CA Blue License Plate Restore

[SteveJ]

I had a chance to do some research after I got home, and that research says Arne is right about the blue & yellow not reflecting.

[Walter Moore]

I am missing some context here. Is it legal in California to use old license plates on a car? Here the plates themselves change every few years and they will ticket you for using an original plate, even with an updated registration.

The classic car guys I run into at car shows have to change plates once they get to the show, and put the "real" plate back on before they can drive it home.

[dclamm]

In CA, the plate stays with car "forever" (As long as registered in CA). If the car is sold out of state the CA seller keeps the plates (but I don't think they can be re-registered to another vehicle). CA "blake plate cars" show that they were registered in CA during the time black plates were issued (1960's). The early blue plate cars (six characters starting with three alpha characters) show that they were registered in CA in the late 60's and early 70's. This is my understanding, please correct me if I'm wrong.

My early blue plates (six character) neither the blue or the yellow numbering are reflective (at least that I can tell in a dark room, did check with a flashlight).

Would like to hear what anyone finds out about restoring these early CA blue plates as mine are pretty faded, though have not tried to polish them out. I would think any deviance in the colors (especially when newly bright and shiny) from a standard CA plate color would stand out to CHP who look at these all day long. Sure Ponch would expect and early blue plate to be a little faded anyway. And the Oregon colors don't look right to me, but I can't tell navy blue socks from black either...

Edited March 24, 2010 by dclamm

[DatsunZGuy]

Here's the rule, according to California DMV:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d03/vc5004_1.htm

[Arne]

The rules are different out West, although they vary some from state to state. But in general, plates are issued once and can be used as long as they continue to be registered on the car, with only new stickers (tags) applied. Replacement plates are not routinely issued. So the presence of current year-of-issue plates on a CA car indicates unbroken registration within the state of California.

Here in Oregon the laws are a bit looser, the presence of year-appropriate plates is not an indication of unbroken chain of residence. But year-appropriate plates can be legally registered and used on cars in one of two or three methods here.

[Kathy & Rick]

How about this for a second opinion:

1. Reregister the car with common garden variety antique car plates.

2. Go to Lowe's and get two sets of four of their magnets which are

the size and shape of a domino (and are very powerful).

3. Install your repainted license plates in the customary manner.

4. Use one set of four magnets to hold the antique car license plate

onto the front license plate, and a second set of four for the rear.

5. Use the antique car license plates when driving the vehicle, then

remove both them and the magnets to display the repainted plates

when you have arrived at your car show, cruise-in, Z-club meeting,

or whatever.

Possible conflict: I don't know whether you have to turn in the old

plates when obtaining antique plates. Also, I don't know whether CA

is a "title state" where the same plates stay with the car for its life.

FWIW, ~Rick~

[spitz17]

So I guess there's no one that has restored these plates I'll maybe use this tagdr.com guy and report back the results. Anyone with experience painting blue/yellow plates please speak up!!

Edited March 24, 2010 by spitz17

[spitz17]

The rule in California that any car 1969 and before can have a registered "same-year" plate. They call this the "year of manufacture" program. Cars are title in CA, plates stay with the vehicle until it is no longer in service.

[Bonzi Lon]

Having a friend as a tag collector, buyer, seller also helps. How bad is your plate? Could it be cleaned up? He sold me a 73 in original condition, I even knew the car it was on in 73, has a small chip on the bottom and minor fading. It can be restored (not the yellow) by him, but I wanted original condition and got the best in his lot. He told me to use polishing compound if I wanted a brighter/newer finish. For others using this method, beware if you have the 'light reflective glass beads' imbedded in the paint, usually the letter/number, or the border. This will have to be masked off, compound sticks in the texture. All of the yellow on my tag is reflective, and beleive you me, it does show up at night!

Bonzi Lon

[rtaylor]

My friend knows of someone locally in LA County that restores these blue plates. I'll call him and get you the 411.

[Inf]

Having a friend as a tag collector, buyer, seller also helps. How bad is your plate? Could it be cleaned up? He sold me a 73 in original condition, I even knew the car it was on in 73, has a small chip on the bottom and minor fading. It can be restored (not the yellow) by him, but I wanted original condition and got the best in his lot. He told me to use polishing compound if I wanted a brighter/newer finish. For others using this method, beware if you have the 'light reflective glass beads' imbedded in the paint, usually the letter/number, or the border. This will have to be masked off, compound sticks in the texture. All of the yellow on my tag is reflective, and beleive you me, it does show up at night!

Bonzi Lon

Nice plate.

I've got a set of 72 Texas plates sitting on the bookshelf, can't wait until May when I change the registration over to them. The latest iteration of Texas plates just looks plain ugly. WAY too busy, and they're the printed, rather than stamped, variety now.

http://dallas.ismyhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/plate.JPG

[spitz17]

My friend knows of someone locally in LA County that restores these blue plates. I'll call him and get you the 411.

That would be really helpful if you could do that =) Thanks a lot!

Having a friend as a tag collector, buyer, seller also helps. How bad is your plate? Could it be cleaned up? He sold me a 73 in original condition, I even knew the car it was on in 73, has a small chip on the bottom and minor fading. It can be restored (not the yellow) by him, but I wanted original condition and got the best in his lot. He told me to use polishing compound if I wanted a brighter/newer finish. For others using this method, beware if you have the 'light reflective glass beads' imbedded in the paint, usually the letter/number, or the border. This will have to be masked off, compound sticks in the texture. All of the yellow on my tag is reflective, and beleive you me, it does show up at night!

Thank god California Plates didn't have any gold reflection in them. That plate is absolutely stunning!