<VV> Corvairs with 'Antique' plates ?

[John Howell]

HI Kent,

I never bought a Corvair new and the plates I have were not the original 
plates that were the first plates on any of the cars. Every few years 
Tennessee changes plates so by the time I get the car it has gone through 
many plates. The new cars that I have bought I would not consider collector 
cars.

It is against the law in Tennessee to buy a new car and try to put antique 
plates on it, by the time a car is old enough to use antique plates no one 
has a clue what happened to the original plates. Consider yourself extremely 
lucky to get a car with the original plates.

Most people that traded a Corvair in on another car had the plates 
transferred to the new car. The last Corvair I bought about a year ago I got 
from the second owner and he had it for 34 years. He is an old man and can`t 
remember the name of the person he bought it from, and he claims he has 
thrown away all records and papers but a few on the car. All he can remember 
is that it was bought locally and has remained here. I have the registration 
paper where he bought it from the original owner in 1976 but all it shows is 
the original title number, when I called the TN DMV they refused to look up 
the original owner`s name because of the privacy issues, what a loss !

Also the car came with an ` Antique ' plate on it, it had a really low 
number but the TN DMV would not let me transfer that plate to my name, I had 
to buy ` New '  Antique plate.

John Howell

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kent Sullivan" <kentsu at corvairkid.com>
To: "'John Howell'" <32chevy at 0306.org>; "'Mike Moyer'" 
<vairvert67 at yahoo.com>
Cc: "'VV'" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2010 2:10 AM
Subject: RE: <VV> Corvairs with 'Antique' plates


> One of my Corvairs came with its original plates and I have been very
> thankful that the previous two owners did not keep them. The historical
> significance is high. John--I totally understand this is a hobby of yours
> but I would urge you (and any like-minded collectors) to please pass on
> plates that are original to a car. Unless we're talking about a very 
> unusual
> plate, there is only one set of plates that is original to a car vs. any
> number of sets of plates you could find/purchase from the same
> year--essentially the same if your goal is collecting plates by year.
>
> "By original to a car" I mean the very first set of plates the car ever 
> had.
> And of course I know a few states require that plates be surrendered to 
> the
> DMV/BMV so it's not possible in those cases.
>
> Thanks.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
> [mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of John Howell
> Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2010 9:31 AM
> To: Mike Moyer
> Cc: VV
> Subject: Re: <VV> Corvairs with 'Antique' plates
>
> Mike,
> Boy that could be a real bummer having to return your old plates !  If 
> every
>
> state done that it would really limit plate collecting. You don`t have to 
> do
>
> that in Tennessee or most other states.
> That is a good point in not letting your license plates go with a car you
> sell.  I take them off because as a side hobby I collect license plates,
> never thought about the liability problem.
>
> John
>
>