California has a program where you can use a year of manufacture (YOM)
plate, but only for 1962 and earlier cars. The black with yellow writing
came in 1963 and used stickers for the year. These are still considered
current plates by the DMV, hence, I assume, the reluctance of the DMV to
reissue them to a car (unless you get creative, as Frank Dobbs described).
The YOM plates are interesting. We have yellow CA plates (yellow
plates/black writing) on our Bugeye. They are stamped "56" and then
stickers were used to designate the year (up until 1962). CA will let you
use these, but just to make you jump through an extra hoop or two, you have
to have plates with the sticker corresponding to the year your car was
manufactured. And you have to have a matching pair of them in good
condition (as determined by the DMV), although they will let you refinish
them if you need to. So, for our 1960 Bugeye, we had to come up with a set
of plates with a good 1960 sticker on them. eBay of course!
Rich Hill
'79 MG Midget (original blue plates)
'60 AH Sprite (not original yellow plates)
>
> Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 10:03:54 -0700
> From: Gerard Chateauvieux <pixelsmith@gerardsgarage.com>
> Subject: Re: Calif. plates for 67 Sprite
>
> If I'm not mistaken, the only way to do this is if you have a plate that is
> the same year as that of the car. Since the black plates were actually
> metal stamped with the year as opposed to the year stickers, you have to
> find one that is the same vintage as the car. Not that it is easy, but it
> can be done.
>
> Gerard
|