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Do you have a YOM license plate on your car ?


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Here is a photo of the 1916 Kansas plate that will go on the '16 Buick when it goes back on the road.  My Dad picked this up at the Lawrence Swap Meet in the early 1960's.  License plate collectors in Kansas will tell you that this is one of the prettiest plates that the state ever issued up to WW2.  Not too bad of condition for an original, 104 year old plate.

 

Terry Wiegand

Out Doo Dah Way

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7 minutes ago, Terry Wiegand said:

I LIKE the dog in the photo! 

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

That would be Patsy Cline, my Texas rescue. She came with that name and helped me haul dad’s cars from Texas to Oregon. She was good company when I had to sleep in the back seat of the truck and keep an eye on the cars in the truck stops. 🐕

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Edited by victorialynn2 (see edit history)
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California law on YOM plates is really quirky from a tax perspective. 

 

You can use YOM plates, but here's the trick: You can't use YOM plates if you want a historic registration that has essentially zero annual value taxes ($2 a year).  For that, you need the special historical tags.  If you want to use YOM plates, you need to pay the annual taxes that start off 0.65%  of the value of the car and drop over 11 years to about 10% of that, or about .065%.   This means that how much you pay for YOM plates depends on when you bought the car and how much you paid for it. 

 

For example, I recently went to register a rather expensive restored car I was fortunate to buy, and I wanted to use YOM plates.  The annual tax bill just to be able to use the YOM plates was over $1,000 a year.   When I asked the DMV employee how much it would cost a year if I just used historical tags, she ran the numbers and responded, "Ok, well in that case your tax is $2."  No YOM plates for me on that car.  On the other hand, I have another similar car that I bought 13 years ago in lousy shape and put a lot of money into.    The state sees that car as now worth only about $6,000, so the annual tax is something like $50.  YOM plates for that one. 

 

Strange state, California.  (I assume there are a lot of people who register with historic tags and just put the YOM plates on anyway, but so it goes.)

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My 1915 Buick. I was told by several Plate collectors that there were no letters in most very early plates In NY State. These have an R in them for Retail. Yup, Dealer plates. 

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Very interesting forum topic to read, more then I expected, lots of interest in license plate collecting here on long island and a show for license plates, signs etc also.

Some amazing things to read about current laws/requirements,/ can do-can't do with a YOM license plate. Geez

I left the 1930 plates on my Packard shown here, original as I felt if they have survived that long in decent order then leave them alone- look good on the car but some people have asked me " if your car has taken a national AAACA 1st place award then why not make the plates look that way too?" my reply is that the car would have remained original as well if I was the one that found it and it was good enough, the car was restored in the early 1970s and the award was given in 1971( then the car sat in heated storage for decades) , I do not display the 1st place award tag on the car, happy to have it, but I really never ever cared for trophies, awards etc. still don't. The best feeling I have about the car is looking at it, hearing it purr, and the look on peoples faces when I drive down the road - makes them happy too - doesn't get much better then that. Different strokes for different folks...............

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I've run them on all my prewar cars,  but not on the postwar ones.   In Massachusetts there is are some pretty strict restrictions about driving a car registered as an Antique.  I'm pretty sure you need to register as an antique to run the YOM.

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Looked for a long time for a good pair of 1931 NYS plates for our 31. Finally found a matching set but they didn't have much paint left and lots of surface rust. I called NYS DMV to see about using them and was put through to the Historical plates section. As Walt said, " Some amazing things to read about current laws/requirements,/ can do-can't do with a YOM license plate. Geez."

 

The plates have to be a matching set in good condition, originally issued by NYS, and can not be repainted. I thought it rather strange that since the stamped plate and it's number are the main point to identify the car, and the fact that they are called "Year Of Manufacture" plates, not present condition plates, then what's wrong with repainting them to look like YOM ? They were adamant that they had to be in all original condition to be legal for driving on NYS roads. Another trip to the strange land of bureaucracy.

