Black Plate Cars

[Bruce]

Every car guy who lives in Cali knows what the significance is about a black plate car.  In short, it's a car that's been continuously registered year after year in the state of CA since the mid 60s.  Today, that car proudly wears Black Plates.  Many people are aware of registering "year of manufacture" license plates, but until July, it hasn't been possible to apply black plates to a 60s car.  Starting in July, black plates will become YOM plates and you'll be able to "create" a black plate car.  Guys with black plate cars might be pissed, guys that want to put black plates on their cars are happy.  Either way, after July, you won't be able to tell a true black plate car from a "fake?"
Let's see some pics, both old and new, of black plate cars.

[Jim Aust]

It is somewhat limited. The car must have been manufactured between 1963 to 1969 to register it with black plates- so you won't see a "fake" black plate Split or Oval. And people that are sharp know the plates were issued in a certain order so it will look wrong when you see a very early (1963) plate on a '67 car. Only a few fakes will pull it off correctly.

[deano]

Good point, the trick would be able to figure out what combination of letters (and perhaps numbers) go with each year.

[Gary Justus]

OK...Let me get this straight. As of July '63-'69 cars will qualify for the YOM deal? Can a car with blue plates be re-registered (with black)?

[lawrence]

Cool thread, Bruce. California should have done this long ago because it is a good source of revenue. Many people want black plates on their cars. I have photos of the black plate cars my family had until recently, but they were not VWs. I dont have a scanner either.

Gary, it should be no problem to get a nice set of black plates on your car as long as the number is clear. It is just like registering a vanity plate on any other car. My oval had the current "lipstick" CA plates, so I took a nice black on yellow '56 plate that I have and had it registered to the car. I pay an extra $10 every year, but it is worth it because the car looks so much better.

[Gary Justus]

I have a really nice set of black, '63 stamped plates that I perodically put on my '64. The '64 has been registered with blue plates for the 27 years that I have owned it. So, the question is : Can the car be re-registered?
**Kinda funny we're talking about California registration on a Euro board.

[speedwell]

someone said black plate    same here in belgium , we're looking after those one , and the blue one 

[stealth67vw]

Here's my real black plate car after sitting in the woods for 7 years.

[Jim Ratto]

Here's my real black plate car after sitting in the woods for 7 years.

are you into hoodrides now?




 

[stealth67vw]

That's not rust, that's patina

[stealth67vw]

How bout a pic when the car was a resto-cal

[Jim Aust]

Good point, the trick would be able to figure out what combination of letters (and perhaps numbers) go with each year.

Rule of thumb is about 4 of the letters were used to start off a series like "ABC 123" each year (I.E. A,B,C,D in 1963---U,V,W,X in 1968 and Y&Zin 1969.)

[deano]

My original '67 had USJ110...

[Jim Aust]

It wasn't set in stone Dean, just giving a rough idea of what's close. Again AVZ 456 would be correct on a '63- but totally wrong on a '69. I have seen '67s that were sold LATE in '68 with original plates later than most. Also if you lost or damaged a plate (like when my mom took her new '68 bug into a pole) you got a new later plate. So late lates are safer than early ones that will look wrong. I have seen this the same way with EARLY '56 california plates on '62 cars. Looks dumb when you know that car would have had a much later plate.

[stealth67vw]

My original '67 had USJ110...

My Dad's 67 Ford Thunderbird black plate was UYE 366 and my 67 above is UXD 538. Both were first registered in late 66.

[deano]

Thanks Jim, I understand your idea behind assigning four letters per year, and two for 1969. It gets you close...

[Frenchy Dehoux]

    The following license plates are all 1963 black and yellow and I will sell as pairs if anyone needs them. If someone could let me know the years they were issued from.


    KHC 448
    PQX 145
    NHU 015
    TZN 119
    JEJ  551
    BEA 375

   Let me know
   Frenchy

[Bruce]

From another board:

Starting in 69 and going back you have Y, Z
68 W, X My 68 Road Runner is XVM...
67 U, V
66 S, T My 66 Belvedere's history is traceable back to new and it's TCR...
65 Mostly seen P and R
64 M And possibly more than two letters for this model year and older, such as L, M, N. I currently have a very original 64 Barracuda and it's MJB...

