How to keep/get Calif 914s' Old Original Plates ..., ... Resources & History of Plate Types & Colors, etc. Options

[Tom_T]

OK All -

IIRC - with some 60% of the total 914 production coming into the USA, & 40% of the total going into California ALONE for first sale new - & with more Cali 914s surviving due to the milder climate out here ... . . .... that's a big chunk of the 914s still around today! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

There have been several posts with questions on how to (re-) register your 914 with expired reg. &/or old plates, etc.; as well as those who have somehow managed to hold onto their original issue plates & wondering if they can go back to them or keep them when registering their 914 for the road again.

Well, apparently Cal DMV & our illustrious Legislature have decided to clarify & expand a couple of programs for re-registering the original plates, as well as extending the date for the "Original Year of Manufacture" plates program to at least include those from 1969 build dates.

I too have an early 1973 MY 914-2.0 with its original plates, which has been out of registration & PNO for most of the time it's sat in my garage awaiting resto since 5/85 (no PNO since 12/92), so I went searching on the DMV website for more info., & found the following which may be helpful to the rest of you out there.

These are mostly hidden away in corners of the DMV website requiring some time searching, so hopefully I've saved you some time searching them out. If you've looked at them before, then please note that these were revised in mid & late 2009. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Got your old plates? ... bringing a former Cal 914 back? ... want to get repro Black & Gold plates for your 1969 Manufactured 914-6 or 914 (-4)? ... want to try out Historical Vehicle plates? ... read on & link out!

REASSIGNMENT OF OLD PLATES:
- NEW CHANGES ALLOW VEHICLES ON DATABASE TO GO BACK TO OLD PLATES:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/vin_memo...009/09vin20.pdf

YEAR OF MANUFACTURE PLATE PROGRAM:
- ONLY UP TO 1969 my FOR AUTOS, BUT IN LATER YEARS THEY MAY EXTEND THIS FURTHER OUT AGAIN:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/lad/pdfs/yom/new_text.pdf
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/vin_memo...009/09vin09.pdf

HISTORY OF CAL PLATES & DMV:
- FOR THOSE ASKING WHEN WHICH PLATES/COLORS & NUMBERING SYSTEMS CAME IN:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/plates/licenseplthistory.htm
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/profile/milestones.htm
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/profile/history.htm

HISTORICAL VEHICLE PLATES:
- ANOTHER OPTION FOR 914s TO THE CURRENT "WHITE PLATES":
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d03/vc5004.htm

DMV HOME PAGE:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/

Additionally, DMV has apparently expanded what their "Business Partners" (e.g.: AAA, dealers, etc.) can now do with these areas above, because before it changed at the end of 2009, AAA had told me they couldn't do these services, but apparently now can do at least some of them in some cases. So there may be an upside to DMV's cutbacks of service with the state's budget crisis! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom T
Orange CA
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[jjbunn]

Useful thread, Tom!

The original blue plates are still on my '74 and are current. However, they are in pretty tatty condition, especially the front plate, which looks like it's been hit by a stone at some point: half the blue paint is gone, it's rusty etc..

Is there somewhere that will make legitimate new blue plates, do you know? Or perhaps refinish them?

Julian

[Tom_T]

Useful thread, Tom!

The original blue plates are still on my '74 and are current. However, they are in pretty tatty condition, especially the front plate, which looks like it's been hit by a stone at some point: half the blue paint is gone, it's rusty etc..

Is there somewhere that will make legitimate new blue plates, do you know? Or perhaps refinish them?

Julian

Julian - check with Michael N here at the link below, as he had some Blue/Golds made out of his 74 914 LE personalized white plates somewhere, so maybe they could redo yours.
http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showuser=2164

Post the company info here too if he knows, so we can all get at it if ours are needed to be remade.

Otherwise, You could get a match exterior enamel in the proper Blue & Gold/Yellow & repaint them yourself, which is what I was planning to do to touch up mine after removing the oxidation.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)