CA Vintage Plates

[mkiisupra]

Originally Posted by Gixxersixxerman

I need one for my 66 beetle

You can currently re-plate pre-69 cars with valid black/yellow plates. I did this a couple of years ago with a set of black plates I got off eBay. There are a couple of 'hoops' to jump through to make it go without a hiccup, but its pretty cool to get the right plates on the car.

I will send it the $50 for blue plates on my Supra. When I moved it to IA for a few years, I misplaced one of the original blue plates, which I may have been able to fanangle back onto the car when I brought it back to CA in 2010.

Eric G

[spitz]

This would be great for the vintage Datsun Community.

I do hope, however, that they distinguish these newly issued vintage plates from original period vintage plates in some form or another. This way, the prestige of having an 'all-original California' car with period plates is upheld. I guess DMV records can always prove if a car received it's vintage plates during the correct era, but you should be able to tell from first sight!

[BlaineWasHere]

Originally Posted by spitz

This would be great for the vintage Datsun Community.

I do hope, however, that they distinguish these newly issued vintage plates from original period vintage plates in some form or another. This way, the prestige of having an 'all-original California' car with period plates is upheld. I guess DMV records can always prove if a car received it's vintage plates during the correct era, but you should be able to tell from first sight!

You can, the new versions of the old plates are reflective. The original old plates are not. This is the only difference.

[JackSmiley]

Im in on this one.

[quasimoto]

Thanks for informing me of this! I think the blue and yellow will fit Subarau owners nicely

[MyRx]

Checked out Showroom cars in Santa Clara today (yes they are open). Between the blue and black vintage plates they have (on vintage cars of course), the blue just would not match my Ultramarine. Black for me to match the exhaust area. I just hope they come matte black too. That yellow lettering pops.

[calis5nest]

would it be illegal to paint the letters a different color?

[whataboutbob]

Originally Posted by BlaineWasHere

Wait, so can you do this for any car, not just old ones?

Yeah. That's what I read.

[mkiisupra]

Originally Posted by spitz

This would be great for the vintage Datsun Community.

I do hope, however, that they distinguish these newly issued vintage plates from original period vintage plates in some form or another. This way, the prestige of having an 'all-original California' car with period plates is upheld. I guess DMV records can always prove if a car received it's vintage plates during the correct era, but you should be able to tell from first sight!

Yup, besides the reflective-ness, it works well. I did the current backdating historic plates on my Datsun Roadster in fact.


calis5nestwould it be illegal to paint the letters a different color?

Yes, but many will repaint them, or have new retro-plates made with old style and new plate number (BLK SRL was a friend's plate for his Datsun roadster) This works for most alpha-numerics, but personalized plates weren't offered these years, ymmv. Most companies who will create retro plates of your choice numbers/letters will not ship to CA, so find a friend to ship to and they may send you a gift,

That being said, retro plates look best on retro cars, imho.

Eric G

[spitz]

Unfortunately Z cars date past '69. !

On the topic of replica plates... Here is an interesting way around the system that I used, but does not work anymore. I used to order a normal personalized plate from the DMV, then purchase a replica blue plates from licenseplates.tv and place the all the DMV stickers onto the replica plate. This was the easiest way to obtain blue plates. Legal? Probably not. I did talk to a police officer and asked if he would write me up after finding out about the fake plate, but he said it probably wouldn't be worth his time. Licenseplates.tv has since stopped making California replica blue plates.

[ZC6BRZ]

Originally Posted by mkiisupra

Yup, besides the reflective-ness, it works well. I did the current backdating historic plates on my Datsun Roadster in fact.


calis5nestwould it be illegal to paint the letters a different color?

Yes, but many will repaint them, or have new retro-plates made with old style and new plate number (BLK SRL was a friend's plate for his Datsun roadster) This works for most alpha-numerics, but personalized plates weren't offered these years, ymmv. Most companies who will create retro plates of your choice numbers/letters will not ship to CA, so find a friend to ship to and they may send you a gift,

That being said, retro plates look best on retro cars, imho.

Eric G

Got a roadster? Me too! 67.5 1600 here with orig plates!

[Calidrifter]

You cannot modify California plates in any way at all. So painting the numbers is definitely not allowed.