1964 California Personalize Tags...

[JRoberts]

These were found by my cousin who has put them on ebay. They were in some of Dick Orr's stuff that she has been going through. Dick passed away last summer and was her dad and my uncle. He was a member of the Husker Chapter and my '65 Cruiser was purchased new by him.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/64-STDE-Cali...item3cdbde7a0e

[royvaldez]

Are these the real deal. I thought I have seen these reproduced.

[StudeRich]

Not likely, the stickers on the rear plate look real enough. What Stude. owner would buy TWO fake plates, they would be useless to drive with and most likely not DMV clear as noted.

[WinM1895]

Not likely, the stickers on the rear plate look real enough. What Stude. owner would buy TWO fake plates, they would be useless to drive with and most likely not DMV clear as noted.

As a former CA resident, ask yourself this...how many black personalized plates have you ever seen?

I've never seen any originals because personalized plates were not offered for black plates.

What people do is...they order a set of new personalized plates, then have a set of black plates "made up" that matches whatever the personalized plates read, then put the stickers on them.

Several years ago, I asked the manager of the Whittier DMV office (an SDC member), if this was legal.

She said as long as the number matches the registration, usually the police won't bother.

The other possibility is...these are blue personalized plates that have been repainted black. I ordered a pair of blue personalized plates for a 1964 Galaxie 500XL that I bought in 1977.

Did you know Fred Roth, an SDC and HET member who lived in 1000 stumps? He put blue personalized plates on several cars he owned, but I don't recall which of these cars he put them on:

1951 Hudson convertible, 1951 Muntz Road Jet, 1952 Nash Healey, 1952 Woodill Wildfire, 1953 Starliner, 1953 Corvette, 1954 Hudson Italia, 1955 Thunderbird (#5), 1956 Thunderbird.

[Skip Lackie]

As a former CA resident, ask yourself this...how many black personalized plates have you ever seen?

I've never seen any originals because personalized plates were not offered for black plates.

What people do is...they order a set of new personalized plates, then have a set of black plates "made up" that matches whatever the personalized plates read, then put the stickers on them.

Several years ago, I asked the manager of the Whittier DMV office (an SDC member), if this was legal.

She said as long as the number matches the registration, usually the police won't bother.

The other possibility is...these are blue personalized plates that have been repainted black. I ordered a pair of blue personalized plates for a 1964 Galaxie 500XL that I bought in 1977.

Did you know Fred Roth, an SDC and HET member who lived in 1000 stumps? He put blue personalized plates on several cars he owned, but I don't recall which of these cars he put them on:

1951 Hudson convertible, 1951 Muntz Road Jet, 1952 Nash Healey, 1952 Woodill Wildfire, 1953 Starliner, 1953 Corvette, 1954 Hudson Italia, 1955 Thunderbird (#5), 1956 Thunderbird.

Thanks for the explanation -- you have restored my self-confidence. I've been collecting license plates for ~40 years, and used to spend a lot of time in California in the 60s and 70s. As a result, I KNEW that Calif did not issue any personalized numbers on black plates -- yet those plates (and the valid stickers) certainly looked authentic.

[JRoberts]

I looked at the ebay posting again and also talked with my cousin again. The plates in question are blue, not black. They are originals and not reproductions. They were on a '64 Cruiser my uncle purchased in California. Hope this helps.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Joe,
The blue plates were 1970-1982. They are not yet cleared by the DMV for use as YOM plates. The 63-69 plates were just cleared, so maybe in another 7 years or so? In the meantime, they would be great wall hangings.

[Dwain G.]

Any relation to the Orr's of hot rodding fame?

[JRoberts]

Joe,
The blue plates were 1970-1982. They are not yet cleared by the DMV for use as YOM plates. The 63-69 plates were just cleared, so maybe in another 7 years or so? In the meantime, they would be great wall hangings.

Thanks for the clarification.

[JRoberts]

Any relation to the Orr's of hot rodding fame?

I have asked the genealogy buffs in the family about that and we cannot find a connection.

[rbigcal]

Joe,
The blue plates were 1970-1982. They are not yet cleared by the DMV for use as YOM plates. The 63-69 plates were just cleared, so maybe in another 7 years or so? In the meantime, they would be great wall hangings.

I,m in California, and didn't know you could use the black plates unless the are original on the car and registration or non-op has been maintained. Last I heard they were going to reproduce black plates to be sold like personalized plates if enough people signed up. I used to order repop plates from license plate tv to replace ones that were all torn up. When I went to order a set for the wagonaire im working on I was informed that the California state attorney general blocked the sale of the california plates. They want you to pay to buy the ones that the state will sell. So did that plan go to hell or what?

[StudeRich]

Joe, The blue plates were 1970-1982. They are not yet cleared by the DMV for use as YOM plates. The 63-69 plates were just cleared, so maybe in another 7 years or so? In the meantime, they would be great wall hangings.

OK, I see that we have unearthed 2 meanings here of the word "Cleared".
Dick uses it to mean that the Calif. DMV has not yet written a "Statute" to the DMV Code to allow the use of the later (1970) Blue plates for use as YOM Plates.

The common usage of the word concerning License plates as was used here on this string prior to that, was "Cleared" by the Calif. DMV meaning those Alphas and Numerals are not currently in use on a Motorcycle which is often the case, or any currently "in the computer system" Vehicle in Calif.

..........FYI

[WinM1895]

It is my understanding, that after Gov'n Ahnold signed legislation several years ago, that black plates...as long as the number doesn't match a motorcycle plate (non commercial), can be installed on a vehicle that would have come with them originally (1963/70* cars, 1963/71 trucks).

Commercial black plates do not have such a restriction.

1956/62 yellow plates with black letters have been installed on these specific year vehicles for quite a while now. But like the black plates, require a YOM sticker.

Originally, when black plates were introduced in 1963, the yellow plates became invalid. Black plates have been valid since the first day they were issued.

Caveat Emptor ~ Let the buyer beware.

CA requires 'expensive to register' commercial plates on all trucks, regardless of age...unless they have a permanent mounted camper shell, slide-in-the-bed camper or a camper that is bolted to the rear frame rails ("back of cab" equipment).

If a cop spots a shovel or any other tool in a pickup bed with non commercial plates without a camper or camper shell, the driver is subject to a ticket.

Tonneau covers do not apply. When I bought a new 2004 Titan, salesman said you can install a tonneau cover, run non-commercial plates.

BS! He didn't know what the hell he was talking about!

* I'm not sure that the passenger car cut-off date is 1969 or 1970. I recall seeing new 1970 Mavericks that were introduced in June 1969, with blue plates.

[Dick Steinkamp]

I,m in California, and didn't know you could use the black plates unless the are original on the car and registration or non-op has been maintained. Last I heard they were going to reproduce black plates to be sold like personalized plates if enough people signed up. I used to order repop plates from license plate tv to replace ones that were all torn up. When I went to order a set for the wagonaire im working on I was informed that the California state attorney general blocked the sale of the california plates. They want you to pay to buy the ones that the state will sell. So did that plan go to hell or what?

This from Wiki about the original yellow on black plates (63-69)

In addition to all plates in the section above these bases can be used for the year of manufacture program with appropriate year sticker. They can also be seen as regular registration with modern month/year stickers if the plates were originally registered to the vehicle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle..._of_California

[kurtruk]

The subject plates of this thread are "Personalized" a.k.a. "Environmental" plates. They are legal to be transferred and put on any California vehicle (except motorcycles). However, any unpaid annual personalized plate renewal fees must be paid to put them in to use currently. That's the way I understand it.