 

I have a restored set of NYS 30's a friend gave me when he sold his car out of state. Who ever restored them did an excellent job. They look just like the real thing. Since NYS DMV accepts and files a picture that you take of the plates when you register them, I'm not sure how they could tell a very well restored set from an original condition set ?  But I'll make sure to use my cheap camera just to be safe. :D

 

Paul

Edited by PFitz (see edit history)
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Florida requires new unused YOM plates but does not require it be the correct vehicle type or county plate. Before privacy you could tell what car was and where it was registered. For instance a 6E plate was a Palm Beach County rental. It is considered a "personal" plate and costs $25/year extra.

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Paul I have known people over the decades who have restored their NY plates then dripped some dirty water or dust on them for a photo, or took a photo of the "ok" plates sent it in , registered the car and then stripped and restored them. I can appreciate/understand the state not wanting a plate restored that looked like it was done with a dried up paint roller and a well used tooth brush to apply the new paint to "restore" it but I have also never seen anyone ever restore a plate to the point it looked like it was done in a art class by pre schoolers. 😗

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Like the car they’re registered with, quite unique/unusual, but also in original/unrestored* condition "19 CALIFORNIA 32" plates.

And like many plate collectors, I’ve never seen others like ‘em, but they do often offer easy icebreakers for bystanders & fellow road users,  like “Are those the car’s actual/real plates ?”...
 

* Zoom in for close-up.

 

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Edited by TTR (see edit history)
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CT doesn't want them retouched either.  These were on our first 1930 A for years, but were rejected a couple years ago when I applied for the roadster.  Seems they actually looked up the plates, and determined them to be commercial.  A bit much but in speaking with a guy I know who sells YOM plates in our area, new CT DMV regime has tightened things up.  Must be all those prewar hooligans on the streets, glad to see such dilligent record keeping..  🙄

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56 minutes ago, Walt G said:

Paul I have known people over the decades who have restored their NY plates then dripped some dirty water or dust on them for a photo, or took a photo of the "ok" plates sent it in , registered the car and then stripped and restored them. I can appreciate/understand the state not wanting a plate restored that looked like it was done with a dried up paint roller and a well used tooth brush to apply the new paint to "restore" it but I have also never seen anyone ever restore a plate to the point it looked like it was done in a art class by pre schoolers. 😗

 Walt,

I've seen quite a few NY plates that were too nice to be unrestored, but luckily, none that looked obviously amateurish. And, I've yet to hear of anyone having problems from NYS DMV about the nice ones. I suspect those at DMV have to rattle off the rules and then they likely ignore the situation because enforcement takes more work. And you and I have worked in NY civil service so we both know how that goes. :wacko:

 

So,..... when the time comes, these 31 plates will be restored, too.  After all, to me, having a modern plate on an antique vehicle is like having a hood scoop.

 

Paul

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Welcome Morgansdad. Great group here ( mostly!😉)  Did you just join AACA too or just sign on for the forums? Great car you have .

You will have some wonderful 'conversations' here and can learn a lot. I have and I have owned old pre war era cars since 1963. Ask questions if you have any, we are here to help, and AACA has one of the best and most accessible libraries for old cars in the world . ( having a great collection of automotive material, history  and images is wonderful but if it can't be accessed easily enough  it is like it does not exist IMHO) There are not enough words to express how great the staff at AACA HQ is , I met a good many of them at Hershey in 2019 and they are dedicated and enthusiastic.

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Long before the advent of YOM plates Dad found a set for his 1920 Overland and put them on with the current registered plate.

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This was taken in 1969. He never ran into a problem with the police on them but did get stopped once because the car didn't have turn signals. Hence you see them bolted on the front apron.

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4 minutes ago, MetroPetro said:

Dave, great Buick!

That is not a 1915 NY dealer plate though. A 1915 NY dealer tag would have NY over 1915 on left followed by Dealer over Mxxxx (4 digit number).

Walt, would the "M" and the 4 numbers be for Manufacturer verses a dealer ? 

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9 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

CT doesn't want them retouched either.     

 

I can still recall being quite surprised when the lady at DMV counter grabbed them in her hands, took a look, said "Looks fine to me" and assigned them for the car...