Since every car in the state had to get new plates in 63, during the first year of black plates, they would have used up at least the first ~dozen letters.

[Zach Gomulka]

Good point, the trick would be able to figure out what combination of letters (and perhaps numbers) go with each year.

True. The yellow plate I have for my car is correct (used from 69-72 here in AZ), but the sequence isn't. I run it anyway because it has sentimental value

[Jim Aust]

From another board:

Starting in 69 and going back you have Y, Z
68 W, X My 68 Road Runner is XVM...
67 U, V
66 S, T My 66 Belvedere's history is traceable back to new and it's TCR...
65 Mostly seen P and R
64 M And possibly more than two letters for this model year and older, such as L, M, N. I currently have a very original 64 Barracuda and it's MJB...

Since every car in the state had to get new plates in 63, during the first year of black plates, they would have used up at least the first ~dozen letters.

Cool, that's better info than I had- I was just being general.

[Rennsurfer]

Since every car in the state had to get new plates in 63, during the first year of black plates, they would have used up at least the first ~dozen letters.

EVERY car? I don't believe that was the case. Perhaps every NEW car at that point. In 1962, the last yellow (w/black numbers and letters) plate was ZZZ 999, or something of that nature. In 1963 the first black plate would've been AAA 000 and so forth. Till 1969, beginning with Z. I remember seeing cars with yellow plates. But many people went and got the updated black ones. I'm sure they wanted to get rid of the ones that still said '56. My best friend has a gorgeous body off restored 1962 Type 1 convertible with V yellow plates and the 1962 sticker still intact. The car will be at this year's Classic again. Last year, it took second place... would've taken first but it didn't get entered in the show till very late in the day. Had fun cleaning and painting some of the engine parts for that show.



Anyway, back on topic. I'm glad that we're finally going to enjoy the Y.O.M. deal like the yellow plated cars have had. Originally, that bill was supposed to be passed and in effect as of Jan. of this year. It got pushed back to July. Which is around the corner. A lot of '63-'69 car owners are going to be rather happy, nonetheless.

[Hotrodvw]

someone said black plate    same here in belgium , we're looking after those one , and the blue one 

Posers   

[Bruce]

Since every car in the state had to get new plates in 63, during the first year of black plates, they would have used up at least the first ~dozen letters.

EVERY car? I don't believe that was the case. Perhaps every NEW car at that point. In 1962, the last yellow (w/black numbers and letters) plate was ZZZ 999, or something of that nature. In 1963 the first black plate would've been AAA 000 and so forth. Till 1969, beginning with Z.

You could be right.
However, it would be very difficult for the DMV to issue plates in 63 that were the same format (ABC 123).  What would they do when they were stamping new tags when some in the middle of the series were still on the road?
To avoid this problem for the new blue tags, the series was changed (123 ABC).

[Rennsurfer]

To avoid this problem for the new blue tags, the series was changed (123 ABC).

True... the blue plates from 1970-1980 were 000 AAA to 999 ZZZ. Starting in 1980, the format started with 0AAA000. They're still using that format, now. But the blue with yellow plates ended sometime around '89 or '90. Two of my daily drivers still have their original blue plates and both cars are from the '80s. I think the first number is now at around 6. When it reaches 9ZZZ999, they will have exhausted all of the possible combinations of the current format and will be forced to change it again. But from 1980 till now is pretty impressive. Especially since we more cars than most states. In addition, I'm sure more people have multiple cars here than just about anywhere. Heck, the population in So Cal alone is boggling. HAHA!! I'm surprised that we haven't ran out of plates, yet.

[Bruce]

There's plenty future possibilities for all those SUVs you guys like. 
Like they could go with 123ABC1.  Then when that's done, 123ABC2.

Enough of this babble about new tags, let's see pics of Black Plate Cars!

[Jim M]

blue plate special

[Jim M]

It has taken years for this bill to finally pass. X govenor Gray Davis vetoed the bill twice. Pressured from the prison industries that make the current plates.A black plate special.

[Sarge]

 I've had a number of black plates over the years... the benefit of being old, I guess . 

[Rennsurfer]

[Critter1]

My 67 Fasty