clcintx

I've heard of people finding old plates from the year their car was actually built and with the approval of your state office using those to register your car - anyone have any knowledge of this?? (especially in Texas)

Chuck Gongloff

Don't know about Texas, but in Maryland, it's called a "vintage tag". You first of all have to have "historic" tags on your car...no regular tags. You then find a tag of the proper year. It has to be legible. Also, if the tag is restored, it must be restored in the original colors for that year. If the year you select is a 2 tag year...both front and rear plates, you must have a matching pair. One tag year....no problem. You pay a one time fee of $13.50. You can then use the tag/tags on your car. You are required to carry your regular Historic tags, with current stickers in the car. Chuck

67ratrag

Texas info only- You go to a swap meet and find one of the several people that sell old (new) unissued plates. Purchase said plates. Go to the tax office to get the necessary forms to do one of the following-
1) Classic- car must pass inspection, unlimited mileage. Old car with vintage plate.
2) Antique- car doesn't have to pass inspection. Limited mileage, I think less than 2000 yearly. Car is (supposedly) driven to car shows and special events only.You get a small registration tag (approx 1.5" x 1.5") that attaches to the upper right license plate screw and shows that car has been registered. Good for five years. You can also find an inspection from your year car, and put on the winshield- lower right, not left like now, and you're even cooler than with the tag alone.

John McGraw

In Texas, you find a set of plates and take them to your local TXDOT office to get them approved. Once you get approval in the mail, then you can take them to your local tax office and get the car registered with them. You can either register the car as antique or classic. If you register the car as classic you still have to get it inspected, but if you register it as an antique you do not, although you are not supposed to daily drive an antique tag car. If memory serves me right it is only $55 for 4 years registration on an antique tag!
Since you are moving down into my neck of the woods, try Dean Powell over in Lockhart for tags. He can be reached at (512) 398-7226. Dean has a large stock of brand-new, still in the wrapper Texas tags at a real nice price. His tags have never been issued, so you have no worries about the tag being rejected by TXDOT.
:seeya

63Corvette

CLCINTX,

Woah! You're in TEXAS! Your car is more than 30 years old!

Go down and get an appropriate tag from Texas highway dept (Vintage, or historic).

Here's the catch.........they are dirt cheap, AND THEY ARE GOOD FOR
10 YEARS:-) Wear it with pride. Enjoy.


Oh, and I forgot the best part, There is NO inspection required with a vintage or historic tag....EVER!


[Modified by 63Corvette, 7:24 PM 11/13/2002]

14-Paul

where i'm at in the northeast its called a 'year of manufacture' plate, and i got a mint 3 digit 1963 plate off ebay and was in business. I've seen these plates in the hundreds & up to thousands for special plates or low number plates, so shop around. I paid maybe 20 bucks off ebay, and have seen rusty plates for 50 bucks at car shows!

PS: i forgot to mention - b4 you spend big bucks on a plate, check w/ the RMV that the particular plate number is available for use ie: no one else is using that plate already...


[Modified by 14-Paul, 2:14 AM 11/14/2002]

clcintx

Found this and thought others could use - It's a chart for the Year of Manufacture Laws for all states

http://www.io.com/~dork/bolthole/yom.html

Anyone know how many plates were issued to a car in '61 - i can find single plates, but not a set of two for that year


[Modified by clcintx, 9:36 PM 11/13/2002]

DZAUTO

In Okla you can register an old tag and have it on your car. You first must have a regular tag and keep it in the trunk.

John McGraw

Texas issued 2 plates in 61. Call Dean at the # in my earlier post and he can sell you BRAND NEW tags still in the wrapper which WILL be approved by TXDOT. I bought some for both my 60 and 59, and they both were still in the sealed bag with the advertisement for the Texas prison rodeo between the tags!
:seeya


[Modified by John McGraw, 10:42 PM 11/13/2002]

GTs 58

John, do you think Dean would have any new old Arizona plates? My car came with a 1956 Calif plate but they won't let me use it here. :lol:

67StingrayRdstr

In CA things are unreasonable! My brother has a '63 roadster that has been replated. He still has the original issue plates, but is missing some registration cards.
CA DMV will not allow him to put on the original plates because he doesn't have a reg card that far back... The catch is, THAT NEITHER DOES DMV! The plates are not active in the system... Leave it to CA to create its own Catch 22!

