Lucky antique store find

Tom Hoczyk

Tom Hoczyk

PCS Past President
OR...... When is a '55 not a '55???

Last fall, in an antique store in Auburn Indiana, I came across a most beautiful 1955 Indiana license plate, totally encased in a protective frame, with plastic over it. (frame not photographed here, obviously)

Indiana has recently started allowing the use of original license plates on old cars, but they have to be in original, un-repainted condition. I started disassembling this plate to wash it a bit, in preparation for possible resale to someone who had a '55.

Low and behold, apparently years ago the state made small metal tags so that the previous year's plate could be used, just like we use stickers for now. So when I removed the small red metal tag, look what year the plate is actually for!

My '54 Eureka will soon be sporting an original '54 plate. Tom
 

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Excellent find Tom!
Ohio allows you to do this also (as long as you already have "historical vehicle" plates) and as luck would have it... 1966 Ohio plates were red with white letters!

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historical tags

Ohio calls these 'year of manufacture' tags. Like Dwayne said, you have to have the black and white historical tag. Back when I got mine you mailed your title and the plate you wanted to use to Columbus. I went to Columbus and took care of this as I did not want to mail a title and plate. We have to have the black and white plate in the car if asked for it. Not at home in the garage or ? My 1961 green and white tags have been repainted. They were rusty but a pair when I found them. The girl at the BMV said as long as they were the same colors as they were in 61 there was not a problem with repainting. I am still waiting for some backwoods badge to stop me and ask what I am doing with old plates on my coach.
Ohio does have some restrictions on these plates. No commercial advertising on the vehicle, to club meets and civic functions, and parades. I think the laws or restrictions are very loosely enforced here.
Mike
 
We are also allowed to register year of manufacture plates here in Michigan. The state only requires a photo of the license plate to be submitted as part of the application for registration, not the actual plate.

Once registered, the year of manufacture plates are the actual license plate to the car, and an additional historical plate is not required as is necessary in Ohio.

Tom, the 1954 plate will look great on your coach. Michigan also used the small metal tags to make plates good for additional years during the 1940's and early 1960's.
 
Here in Tennessee you can run the year of manufacture tags on a antique auto as well as long as you have the state issued antique tag for your car in your car with you if pulled over and asked to produce them. I have year of manufacture tags on both my 73 and 77 M-M's. Like others have said I don't think they restrict things like they should as I've never seen a car with antique tags pulled over and have seen them out for other reasons than for show or being worked on.
 
SD is the same you have to have two matching ones and sent the picture of them in with the form. you car is then Historically registered with that tag.
 
Mike Stevens said:
No commercial advertising on the vehicle, to club meets and civic functions, and parades. I think the laws or restrictions are very loosely enforced here.
Mike
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That is how Iowa is. You also must have the "real plates" in your car and produce them if asked. I think it is pretty loosely enforced here also, because alot of rodders use these plates on the front, just not the rear. I will not do this because of the red flashers on the bumper of the 49, just one more reason to pull me over. It bums me out though, my buddy has a mint set of 49 plates he offered me for free that would look great on the old girl. They sre black with white numbers. The only thing that would make it better is to have the correct county number on it.
 
Jeremy D. Ledford said:
Here in Tennessee you can run the year of manufacture tags on a antique auto as well as long as you have the state issued antique tag for your car in your car with you if pulled over and asked to produce them. I have year of manufacture tags on both my 73 and 77 M-M's. Like others have said I don't think they restrict things like they should as I've never seen a car with antique tags pulled over and have seen them out for other reasons than for show or being worked on.
Click to expand...

Indiana is the same, you have to have carry the state issued antique plates in your car at all times.
 
John Royark JR said:
That is how Iowa is. You also must have the "real plates" in your car and produce them if asked. I think it is pretty loosely enforced here also, because alot of rodders use these plates on the front, just not the rear. I will not do this because of the red flashers on the bumper of the 49, just one more reason to pull me over. It bums me out though, my buddy has a mint set of 49 plates he offered me for free that would look great on the old girl. They sre black with white numbers. The only thing that would make it better is to have the correct county number on it.
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John, considering the plates are free, why not take them anyway. At worst, they'd look good hanging on the garage wall. Or another idea is to carry a screw driver with you to shows and put them on the car for the show. That's what I'm thinking of doing with my Pfefferkorn trailer. I picked up a 1954 German license plate, but as Illinois doesn't have a classification for antique trailer, I have to display a modern plate on it. But I figure that doesn't prevent me from swapping plates while parked at a show.
 
Im Washington state, you can get either a state issued Collector Vehicle plate or use "year of Manufacture" plates IF your car is 30 years old or older. They do have restrictions on them; they are NOT to be used for every day use. Some of the police do not understand the "Y-O-M" plates so I carry a copy of the state law pertaining to them in the car. My 86 Lincoln hearse isnt old enough yet for the plates but when I show it, I do like Patrick does, and put my set of 1986 Illinois Funeral Home plates on it! Many thanks to Patrick for the lead on finding those plates and the great deal I got on them!
 
After my great aunt died we went and cleaned out her house. There was not much she throw away, she wasn't a hoarder. Some of the things I got were a color wheel for an aluminum Christmas tree, that was still in the box. An old stethoscope in the box and two 1973 license plates, still in the paper. I don't know how the laws is about the plates here. I have personal plates right now, but I have them if I ever want to put them on. The best part they are blue.
 
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