Reproduce a license plate
 

Is there anyone that can reproduce an original 1969 black California plate off an original with the same letters and numbers, and make it out of steel?

I checked some Internet businesses and they will only make it out of aluminum.


- Warren

Before you waste time and money you better check with the California DMV to see if what you want to do is legal.

Hopefully someone on this site will know if it is legal.

My Z/28 has one original plate on it from brand new. Since the nose has been replaced with another nose off another car back in the '70s, I assume the original front plate was destroyed.

I know there are no issues with the plate I have with the car, as I have registrations from California with that plate number.

- Warren

What's wrong with one made from Aluminum that's embossed?
It will be painted black/yellow,no one will tell the difference.

California Plates
 

Warren,
I found this person on ebay "thekomat" who perfectly reproduced 2 California black plates for me out of steel with the numbers and letters I wanted. I read his feedback and it was great so did the bid with him to make them. They can out perfect. He lives in Berlin, Germany but it was worth the wait and cost.

Mike

I was told if the car is ever registered in California with original plates, they check to see if they are made of steel.

- Warren

.

Mike,

I will check him out.

- Warren

Ah,I thought you were doing it for show/display purposes only.

'

Have you considered trying to make one yourself?
I picked up the below Plates on holidays, Blue Curaçao one real and a lucky score but Red one homemade by a lad on a Cuban beach.
Note backside pic shows marks from the squared off bolts he was hitting w/ a hammer, I could've had something cool made but had to catch a bus so bought this one for a few Pesos.
It's far from perfect and you could do better w/ practise also if illegal, you may be making them for the State anyway so could run off a few real ones?:shocked:
:beers:
~ Pete

.

Pete,

I am going to try and find someone who can make a perfect copy out of steel.

- Warren

I met a guy here that makes plates. And no, he’s not in prison lol

Year-of-manufacture plates

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicl...ecialty_plates)

California makes it's plates out of Aluminum not Steel. A steel plate would be illegal.

What you need to do is take your registration to the DMV and explain to them that your front plate was "destroyed" in a prior accident and you need to have a as-like front plate made for you by the California DMV.

Or . . . just get an aluminum one made up by a 3rd party and deal with the butt-hurt. :grin:

I just went and took off the original black license plate which starts with a Z which is close to the end run of those plates. A magnet sticks to the plate. Possibly the blue plates they started using in 1970 were made out of aluminum.

- Warren

Original black and yellow California plates are steel. DMV only needs to do an inspection if you are bringing the car in from out of state, once it’s registered and titled here, they don’t have “annual” inspections.

Warren - check this out. You can get "new" black license plates or your original ones "replaced" from California DMV...under the option of "1960 LEGACY" ....see the links below.

I hope this helps....


https://instamotor.com/driving-tips/...license-plates

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicl...icense-plates/

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/ipp2/initSeq....quential+Plate

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/uploads/2020/06/reg17.pdf

Black plates are steel, Blue plates, some steel some aluminum,
My 73 240z has orig steel blue plates, my 70 z28 has aluminum blue plates.
The new Black plates are made with a personal number/letter or sequential,
but the color has alot of red in it looks nothing like orig black plates.
YOM or year of Mfg plates are big buisness in Ca and thats how we put Orig
plates on our 60s cars, plenty of legit dealers, also plates in Ca must be in pairs,
no value in single plates,Dealers also guarantee that the plates are "clear" or available to
register on your vehicle. The few people that restamp are a shifty bunch,and the "font" is never exactly correct.

This company makes reproductions of any state/country plate, but as you indicated in aluminum.

I used them to get the "TV-77" 1971 New York plates for my grandpa's 1971 Lincoln.

https://www.licenseplates.tv/?matcht...SAAEgJPivD_BwE

Licenseplates.tv use to make the black California style license plate many years ago but have since discontinued the service.

If you do go with this guy https://www.ebay.com/itm/California-...0AAOSwYMxfbKSW Let me know. I can prolly save you a few scheckles. BUt I would also check with CA DMV as stated, they might be able to make you a duplicate.

The guy in Germany has really good looking plates.

YOM Plates
 

The times I have gone to the CA DMV to use the YOM procedure, I HAD to have both plates. I had to have them with me for inspection, and they had to be made of steel. IF they were steel to begin with... They took both plates to a back room and made photo copies of them, to prove there were two. It just so happened that both of my plates looked very close { NOT to me } so the picture I sent in for the YOM did not pass. They thought I photo shopped the same plate in next to the other. So I drove to the Napa, CA DMV with both plates. The picture went through the system and I got the registration and stickers in the mail in about 2 weeks. I was also told it was illegal to have a 3rd party make a plate to match. As we have all found out, there are many single plates out in the world. That new plate making program looks nothing like originals, don't like it. ... Danny

Those are interesting plates!

Thanks to all that chimed in with info for me to digest.

Just thought it would be nice to have a matching plate that the Z/28 had on it when new. Been thinking about this for over 25 years.

Do not think I would go the route of the reissue black plates from California as from what I have been told, they are not exactly the same. Also, I would have to register the car in California to receive them and that is not going to happen since I live in Connecticut.

I think I will just pass on a reproduction plate and be happy I have one original.

- Warren

Steve, is the gold on the car the special anniversary gold that came on Lincolns that year? I forget the name of it.

Not the same thing, but I have an NOS 1969 Dealer tag from Tennessee. I never got around to it, but I was planning to register a current issue vanity tag with the same number as the NOS one. Then use the NOS tag on my car, with the real tag in the trunk, in the event that I got stopped. Not exactly legal, but I figured I would not get in trouble.