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7 minutes ago, MetroPetro said:

Steve, that IS a 1930 CT passenger car plate. Maybe the DMV did not allow it because in 1958, CT reissued that number as a commercial plate.

Metro, that is interesting to say the least.  I will revisit..

 

Most unusual plates I have a very lthin gauge immediate postwar issued 6 mos only.  They are like new, out of an estate cleanout.  We suspect they may have never seen use.  CT resumed the thicker gauge within months.

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Most interesting to see the 2020 small tag added to the top of the plate, I assume you fashioned a holder and added it to accommodate the current requirement to show the 2020 validation.  Neatly done! I like it.

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3 hours ago, Walt G said:

Most interesting to see the 2020 small tag added to the top of the plate, I assume you fashioned a holder and added it to accommodate the current requirement to show the 2020 validation.  Neatly done! I like it.

 

If you are referring to the California registration sticker in 1935Packard’s photo, the tab for holding the modern month and year stickers is issued by the state when you setup the YOM registration. Mine came unpainted, so I painted it black prior to using it.

 

I think California’s YOM registration is different from anywhere else. You pay full registration and a “special plate fee” every year, so this is not a discounted limited use tag.  It is more like a modern “vanity plate” than anything else. You can drive a car with them anywhere any time just like a “normal” car. Your insurance company may set limits on use for your older car, but California does not for YOM.

 

California also has an antique plate that, I believe, cost less than regular registration and comes with driving restrictions but very few people seem to go for that: Most like the look of YOM plates and are willing to pay the extra money for them.

 

Edit: Adding a photo of my dirty car and license plate. California motor vehicle code requires a rear reflector regardless of vehicle age, since my tail lights don't have a reflector built in I hung one off the license plate mounting bracket.

 

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I've been selling old car brochures, old shop manuals, old owners manuals and old license plates on eBay since 2002 and have over 31,000 transactions so far with people in about 30 different countries. I ran a "wanted" ad in Hemmings for years looking to buy large collections of these items. One day a few years ago I got a call from a guy in Pittsburgh who said that he had been hired to clean out the garage of an old house. I told him that I would be there the next day and I was. Inside the garage were dozens of boxes of old items including a box full of old license plates which included PA plates from 1906 through 1958 with only 3 or 4 missing plus 4 old porcelain plates including one from Maine that didn't even have a year on it. I sold them in individual auctions on eBay and quite a few went for over $100 each. Also in that garage were two 1941 Buicks-a limo and a 4 door convertible-which looked to be in very good condition but very dusty from decades of sitting. All of these items were owned by the former founder (from what I was told) of the Buick Car Club of America (not to be confused with the BCA) but whose name I can't remember. I also brought home dozens of shop manuals which were still packaged in individual cardboard mailing boxes, hundreds of brochures, and a hell of a lot more. It was a great deal for the $1,500 I paid for a pickup truck load of stuff that I sold for thousands.... :)

 

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Ply33 - thank you for the information, did not know that at all. Here in NY you get clearance via mail by the state DMV with the photo you have to submit of the YOM plates you want for your car. Then each year renew the annual fee that is now up to $53.75 . they send a sticker for your windshield that you have to stick on next to the annual inspection you have to get by a service station licensed to do so ( the inspection is a safety inspection - wipes work, tail lights work, ) If you register the car with regular plates I believe they base the fee on how heavy the car is!  That is ok, but the larger sticker on the windshield next to the inspection sticker does detract from the period look of the car . There are NY state issued Historical plates as well which I had in the past but went in favor of the YOM plates. With the Historical plates when they first came out there was a big rush by car collectors to see who could get a low number - a big status thing , especially here on long island. Some people live for the "status" recognition, guess they feel it makes them more important - they seem to be the same people who also need to see their car win a trophy every time they take it to a show so they can sit back and brag " my car - 62" I used to say no it isn't a 1962 it is a 1947 , then they would be a bit disturbed and frown and say " no 62 trophies , or 62 awards" I usually kept quiet but then started to remark " so do you ever drive it too for enjoyment or just on and off the trailer"  That didn't make me to popular and several people didn't want to talk to me after that. 😛

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