John McGraw

I think that it is worth a cal to him. All I ever see at his booth at shows are Texas tags, but all of the shows have been in Texas. I think that if he doesn't, he may be able to steer you to someone who does.
:seeya

Tim Gilmore

Dean is great to work with, his plates are priced as competitively as any other vendor and you can trust him to send you what he says he is sending you. I have been collecting plates form him for years and I used to cringe at spending $20 for a set. Now I cringe at spending $100 for a set. It is the way to go with a vintage car. I run three cars with plates from the year of the car.

macnav

Ontario (Canada) isn't any better. I bought a mint set of '65 plates at a swap meet (they weren't 'guaranteed' as being able to be registered). Upon checking (through a cop buddy), I learned that the plate number was currently registered (for a boat trailer). My friend contacted the owner for me (so that he didn't get upset) and told him of my desire to register the plates, asking if he'd be willing to return the plate for replacement (I'd pay any costs and maybe a little something for inconvenience). 'Sure' says the guy. He understands 'car nuts'. So far, everything sounds great...until I contact the Ontario MTO (our version of a DMV). 'You can't use a number that's been issued' is what I'm told. 'But what if the current plate owner turns in the plate?' I ask. 'Nope. If it's EVER been issued it can't be used'. as it turns out, 'EVER' really means sometime in the past so many years (they couldn't tell me how many years) because I quoted the plate number from my first car (in 1971) and was told that THAT number could be re-registered, (if I wanted to and if I could find the plate). The use of 'year of manufacture' plates is fairly new in Ontario (only since summer 2001), so I'm going to pursue having this rigid policy or interpretation of policy changed through my local Member of the Provincial Legislature. Otherwise, the applicability of the change in policy permitting old plates would be extremely limited...

3Mar67

I'm in Ontario. I've got the old plates on my 67. Piece of cake. They look great.

DaBo

Kansas is very similar to the above.

Tag must be from the county that you register the vehicle in. Then you can just use the "vintage" tag to register your vehicle as you would an antique. Renewals are $17.00 per year.

SebringBill

In Florida the car has to be at least 20 years old in order to be licensed with the same year plate. The plate also stays with the owner and can only be transferred to another same-year vehicle.

I was very lucky when I bought my 57 from the priginal owner's widow:



She gave me the 1957 plate that licensed this car when it was new :cool: I had to send it to Tallahassee to be "authenticated" (I believe that merely meant some DMV desk jockey looked at it, stamped OK on some sheet and then attached the registration decals crooked), pay the vanity plate fee and it was mine for as long as I own the car... 11 years so far! :jester

JWD01

I found a pair of perfect plates for my 60 in a buddies garage. He had been meaning to throw them out for about 20 years. I took them to the DMV along with my registration. 5 mins. and $30 later I had permanent plates registered to the car and never have to renew them. :cheers:

66427-450

Sounds like you've got all the info you need from the other forum members...... see how this group can help? even with the non-technical questions? Yes, historic plates are the only way to go; look good/correct on the car, inexpensive, etc. Hold out for some numbers/letters you like, as you'll find quite a few minty 61 TX plates once you start looking. Also, do an archive search concerning insurance, don't just go with your current ins co, (you can save a significant amount of $ there as well). :)

BAmacker

>>>Here's the catch.........they are dirt cheap, AND THEY ARE GOOD FOR
>>>10 YEARS:-) Wear it with pride. Enjoy.

Only 10 years? Here in Ohio they're good for 50 years! I can hardly wait- only 46 more years until mine need renewing. I'll be 89! :D