While at a Corvette car show today,was telling my friend that if I get a ticket for no front plate,I will drill holes in it for airflow...he then told me this story:He bought his 63 split window 12 years ago,and has completed a long journey restoring it.He pointed to his rear plate and told me it used to be the California "white" plate.He found an old "black" plate,cut out the "California" and and inserted it to the "white plate",and painted it like this:


This is his Vette:




I busted a gut...

Edit:I deleted the plate pic...anyway,he painted the white one black....with yellow letters..

 

 

The "white" plates (new issue) never had raised letters. I think your friend re-painted a "blue" plate (post black, pre-white).

 

I didn't get it either - it must be a "California" thing...

See, the new california plates have the state name written in script, so if you take the block letters for the word "CALIFORNIA" from an old plate and put that part over the script, you can paint your new plate to look like an old plate! (I guess)





here is the old style plate:

 

Ok..I'll explain...in California black plates/yellow letters went on cars certain years thru 69 or so....then the state went to white plates..his vette had white plates due to change in owners(original black ones lost) Does that help? You can't get black replacement plates for cars after 1962..his is a 63...

 

Oops...I forgot about the first issue white plates ('82). They indeed had raised letters...

Found this @ CA DMV:

History of the California License Plate

Basic information on 1963- present plates:

1963 was the last year a complete new plate issuance to all vehicles occured (the plates had a black background and chrome yellow characters).

1970 is the year the basic plate was changed to a blue background with yellow characters. It was also the last year any black/yellow plates were issued.

1976, year round registration started which requires a month expiration sticker afixed to the upper left hand corner of the plate.

1982 is the year when the standard plate was changed to a white background with blue characters with a sun graphic and CALIFORNIA in red block letters. It was also the last year any blue/yellow plates were issued.

1987, reflectorized plates with CALIFORNIA in red block letters were issued. The sun graphic was discontinued.

1991, only reflectorized basic plates were issued.

1993, the word CALIFORNIA was changed to red script.

1997, stickers were made with background colors that change every year and characters printed in black.

Basic plates issued from 1998 through 2000 contain the words SESQUICENTENNIAL - 150 YEARS in red block letters at the bottom of the plates.

2001, the basic plate is white with blue characters and CALIFORNIA in red script. There is no writing at the bottom of the plate.

 

Nope. On the new (white) plates (as shown in your example), the scripting/letters are printed (silk-screened?) vs. stamped/raised.

 

Our white plates have raised letters..I have three cars that do...and the 4th has blue plates..raised letters...

 

Just for fun (back in the 80's), I installed a set of Mexican (BCS) plates on my VW Thing. Drove it that way for awhile. Never raised an eyebrow with the po-po.

On my newer cars, I left the dealer (cardboard advertising) plates front/rear and kept the temp registration in the window. Whenever the dealer plates got faded, I stopped in for a new set. Never got stopped...people were amazed that all my cars had no license plates and I was never stopped. Was a PI at the time and didn't want to be identified.

I tried that same stunt when I moved here (FLA) and got pulled over almost immediately. But...we don't need no stinkin' front plate here.

 

Aren't the latest issue plates smooth? I mean...the "California" and the letters/numbers are printed on the plate, not stamped into the metal...?

 

"California" is smooth but the numbers are stamped

 

Ahhh....got it. I remember now. My memory is getting worse as I age.

 

I don't know...everthing I own is 1993 or older...all raised letters...
But surely now you understand he "converted" a white plate (raised letters)to black/yellow letters...right? Sorry for the confusion...

 

tONY: yOU kONW tOO mCUH aUBOT eYERVYINHTG!!! Where in the world do you get all of this (usually) meaningless information?

 

I'm a whiz at "Jeopardy". My mind is a (rapidly evaporating) fount of useless information...(and I lived in CA from '80 ~ '00)...

 

Yeah man, for real! you should try out sometime!

 

This is the plate I have on my 78 Silver Anniversary. Kinda goes well with the whole Anniversary theme.

And I have no front plate except my CORVETTE silver on black for which I've never gotten guff from the police about. (see avatar)