Ive got the new style california plates on my 914,I have got a set of blue/yellow licence old style plates,Has anyone ever tried to do this ? It really makes the car time period correct,Looks great too.
Thanks,914

If you find a way, let us know. As far as I know, it can't be done.

CA is really weird about plates. I have a single blue plate on the back of my car, but the front plate is long gone. No way to get a new blue plate from the state. There are plates that will make new plates (in other states), but the rumor is that CA has given these places a lot of heat over the years, for reasons that escape me.

Getting plates restored is also (apparently) a problem as far as the CA authorities are concerned. My one blue plate is badly faded, but that's OK. If I got new easy-to-read plates made up, that's apparently a problem.

I've never found the relevant laws on the books, and perhaps there aren't any. It may just be the DMV/BAR/whatever authority throwing it's weight around.

My understanding is that unless they are "personized " plates, no...I have the original blue plates for my Chev truck, when I moved to Oregon, I found a set of "period correct" Gold on Blue Oregon plates, Oregon will let you use any old plates as long as they are not currently in use, I sent them out and had them refinished. Now that I'm back in California, I want to put my original California blue plates back on, the DMV said no.

It's against the law to paint a license plate, so I guess that covers restorations. I had a friend who changed the color of his new plates, they were done in black and gold on his 64 Nova, but if you looked closley you would notice that the original plates were three letters and three numbers, his had a number, then three letters and then three numbers.

I called DMV up in sacramento,They said if I had proof they were registered to any car that I owned in the past they can do it. I bought these plates at a swap meet and it is a orginal pair mint condition vintage to year 1973.So lou if you have any past regist cards you can do it. Any fellow teeners work at the DMV.........
914

Can you cite the relevant CVC passage that states it's illegal to paint a plate? The only things I could find were things stating sizes of the plate and the lettering. There was also a clause (I think, I'll have to look it up) that forbid you to "alter" the plate, which is rather broad, and could certainly be interpreted to make painting it illegal, but then, you could also say letting it sun fade over 30 years is "altering" it, as wel.

That would be great, I went in to the DMV and explained that this was my dad's truck and the plates were original, etc. and they just shook thier heads no. I sure hope you're right, I didn't want to walk in with the plates until I got the ok, I don't know if they'd take them away from me.

No, I can't cite the CVC passage, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn last night
I just had to say that, I would think it would come under the "altering" issue.

You would think that Jay Leno could talk to Arnold and get this stuff straighten out.

I spent a lot of time researching this a few years ago when I tried to get blue plates put on my '74.

Here's what I found:

If the blue plates that you have were originally assigned to the car, no problem. But of course, who has the originals?!?

So, assuming you are starting with no blue plates at all:

1. First I bought some used blue plates that were issued in '74. I tried forever to get these assigned to my car, no go.

2. If you find used blue PERSONALIZED plates, and they have not been registered for a certain number of years, you can get those registered for your car. The problem here is finding a set (you need both) that are personalized and you can live with.

3. Painting plates. I don't think it's legal to alter a plate in any way, and changing it's color would certainly count, esp. if you are taking a reflective plate and making it non-reflective, IMO. Because modern plates use a completely different numbering sequence, taking a modern plate and painting it blue/yellow would get you busted quickly, IMO. I wouldn't risk it.

4. The only way that I found. This is not technically legal, but it has been done before by others without getting caught. Sign up for a peronalized plate from the DMV. At the same time, order that same number configuration in blue/yellow from someplace like www.licenseplates.tv. When the new official plates come in, they'll come with new stickers. Use them on your replica blue/yellow plate. Make sure your replica plate is a quality aluminum, raised letter replica, not some cheesy, obviously fake plastic thing!

I've seen this done, and know someone (wink, wink) that is in the process of doing this right now, and should have it set up by next week.

But you didn't hear it from me!

I still have both original blue plates for my teener, once I update the registration, I'm going to send them out and have them refinished, I found a company through Hemmings Motor News in Pensylvania that did a great job on my Oregon plates.

Lou,
If they are in your dads name not yours that can be a problem,I just bought the six that was for sale on the 914 board here,WhenI went to transfer it I brought the blue plates with me to the dmv,They handed them back to me and said to keep the as
souvenier Plates,The blue plates really would make my car POP Out....
914

www.licenseplates.tv makes some great replicas. 75.00 each but will not ship California plates to California. They can make and deliver in 5 days while our fine state takes 8 to 12 weeks.

A fine police officer once told me that from their computers in their cars they can not get the color of plates info. So if you had old personalized plates it would be difficult for them to research. In otherwords you would have to really piss them off to have them search that far.

Thanks for the info, I transfered it into my name a couple of years before I moved to Oregon, I still have all the old registrations. I'll give it a try again, my Oregon plates are still good until March 2007.

I looked on ther web site,the numbers/lettering looks a little differnt,Take a close look and tell me what you think,I was thinking the same idea...
914

I would call DMV sacremnto,There is a specal form that you need to fiil out,try them first,not the local dmv.
914

Great Info, Thanks again

What "I" have found....a personalized plate can be ordered.....and assigned to a car. A replica can be made. A cop can run the plate and not be able to determine when it was first issued, just that it's valid or not and assigned to THAT car's VIN....as personalized plates can go inactive and re-assigned as long as someone doesn't swoop in and grab it.

http://www.licenseplates.tv/index.php/cPath/22
These guys will do a replica in the old style blue background and yellow letters....and look great.

They will NOT ship to CA, but you CAN order them and send them as a gift to a friend in another state...what then happens is well a secret....%^B

Once you have a plate you like....AAA or DMV will issue new tags if you tell them they got damged or whatever....apply the new tags, and away ya goes....of course this what I have heard...because I would never advocate that this be done....

I want to do this too. I have been to a couple of local car shows where the owners were cops and firemen. I noticed Cal Balk&Gld personalized plates on the cars; as well as some with brand new gold on blu.
So I inquired-seems that the law says you can't cover a DMV issued plate-but doesn't say you can't make your own.
Check out this site: http://www.cre8apl8.com/licenseplates.htm
Look under State Replica plates; fibreglass though you can't tell.

Cop said that if the plate matches the registration for the car, and is somewhat period correct-most all cops let it slide. A alot of them are car crazy too.

There is also a guy that floats around Pomona Swap that is rumoured to have the original presses used at the time in Folsom Prison. Those are made from metal.

Mine are metal....I have a matching pair...they are a bit thinner gauge metal alloy.