Vintage plates coming back to California


bonehead

bonehead

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 18, 2012
2,837
Houston, TX
Some good news for the many CA residents. Perfect for a 'retro-styled' Ford GT. Maybe I can finally get that vintage black and gold or blue and gold plate I've always wanted. Hopefully we can easily reach the minimum 7500 applications.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/10/04/dmv-to-offer-vintage-license-plates/
 
Does Cali currently allow owners to display actual vintage plates on cars that are, say, 30 year old or older?

That's been the case here in Wash. St. for decades now. 'Pay a one time registration fee and Bob's you uncle from then on. 'Don't have to renew 'em - ever. (If I remember right, the fee here is $35.)

(I have a pair of '59 plates that have been looking for an Impala 'to call home' for several years now!)
 
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Yeah they do. I have a 65 Corvette with the original brown/yellow plates still on it from the beginning.
 
I think that is a smart move by the DMV.

People love those plates. Wonder if it will take the shine off those cars that still sport them?
 
2112 said:
Wonder if it will take the shine off those cars that still sport them?
Click to expand...

Does a Superformance GT40 take the shine off a "genny"? :wink




(Thanks, Ross...)
 
Empty Pockets said:
Does Cali currently allow owners to display actual vintage plates on cars that are, say, 30 year old or older?

That's been the case here in Wash. St. for decades now. 'Pay a one time registration fee and Bob's you uncle from then on. 'Don't have to renew 'em - ever. (If I remember right, the fee here is $35.)

(I have a pair of '59 plates that have been looking for an Impala 'to call home' for several years now!)
Click to expand...

I'm the original owner of my '66 Mustang 2+2 fastback. It has the original plates on it, and is recognized and re-registered each year in California.

However, it's not free - and, while the 1st renewal in 1967 was $51, it dropped to $14/year by 1982. Then, in 1983, the state incresased the registration to $26/year which lasted until 1993 when they jumped it up to $37/year. Then, in 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger raised the yearly fee to $44/year and then $63/year in 2009, after campaigning against the fees proposed by Gray Davis, who had intended to raise it to $52 to solve the state's financial woes.

This year, Governor Jerry Brown has raised the minimum registration fee to $74/year, irregardless of age. And, the state's financial condition is nearing bankruptcy.
 
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RALPHIE said:
I'm the original owner of my '66 Mustang 2+2 fastback. It has the original plates on it, and is recognized and re-registered each year in California.

However, it's not free - and, while the 1st renewal in 1967 was $51, it dropped to $14/year by 1982. Then, in 1983, the state incresased the registration to $26/year which lasted until 1993 when they jumped it up to $37/year. Then, in 2004, Governor Schwarzenegger raised the yearly fee to $44/year and then $63/year in 2009, after campaigning against the fees proposed by Gray Davis, who had intended to raise it to $52 to solve the state's financial woes.

This year, Governor Jerry Brown has raised the minimum registration fee to $74/year, irregardless of age. And, the state's financial condition is nearing bankruptcy.
Click to expand...


I guess we're just 'lucky' then. SO FAR it hasn't dawned on Olympia to follow Cali's lead...at least not on the vintage 'plates.

According to a people's initiative passed here in Wash. several years ago, ALL regular 'plates are SUPPOSED to cost no more than $33. Buuuuuuuut, of course, 'the all-knowing' have found ways to hike 'em anyway thru parsing and nuancing their 'interpretation' of said initiative. I think the average cost now is <$50.
 
A few weeks back, King county announced plans to bring back the 1% of market value excise tax to help cover their budget deficit.

That would make the yearly tabs on a FGT somewhere between $1700 and $2500 per year. About where it was before the initiative you mentioned passed (and then was ruled unconstitutional).
 
2112 said:
About where it was before the initiative you mentioned passed...
Click to expand...

As I recall, the tabs on wifey's Eldo (before the initiative) were something like $600(?) when new. 'Car cost $35K back then ('95), so you do the math.

When I bought 1079 in '06, the $33 law was in effect, so the cost of the vanity plates I put on it ran about $75, I think...
 
Yeah, I think it was actually higher back then. Around 2000 my yearly tab on a 850Csi was $1300 and the car was worth maybe $65-$70K.
 
'Kudda been.

It was RIDICULOUS regardless...
 
Reviving this thread as the DMV is now accepting applications for the 'Legacy Plates'. 7500 applications with a $50 fee by 2015 is all that's needed. If the they reach the threshold beforehand, they'll start stamping them out earlier. Application in the link below (snail mail only, no online application).

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/legacyplates/index.htm
 
Surprisingly, only about 1500 approved applications so far. Need quite a few more to get to the threshold. The available choices we have now are horrendous. Got a lot of CA owners here. Put in your orders so we can bring back the 'cool' plates!
 
Yeah I saw that bonehead.
I just ordered a blue/yellow 1970s plate for my 1970 Boss 302.
Kind of afraid the 7,500 minimum won't happen.
But then again, politicians and beauracrats never worry about minimums or things like that!
 
I ordered the blue 1970s plate for one of my motorcycles & the black 1960s plate for the GT.

My 1964 Ranchero has original black plates (commercial since it's a CA pickup) but they aren't the ones that came with the car back in the 1960s. They are what CA calls YOM "Year of Manufacture" Someone who owned the Ranchero before me turned in the 1960s black plate for the current white plates. If the black plates would have stayed with the vehicle then I it would be great but I had to buy original plates on the secondary market (restored they are around $300-400 pair) then I have a special aluminum sticker holder to place the year & month registration stickers on as YOM rules won't legally allow you to place the stickers directly on the plate unless they are original to the vehicle. Dumb but the only way CA does it. Of course, now you can get the new old black plates after all the hassle I went through for YOM.

Ed
 
About 4000 approved applications. More than half way there!

LegacyPlates_totals.jpg
 
I guess the black one would the period correct and good for night driving.

How about "SAMI♥A" "SAM♥BMW"
 
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blackice said:
i guess the black one would the period correct and good for night driving.

How about "sami♥a" "sam♥bmw"
Click to expand...

samiam
 
KJRGT said:
Yeah I saw that bonehead.
I just ordered a blue/yellow 1970s plate for my 1970 Boss 302.
Kind of afraid the 7,500 minimum won't happen.
But then again, politicians and beauracrats never worry about minimums or things like that!
Click to expand...

7 months into the program and already at 5500 approved orders! Mine was finally approved after a little snafu. Tell your family, tell your friends to order one or 10. The GT needs the sinister black and gold plate!

LegacyPlates_totals.jpg
 
I sent my request for black/yellow plates 3 weeks ago. At that time there were 4003 plates of that color requested. Costs $50 and if they don't reach the amount of total plate orders, they send you the money back.
 
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