<VV> California Plates

[Sethracer at aol.com]

Before everybody gets too hung up on this, more info is needed. For many  
years California has allowed owners of older - 1962 back to 1956 or so,  cars 
to re-install the Yellow with black letters plates issued by California  
during those years. Repro plates were not generally allowed or available. In  
1963, California replaced all previous license plates with the new black 
plates.  Those black plates issued in those years are still usable on cars. In  
California, issued plates stay with the car, not the owner (exception,  
personalized plates) so a 1965 Corvair would have been issued black plates and  
could easily still have those original plates. (My 65 Monza does.) The DMV  
has been under siege by car enthusiasts for many years. They wanted to put  
the correct-year black plates on the car which might have had the plates  
replaced over the years. The DMV was unable to figure out how to  
differentiate between the original car that the plates were on, and the new car  the 
enthusiast wanted to install them on. A new computer system now allows  both 
types of registration original plates and replacement plates. This is not  
the state trying to gouge enthusiasts - they are trying to respond to a real  
demand from their customers. I also wonder if the $50 charge really covers 
the  cost. 
 
PS, don't rely on a Black Plate to assure you of a rust free car. My  
Monza, a California car all it's life,has, as did my Yenko ringer, the classic  
windshield rust. Fixed on the Yenko, not yet on the Monza. 
 
Seth Emerson - (an original Californian)    
 
 
In a message dated 12/29/2012 1:43:04 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,  
hmlinc at sbcglobal.net writes:

While I  understand that CA is broke (probably not as broke as IL) and is 
looking  for ways to generate revenue, this looks like a really bad idea to 
 
me.  Not for CA since it might help their bottom line, but for the  buyers 
and sellers of GENUINE ORIGINAL CA antique cars.

Buyer  Beware!  Especially on CA cars!

Later,  JR