Really "original" license plate frames/script

[still looking for one]

I am the newbie who just joined here today, after getting cranked up at seeing all those beautiful GT/CS cars at the Grass Valley car show on the 22nd last...

With all due respect to the GT/CS custom plates having just been crafted, my question is...nonetheless...

Let's say you have an original black plate GT/CS, and the Marti report shows original delivery to COBERLY Ford in LA, DOWNTOWN FORD in Sacramento, or GEARY Ford in SF, or a trunk dealer script as in the East?, why would you throw it away and get a custom plate frame?

To me the original plate frames (and correct black plates) seem to give more of a light of provenance and originality to the car. All the more so when you think over the years, most- or many- cars get damaged and the plates have to be replaced, move out of state, get personal plates, etc.

I would assume these would be VERY hard to find, today, to get the correct dealer plate/script, as essentially they were free at the time, and many dealers have since changed names, gone out of business, or redesigned the frames since 1968

Opinions, anyone? I have seen this phenomenon on ALL restored cars, not just Mustangs! Not unique here.

What say you?

Jim

 

[Mosesatm]

There have been numerous threads on this site that cover our searches for original dealer frames and correct vintage plates. Very few, if any, of us would throw away original dealer frames or plates. I think most people go the custom route when what they have is not original.

 

[case12]

Hi Jim,

I was the one that had the custom frames made for the GT/CS and HCS group for us to help show off the rarity of the car and hopefully spark discussions at shows. I already have strangers ask me in parking lots about the "One of 3867" which is a great conversation starter. That said, I agree with you that if I ever found plate frames from my original dealer, Pasadena Motors, I would quickly replace one of my custom frames with the dealer frame - no doubt about it. The other I would hang in the garage. Then I get the best of both worlds - rarity and provenance. Casey

 

[still looking for one]

I wonder where you "WOULD" source old licensce plate frames for the car?
Maybe at scrapyards in California? Fromwhat I have seen, they are almost impossible to find, as by the time the car got there, the plates would be destroyed or discarded, and the license frames too.

I believe ....if my memory serves, that "ROBERT H. LOUD" was the (or one of)
Ford Agency in Pasadena back then, but then again, Im not sure, and Pasadena Motors, and I guess you got that name from Marti Report or docmentation with your car...

To get PERIOD CORRECT California black plates for your '68, you would have to have ones with the letter sequence from around Sep or Oct. 67 to late 68,
which means they would have to be probably reading Uxx - Xxx with numbers following, they went to different DMV agencies in batches. They would be very hard tofind today, and to get them registered on your car you would have to purchase them yourself -not at dmv - AND then get their approval, to have them on your car.
(Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere...) Probably too frustrating!
Many original owners of the cars hated the license frames, considered free advertising for the dealers, and threw them away

Jim

 

[still looking for one]

I wonder where you "WOULD" source old licensce plate frames for the car?
Maybe at scrapyards in California? Fromwhat I have seen, they are almost impossible to find, as by the time the car got there, the plates would be destroyed or discarded, and the license frames too.

I believe ....if my memory serves, that "ROBERT H. LOUD" was the (or one of)
Ford Agency in Pasadena back then, but then again, Im not sure, and Pasadena Motors, and I guess you got that name from Marti Report or docmentation with your car...

To get PERIOD CORRECT California black plates for your '68, you would have to have ones with the letter sequence from around Sep or Oct. 67 to late 68,
which means they would have to be probably reading Uxx - Xxx with numbers following, they went to different DMV agencies in batches. They would be very hard tofind today, and to get them registered on your car you would have to purchase them yourself -not at dmv - AND then get their approval, to have them on your car.
(Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere...) Probably too frustrating!
Many original owners of the cars hated the license frames, considered free advertising for the dealers, and threw them away

Jim

 

[390cs68rcode]

I have original CA plates for some of my cars. can't use them in Texas so I have 1968 plates on there now from Texas. The dealer frames are never is great condition and if this is a car for shows it might get a deduction so I took them off. I do keep all the old stuff for the cars.

here are a few plates from my collection

 

[p51]

To get PERIOD CORRECT California black plates for your '68, you would have to have ones with the letter sequence from around Sep or Oct. 67 to late 68, which means they would have to be probably reading Uxx - Xxx with numbers following, they went to different DMV agencies in batches. They would be very hard tofind today, and to get them registered on your car you would have to purchase them yourself -not at dmv - AND then get their approval, to have them on your car.
(Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere...) Probably too frustrating!
Many original owners of the cars hated the license frames, considered free advertising for the dealers, and threw them away

Jim

As far as I understand, in California, unless the car *already* has CA black plates on it and has been continuously registered with those plates since 1969 you cannot put "period correct" black plates on the car. That is, you can't go out to ebay, buy some black plates, and then get them registered at the CA dmv. The YOM (Year of Manufacture) law only allows this for pre-1963 (pre black plate) cars. A few years back there was an attempt to extend the YOM law past 1962-vintage cars and from what I understand it passed the CA legislative branch and then Gray Davis vetoed it :sad:

This is my understanding. If anyone knows different I'd love to get black plates on my car....

 

[6t8-390gt]

I agree with the other comments, most people add the newer license plate frames because they do not have the originals. I was lucky enough to find one from my original dealer McCoy & Mills in Fullerton, thanks to a member here.

Danny

 

[GTCSMustang]

P51 is correct. Except that if you bring a CA black plate car back into CA, and you still have the original black plates (and can document they are the original ones), you can reregister the car in the original black plates...even if has left the state sometime during its life.

Scott