f you have a set of original plates in Ca. you can keep them for your
car but there is a little trick to it. First, don't ever deal with the
DMV! Join the Auto Club (no I don't work for them!). They are far less
crowded and far more intelligent. First, you must have two matching
plates in good, readable condition. If you only have one you are out of
luck for those plates. At many swap meets there are people who deal
in vintage license plates. They will sell you a matched pair in good
original or restored "show condition". A reputable dealer will already
have cleared the number with the DMV, meaning that that number has
not been issued to another car. When you register the car tell the
clerk that you want to register the car to its original plates under
the YOM (Year Of Manufacture) provision of the vehicle code. This
provision allows an owner to register their vintage or collector
vehicle to plates of the style and configuation they would of had
as a new vehicle. I don't know the exact break points but pre '55
plates were black letters on yellow but had I believe a combination
of seven numbers/letters and the plates were dimensionally longer
than they are now. '55 to about '60(?) were black on yellow with
six characters ABC123. For most of the sixties the plates were yellow
on black with six characters also ABC123 (my '65 Mustang was PCU852)
Around 1970 the plates became yellow on blue with six characters
123ABC (my '71 Datsun 510 was 298CZH). In the late '70s when they
ran out of combinations they reversed the combo again and added a
1 in front 1ABC123 (my '80 TR7 is 1CZH498, I think).
If you have a pair of YOM plates and you want to reregister your TR
to them, it can be done. If they are beat up, they can be restored.
If you have a pair and don't want them, maybe see if a club member
does want them or sell them to a plate dealer to keep them in
circulation.
As for theft protection, theft of vintage or collector cars is
relatively rare. A club member had his TR3 knicked from in front of
his house and was never found. It probably went straight into a
container for overseas. Interestingly enough, until about 2 years
ago, cars being exported were not verified for ownership! I have a
good friend who runs an independent Porsche shop and also sells
alarms. The really elaborate ones deadbolt the doors, trunk lid,
engine cover and fuel filler cover, isolate the ignition and power
for the fuel pump. He told me a story of a theft ring that used a
flat bed truck with canvas sides that towed an electric forklift.
Just picked up the car, put it on the truck and were gone. Took less
that 3 min. I always thought of using an inert Claymore anti-personnel
mine hung on the steering wheel with the actuator wires running under
the seat.
The reason for the rise in carjacking is because the anti-theft devices
are so good that they have to take the car while its already running.
I think the best deterrents are being careful where yu park, especially
overnight and I think a car cover helps! It helps disguise the car
and is one mor thing a theif has to deal with.
Or better yet, buy a TR7! Not even theives want those!
Cheers,
Kurt Oblinger
Redondo Beach, Ca.
80 TR7 Spider FI
62 Vitesse Convt.
57 TR3
54 Tr2
54 Swallow Doretti
64 Mini-Cooper 970S
71 Norton Commando 750
55 Chevy Bel Air Wagon
90 BMW M3
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