rod Power Tour and after 2700 miles and 6 states the plates are still on the car.
My 62 has had YOM plates on it for 21 years and they have traveled over 20,000 miles and are fine.
My 57 has a YOM Ohio plate "57VETTE" and after 5000+ miles it still looks good and remains on the car.
If someone wants to steal something of value there are a lot of parts that would be more tempting to me then license plates which if stolen could only be used on the garage wall.
Bruce B
By the way, check your local hardware store for "security screws" with special heads or ones that require a specific tool to remove them.
Last edited by ohiovet; 09-30-2014 at 02:18 PM.
Reason: add info
[QUOTE=ohiovet;1587941817]I drove my 65 with a set of year of manufacture plates on the Hot Rod Power Tour and after 2700 miles and 6 states the plates are still on the car.
My 62 has had YOM plates on it for 21 years and they have traveled over 20,000 miles and are fine.
My 57 has a YOM Ohio plate "57VETTE" and after 5000+ miles it still looks good and remains on the car.
If someone wants to steal something of value there are a lot of parts that would be more tempting to me then license plates which if stolen could only be used on the garage wall.
Bruce B with Bruce.
I also was on the Power Tour and have been other long distance trips with overnight stays. The last thing I worry about is someone stealing my YOM plates that can only be used in my state and no one could register them once I report them stolen. What would be the motive to steal YOM plates anyway?
Rick
I tend to agree with those basically unconcerned about their YOM plates being stolen. The ones on my '62 are just held on with normal hardware. But, that's not the point. The OP sees it as a potential problem, or at least something that concerns him, and he was looking for suggestions - not comments telling him not to worry about it.
So I repeat - if you're really, really concerned about someone taking your YOM plates, just rivet them on there and we're done here. Yes, there are plenty of kinds of special hardware out there with tool-specific heads that would make them difficult to remove, but access to the back side to mount them appears to be an issue. At the end of the day, if a really, really determined thief wants your plates that badly you're probably not going to stop him, you'll only increase the amount of damage he'll do in order to get them.
Keep your car securely stored, and keep an eye on it as best you can at shows. That's really about all you can (or should) do . . . Other than that, drive and enjoy it.
I have DANA Chevrolet ones and others on the other cars and I first went with a security bolt head, and then tack welded the nut on the back side and still worried. Along time ago, I was at the Pomona Swap meet surrounded by a hundred Corvettes and their Owners and while I was walking the aisles looking for junk, someone tried to take them off in broad daylight with guys standing there looking at my car! My Brother happened to walk back to the car, and caught the thief in the act and it got more interesting after that!
09-29-2014, 03:41 PM
Locking license plate bolts on C-1's?
with Bruce.
