briwar454

Hey all! Is it possible to get an original set of plates for our cars? I love the look of the 80s California plates. I think the current ones are boring. I've been looking and only see laws for late 50s and 60s cars. Has anyone tried this? Can a company print 80s plates with my current numbers?

Guest

Not legally. I've seen quite a few cars with black and blue plates with yellow letters (that'd be about 62-63 up to around 82 or so) that are personalized plates. Obviously repainted. Your 85 would have came with a plate with just stamped plate number and the 'California' was just a printed graphic with a sunset in the middle. That would be hard to reproduce, IMO. You might call the DMV and ask them if you can use a set of old plates on your car, I know some have been able to do this but that was on 'collector' cars and I dont know what the rules are on that kind of thing.

Agent13

iTrader: (6)

That plate was an extra cost option from '82 to '86 and standard in '87 only. The standard plate for '85 was blue with yellow lettering.

At this time the only way to get a blue plate for your '85 is to buy a set of blue personalized plates on ebay and assign them to your car. They are easy to find but finding one you like and is useable is another challenge.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1991-California-...mZ190239103645

http://cgi.ebay.com/CALIFORNIA-VANIT...mZ300243042250

briwar454

I'm looking for the "Golden State" Style of Plate. I works well with my colors. So, I would have to find some personalized "Golden State" plates to put on my ride. I fear calling the DMV on this subject. They might yell at me!

Check this site for California Plate History: http://www.15q.net/ca.html

Guest

Really? I thought the blue plates were already gone by then.

Now that I think about it... I remember a car recently with the blue plates, was an 86.

briwar454

the site says you could only get them in 87 for ten months. they were painted over blue plates.

check this site: http://www.american-number-plate.com...-license-plate
it's a british site that makes plates. i have an email out to them with some questions. how legal is it to run on reprinted plates? What's the harm if the numbers are the same and the stickers are up to date?

Guest

I know for fact there's a lot of people doing it, mostly its older cars, street rods, and some newer sports cars and the like. I think I saw a blue and yellow on an STI, something like that. Obviously could not have come on that car... I guess its one of those if you get caught and someone actually cares about it. I'm sure there's a CVC against it that covers any kind of paint. I read those reflectorized plates became a law in 87 so... at least if thats the style you want you should be ok. Wait till the registration comes up, and then hit up the DMV for a new month sticker, they dont charge for those.

Mr.84TransAmer

Know someone out of state?

http://www.licenseplates.tv/cat/california_147.html

I think these guys are in the US.

briwar454

Nice! That could be cool! I'm in as long as they look and hold up like a regular plate. Why doesn't California do this and make some extra cash to fight forest fires!!!
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Might be cheaper to go with the Brits. It's 30 pounds which is like $60 plus shipping. The US plates are $80 per plate!!!

injdinjn

"Collector" cars are allowed to run plates from their era.
A check of the CVC or DMV is tedious but would provide better info than from some zoned out govt employee

NightStalker

Last month I went to the DMV to pay for my plates on my 1973 Camaro. I asked the DMV representative for new plates since my were lost and I got the recent style of plates. I asked if I can take that new plate and paint it blue with the yellow lettering and the answer was this "You can do that, but then you will get pulled over by PD or CHP."

Once you spend money on getting the car rolling and some muscle, the last thing you want is to go back to PD or CHP and the DMV to pay more fees. It sucks, trust me, but just leave it as is.

Actually, after looking at this link, how would PD or CHP know that the blue is not my stock plate? The lettering and number formation is the same as my new plate.

http://www.licenseplates.tv/cat/california_147.html

I am getting the evil look in my face again.

briwar454

Totally, what cop is going to take the time to figure out it your plates are DMV issue. He wants to get it over with as fast as you. The cops have bigger fish to fry in LA. I don't think they would pull you over just for the plates.

BretD 88GTA

You're not going to be able to do that. Any old plates for sale on eBay will not be able to be assigned to our car. They are for "collector purposes only".

Those plates are expired. You can't walk into the DMV with them and say please assign these to my vehicle. Doesn't work that way.

Prime example is the personalized plates I have on my car. A former member of our club had purchased them originally when his car was new in 1988. Not long after, his car got totaled. He then bought a new '89 and ordered new personalized plates accordingly.

He believed his old plates were still valid years later and offered to sell them to me for my '88. A quick check by me at the DMV showed his plates had long expired. All he had were souvenirs.

I was able to order new CA plates with that same personalization since they were no longer in the system.

Agent13

iTrader: (6)

Yes but there is no reason why you can't order the same combination if it's available and then stick the older plates on. Who's going to know?

Russ-So Cal

My brother had a set of the old yellow/black letter plates on a restored 1961 MGA Mk2 roadster. He bought them used at some sort of British car meet. The rules with DMV when he checked on it before looking for original plates is that the plates must be in good condition, a license number that is no longer in use in California, and a plate that was in use since your car was built. The standard plates are generally not a problem since the DMV issues a new number when they change the plates, but you need to make sure that they have not re-issued the number on the used plate you find to another vehicle. The problem with personallized plates in addition to the fact that you may not like the letter and numbers that are on the plate, is that the plates may have been updated to a newer color/design with the same number or letter combination to the original owner. In that case, you might get hold of their old plates, but you can't register them because that plate will already be in service. It is up to you to find the appropriate plates that you want and then to go to DMV to get your car registered with them. The DMV will not run a custom one off issue to give you the plates in the color you want.

briwar454

You can reuse the old plates on pre 1962 cars. Anything later needs current plates or they plates they were issued when new.

formula91

What happens to your plates if your car is non-operational?

My '92 has been sitting idle for 4 years. No clue when I'll be able to fix it and drive it again.

But I definitely don't want the 92 GTA plates to expire or something, that would suck.

Russ-So Cal

You keep paying for the registration as non-op. I costs $10.00 per year. When you are ready to put the car back on the road, you go in and up grade your registration. If you up grade when the registration is due, you pay the fee, get a smog test and are good to go. If you registered non-op and then 6 months later you get it running, you have to pay the full registration for that year, even though it was non-op for the first 6 months, pass the smog test, and you are good to go. If you have not gotten a non-op registration for the last 4 years, you will have to pay full registration for all 4 of those years plus penalties, plus full registration for any more years that you don't register the car. If the fees and penalties have gotten too high, it is probably more effective to buy another project car, use parts off the original car, and then part it out and take whats left to the junk yard. You definately want to keep the non-op up to date.

Xophertony

Excuse my bragging about Oregon:
in Oregon you can run ANY plate 1953 or newer on any car, you just must pay custom registration. this beauty is a 1963-1967 issue plate. it's on my 86 firebird.