Hot Rods Illinois HAMBers - License Plates

I need help form the Illinois HAMBers on what license plate to run on a 1927 Track T Roadster. Has anyone ever been hassled with running Antique vehicle plates while driving? I need to get a "Historical title" transfered this week and have a hard time shelling out money for passenger plates when the antique vehicle plates are available. I know there are limits on the antique vehicle plates but who is going to know?

Thanks,
Ike

 

....go with the antique plates, as long as you don't drive the car everyday to work, they won't give you any static. I drove on em for several years, even just runnin everyday errands,and never got pulled over .
...glad you got it up n runnin.

 

Ditto. 3yrs so far. Cops just smile and wave. If you can find a nice set of original '27 plates, you can even run them in Illinois as long as you keep your antique (current) plates in the vehicle. They're referred to as "Year of Manufacture" plates. They must be the same year as the vehicle. Luke

 

I have been running vintage plates on two different cars for the last 12 years and never got stopped for a plate violation. On my 67 Mustang I ran an original set of 1967 plates. I always carried my antiques plate (67 FBAK) plate with me. On my 32 roadster I have a set of Calif reproductions that just say 1932 and I carry my Illinois antique plates (32 RAT) under the seat. I've driven to Indiana and Wisconsin and have not been stopped so far.

Jack

 

I'd go with antique plates as well, i've been running them for a couple years now. I don't remember the exact phrasing of the law but there's something about being allowed to use it for gatherings.

I've never had to use it but I had a card made up for a "car club" that had my buddy's name on it. The plan was that if I ever got pulled over, I would say I was coming from a gathering with the club and he could call my buddy to verify. We both had the same setup with each other's names on it. I don't know if it will work, but it's worth a shot.

Of course, the key is to just not drive it around all the time. Your car probably sticks out like a sore thumb and the cop will probably know if you drive it every day. So, keep it to the weekends and evening cruises and you should be fine.

 

Antique plates are supposed to be only for cars driven in parades and to car shows. But most people run them and don't have any problems. That's what I used to do until last summer when my local Barney Fife stopped me and gave me the general hassle and threatened to write me up. Although I don't use my '32 as a daily driver, I do put quite a few miles on it. So I ended up getting regular plates (and village sticker!) just to avoid the hassle. If your local cops are cool, antique plates are the way to go.

 

Thanks everyone for your help!

Ike

 

Got a ticket in shit-cago for parking overnight with AV plates. You may display year-of-manufacture plates, (1951 on a 51 car/truck), but you need to carry the current plates and registration in the car.

 

Glad to hear you guys all had no hassles and I know a lot of people that have them and drive all over hell, I get the car out for the first time in 6 months and WHAM! I got nailed by an Illinois State Trooper in my '62 a few years ago. I live in District 7 and he had come down from District 8 for a local cops funeral and decided to write some tickets while he was here I guess. He pulled me over for no brake lights, only the brake lights worked and evidently being wrong set him off. Then he asked me if I was going to a show, parade or to have it serviced and when I told him "No, I just got it out to blow the dust off since it hasn't been driven since last Fall" WRONG ANSWER!!! I thought he was going to burst a blood vessel! After 45 minutes of lecturing and trying to find something else to get me for, which he didn't, he "let me off" with a written warning for improper use of registration. You'd thought I robbed a bank or something. This guy was a 1st Class, Grade A, Numero Uno PRICK. I'll never run antique plates again, it ain't worth it.

 

I like to run year of manufacture plates, east to find on dDay. I keep an AV plate with me just in case. Of course my IL AV plate never seems to match what I'm driving! If I do get pulled over, I'll tell the cop that I just left some local cruise in or am taking it to be serviced.