Any one in NY State using a vintage plate?

Kraftwerk · 05-09-2007, 03:02 PM

Any one in NY State using a vintage plate? I saw a 70's Caddy with an old orange plate. It was double parked so I couldn't go into detail with the guy but i would like to do the same with my P-Car. He said as long as the number is not taken you can do it. Any thing else to it? Pay vanity plate rates? How old does the vehicle need to be? etc. Thanks for any insight..

onlycafe · 05-09-2007, 03:13 PM

i am running with a 1955 ny tag on my beck 550 spyder. the car was titled by the po as a 1955 in south carolina, all i did was hand it to the dmv and they titled me as same. i found a '55 plate and called in the number to my local office. they told me the number was not in use , and was mine for the asking.
the fee was only three dollars to use your own plate, maybe the last bargain in ny state.
for me the best part is that 1955 was a single plate year.
" well officer, actually i don't need a front plate."

Kraftwerk · 05-09-2007, 04:32 PM

Excellent! Thanks for your story. Now where can I find a '55 spyder?

pwd72s · 04:53 PM

I think RoninLB may be...when he was here his NY plate read: FD 154. But I suspect he earned that one...

id10t · 05-09-2007, 05:14 PM

Kraftwerk - there's been one for sale in the past 5 or 6 years...

Although, as much as I love 356s, the 550 just couldn't justify the price for me. A 904, maybe. Of course, for that kind of cash, you could have the Emorys do a fantasmic one-of.....

The Gaijin · 05-10-2007, 05:08 AM

I see new plates with "classic" or something printed on them. But the original plates in the original colors are much cooler.

304065 · 05-14-2007, 11:34 AM

Hey JT,

I have old NY plates on both of my cars. You buy a NICE pair off ebay, have to be a back and a front and they can't be repainted. You take a photo of them and send it to the vintage plate unit up in Albany, and they issue you a new registration with that plate number. Quite simple.

Here is some more info. http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/cpl8faqs.htm#Historical

Kraftwerk · 07:00 PM

Hey John Cramer,
Thanks for the tip. I found a set of plates here in Brooklyn at a stoop sale for 5 bucks- totally vintage. The numbers & letters are kinda nice: ends with -XJK (might be good for a vintage jag?) Anyway I will be glad to run the old 'blue and orange' on the '83 SC.

"Vintage plate unit" who would've thought? What I gathered from their site is that the plates have to have been issued in the model year of the car, 1983. So that makes it kinda tricky, not sure I can use these plates or what numbers to look for. Will give them a call.

It has been awhile we should get a beer sometime with some of the other Pelicans..

onlycafe · 05-14-2007, 04:49 PM

if you guys come up to this neck of the woods, i will take you to the matts brewery, where they make saranac beer.
mmmmm...........beer.

The Gaijin · 05-15-2007, 04:57 AM

Really old plates have a year embossed on them. So a 1923 plate might not be allowed on a 1965 Mustang.. Later plates have no year - so if the colors of that period match your car, I would give it a try.. The DMV is the only thing that has improved in NYS government in 50 years and untold tax increases..

Kraftwerk · 05-15-2007, 07:58 AM

Gaijin,
The really old NY state plates are black and orange >> much cooler but who has a car that old? How is your car doing?

The Gaijin · 05-15-2007, 08:10 AM

Hey KW. Come up Metropolitan Ave and I'll show you! Have a '51 Willys up on the farm...would love to find plates for that.

id10t · 05-15-2007, 08:21 AM

The Gaijin - check fleabay. I found a '65 plate for my 356 (even same issuing county where Dad bought the car!) on fleabay, in the original envelope the DMV mailed it in, for $20... Also, there are places out there that do *fantastic* reproductions - having a second plate (to match a single, etc) has been discussed on 356talk before....

The Gaijin · 05-15-2007, 08:56 AM

Will do. Thanks.