CA Black Plate

[Dann Smith]

I just bought my first 356, a 65 coupe in very solid shape. I live in PA. This car as well as some others I've seen were advertised as CA Black Plate cars. What does that mean?
Thanks for your help

[mag356]

Originally Posted by Dann Smith

I just bought my first 356, a 65 coupe in very solid shape. I live in PA. This car as well as some others I've seen were advertised as CA Black Plate cars. What does that mean?
Thanks for your help

Dann,

The color of Calif license plates from the sixties were black with yellow numerals. It can mean that the car has been in Calif all its life, however, I understand that if an individual can acquire legitimate black plates, he can put them on a car. Therefore, it may not necessarily mean that the car has been registered in Calif all of its life. Hopefully, someone with more detailed knowledge of current Calif vehicle registration laws can chime in. Wish you much enjoyment on your new acquisition.

Mario

[Dann Smith]

Thanks Mario.
The guy I bought the car from owned it for 9 years. He flew out to CA to look at the car and acqiured it from a woman who bought it in CA in 1973. So, it must have been there all it's life. I didn't know about the Black Plate.
Thanks again

[BeyGon]

You CAN"T get a black plate on a car if it wasn't originally registered with it.
So, that car was always registered as a California car. That is the plate it came with new.
Yellow plates, pre 64 can be bought and registered on other cars.

[id10t]

"Black plates" are actually correct for A and early B cars, but not C/SC cars. Aside from that, it just means they've been in Cali all their life, and are probably fairly rust free due to the environment...

[ralt12]

A good source of information for Cal plates :
http://www.calpl8s.com/

And a great source of perfect older plates, with a brief explanation of the state's "Year of Manufacture" plate program (which I have used for a 1953 Studebaker rod) is here:
http://www.davesclp.com/

So the fact is, depending on the year, you can get perfect black plates for your car, if'n you live in Cali.

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by ralt12

A good source of information for Cal plates :
http://www.calpl8s.com/

And a great source of perfect older plates, with a brief explanation of the state's "Year of Manufacture" plate program (which I have used for a 1953 Studebaker rod) is here:
http://www.davesclp.com/

So the fact is, depending on the year, you can get perfect black plates for your car, if'n you live in Cali.

You can only run BLACK plates if the car came with THOSE black plates. You can't just buy BLACK plates and register them for your car. If it didn't come with them, you can't use them. If you take a BLACK plate car out of state, register it in another state, you need to save the ORIGINAL BLACK plates just in case you move back or sell it back in California. You can reregister the car with the ORIGINAL black plates.

[ralt12]

That is not my experience with the DMV.

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by ralt12

That is not my experience with the DMV.

What does that mean?

[ralt12]

It means that this works:
http://www.davesclp.com/yomregistration.htm
If the plates are clear, you can use this program, which I used to get rid of the Previous Owner's vanity plate.
Use Cal DMV Form 352, which is the "Year of Manufacture" form. Note: you have to go to the DMV to ask; it's not on their website.

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by ralt12

It means that this works:
http://www.davesclp.com/yomregistration.htm
If the plates are clear, you can use this program, which I used to get rid of the Previous Owner's vanity plate.
Use Cal DMV Form 352, which is the "Year of Manufacture" form. Note: you have to go to the DMV to ask; it's not on their website.

From your web page


YOM Plates are any officially manufacture California License plates which are at least 25 years old and plates on a currently registered vehicle or trailer of a correspoding model year. Kit cars of vintage automobiles do not qualify for YOM plates. Base year plates must have the appropriate year validation sticker attached to be authenticated as other than base year (e.g., 1956 plate with a 1958 sticker = 1958 plate).

The last year eligible for YOM plates is 1962

NO Black plates.

[ralt12]

http://www.davesclp.com/52ca.jpg
http://www.davesclp.com/53ca.jpg
http://www.davesclp.com/54ca.jpg
http://www.davesclp.com/55ca.jpg

Of course, these look black to me. But if you wanted the 56-62 plates, they'd be a yellow base, and even "better" than black.

Which is why I said earlier "So the fact is, depending on the year, you can get perfect black plates for your car, if'n you live in Cali."
The key phrase being "depending on the year". You can get black, or yellow, or whatever color worked for Cali at the time.

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by ralt12

http://www.davesclp.com/52ca.jpg
http://www.davesclp.com/53ca.jpg
http://www.davesclp.com/54ca.jpg
http://www.davesclp.com/55ca.jpg

Of course, these look black to me. But if you wanted the 56-62 plates, they'd be a yellow base, and even "better" than black.

Which is why I said earlier "So the fact is, depending on the year, you can get perfect black plates for your car, if'n you live in Cali."
The key phrase being "depending on the year". You can get black, or yellow, or whatever color worked for Cali at the time.

But you CAN"T get a 63 up Black plate for a car unless it came with it, I thought we were talking about that bracket, not before the yellow plates came in. 56-62

[dvkk]

Originally Posted by id10t

"Black plates" are actually correct for A and early B cars, but not C/SC cars. ...

Black plates are correct for 63-69 cars. So a C or SC is correct with a black plate.

BeyGon has it right. You can't apply to get a set of black plates onto a car, unless you have proof that car originally came with those black plates.

In past years there have been many attempts to get a bill passed extending the YOM program to include black plates, but every time the Gov has nixed it. There was another attempt last spring and so far it is a go. Even Arne approves, but alas, the wheels turn slowly, so it won't be finalized anytime soon.
The bill is AB 462 if anyone can do a search for more details, post here.

[ralt12]

As noted on another car forum:

"California now allows the famous "black plates" as YOM plates...

"As chaptered, Section 5004.1 of the Vehicle Code is amended to authorize correct model year/date of year plates for a “vehicle that is a 1969 or older model-year or the owner of a commercial vehicle or pickup truck that is a 1972 or older model year. The bill would also increase the amount of the application fee to $45."

Up until now, the California YOM program was limited up through the black on yellow plates issued until 1962.

Now you can register your 62-66 California car with YOM "black plates".

BTW, NOS and/or perfect "black plates" were near giveaways at swap meets since you couldn't register your car with them. Not now!"

[dvkk]

Originally Posted by ralt12

"California now allows the famous "black plates" as YOM plates....."

Not quite "now". Although the bill was signed into law, it doesn't take effect until sometime in 2009.

[Joe Bob]

Currently Black plates can't be added to a Year of Manufacture vehicle....only Yellow background and earlier. The law will change soon as mentioned above.

I have a yellow background on my 58, and I added it when I registered the car the first time. I bought the plates on eBay AFTER I verified with DMV that they were transferable. Omce they have been inspeted you can get replica plates made that are perfect in every detail and put the original beat up ones in a box.

I also straightened out the model year and the VIN#. The New Jersey title used the engine number and registered it when it sold...it was a leftover from the previous year.

[ralt12]

The change to the DMV regulations is effective July 1, 2009; plenty of time to find a clear set of plates. Until then, black plates are only (for Porsche purposes, though there were earlier uses of black plates) for 1951-55 cars.

[BeyGon]

Originally Posted by ralt12

The change to the DMV regulations is effective July 1, 2009; plenty of time to find a clear set of plates. Until then, black plates are only (for Porsche purposes, though there were earlier uses of black plates) for 1951-55 cars.

They came on 64 to ? cars. My 64 vet.

[ralt12]

If you want to use the YOM program, and don't have your original plates, until 7/1/09, black plates are only (for Porsche purposes, though there were earlier uses of black plates) for 1951-55 cars.

Your '64 is currently ineligible for the YOM program, but will be after 7/1/09.