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California Plates

  • Thread starter Deleted member 8987
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Deleted member 8987

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So. I know California black plates. Even have the originals for one of my cars. I remember when they started using different plates (and different, and different...)

Can you explain how a very recent Brit Mobile ended up in Washington State with Black Vanity Plates?

(BTW, this particular moron persists in parking not in the company lot, but in a preschool lot across the street...every day....taking up two spaces..but I digress).View attachment 50487
 
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Deleted member 8987

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okay. I don't know of any state since the early 20's where you just had a number and printed or made your own plate.
California hasn't issued any black plates in almost 50 years now? Maybe 45.
So how does one get the late great to accept that plate you bought off of evilbait?
 

Boink

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Amazing that all this is legal.
 

Jerry

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They are slightly different from the old original black plates. Most people can't tell the difference. I don't know why you would pay extra for these for a modern car
 

NutmegCT

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They are slightly different from the old original black plates. Most people can't tell the difference. I don't know why you would pay extra for these for a modern car

no kidding.
 

Basil

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Speaking of California black plates, New Mexico now has a new plate to celebrate our wonderful chile. This new plate reminds me a lot of the old Cali black plates. I want one!

New NM Plate.jpg
 

59diamond

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I have California Black Plates with yellow Numerals and letters. They cost $50 initially and $40 when you renew annually. You can order them for any car you have not just old cars.
 
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Which is really weird. There used to be some sort of mystique about an original California vehicle with original black plates (like my 50 Ford Tudor). This is as bad as Lionel re-issuing a rare, collectible engine that suddenly drops the value of the originals.
Okay.
 

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Which is really weird. There used to be some sort of mystique about an original California vehicle with original black plates (like my 50 Ford Tudor). This is as bad as Lionel re-issuing a rare, collectible engine that suddenly drops the value of the originals.
Okay.

I thought that many of these "other" plates you can have made are for show, and that you still need a State-issued plate to be fully legal. You can get them for Oregon, but they're not fully legal.
 

CraigC

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Which is really weird. There used to be some sort of mystique about an original California vehicle with original black plates (like my 50 Ford Tudor). This is as bad as Lionel re-issuing a rare, collectible engine that suddenly drops the value of the originals.
Okay.

Having California black plates on your 50 Ford, would only have been valuable if they were the appropriate year/series black plate. Cal had black plates in 1950, when they ran through all iterations they changed to yellow w/black letters. This would be appropriate for my 56 Healey. In 1963 they changed back to black w/yellow, but they were a different design plate. The current black w/yellow is yet again a different design, so there is no confusing anyone whether these are period-correct original plates. Putting these on a 50 Ford would not be valuable like the originals.

Personally, I voted(pre-ordered) for the yellow w/black letters when the state looked for input as to which old color scheme to re-issue. They didn't get a sufficient number to implement that combo.
 

CraigC

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I thought that many of these "other" plates you can have made are for show, and that you still need a State-issued plate to be fully legal. You can get them for Oregon, but they're not fully legal.

These are all "official" plates and are 100% legal just like any other "vanity" plate.
 

Boink

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I see. Thanks. Must be because from DMV. Surely the ones on eBay are not fully legal (as one gets to pick their own number).
 

CraigC

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I see. Thanks. Must be because from DMV. Surely the ones on eBay are not fully legal (as one gets to pick their own number).

In the California DMV Vanity plate program you can pick your own letters/numbers as long as it is not already taken or one from the normal sequential list. One can also purchase used plates that are appropriate for year of manufacture and register those. There are some extra rules for that. One cannot buy and use plates that were not originally issued by the state.
 

Boink

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In the California DMV Vanity plate program you can pick your own letters/numbers as long as it is not already taken or one from the normal sequential list. One can also purchase used plates that are appropriate for year of manufacture and register those. There are some extra rules for that. One cannot buy and use plates that were not originally issued by the state.

Similar in Oregon (and I have such vanity plates - not inexpensive either). The biggest issue for me was that my choice was on a long list of banned plates (for references to sex, profanity, drugs, or other potential offensive things). Thankfully, I talked them into mine. BOINK. :eek:
 
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Mine came with the car when I bought it in Oakland in 19...70. Most states seem to want to confiscate your old plates. I took the car to South Carolina, and they did no..so I kept them, and the registration.
 

NutmegCT

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I'm betting the ones on ebay are perfectly legal - as long as you don't drive on public roads. So a trailered car at a show could use them without problem. Or just bolt them on after arrival.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 - Vanity of vanities - all is vanity.
 

Grantura_MKI

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Generally speaking, the ones on the net are not legal. The best ones will not post to Mexifornia. The one sold by the DMV are legal and are seen on all sorts of new and old motors....me thinks that folk want to get back to old Cali?
 
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