oh yeah, plan on the clerks not having a clue when you go to the DMV. my brother just went in to get 2 pairs of plates checked and the lady behind the counter knew nothing about it, had to get the supervisor to look it up. no one in thiat office had ever done it before. of course this was a small office in Calaveras county... down in L.A. there may be one person in the office with a clue. as for the 1960 plates... that would be a rare one. since they weren't made. I heard they were pink and green though.
I don't know what manual they were using but when I went to the DMV for my plates, they looked at the manual, and let me see it as well, and it clearly indicated 1956 thru 1961 are the same, and can be used. The DMV does not employ rocket scientists, btw.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but by 1956, hadn't they switched to stickers, which went right next to the reverse-stamped '56? "Officially", the plate's supposed to have the year of your vehicle is the last registered year in order to be eligible for YOM. Since 1962 was the last year the yellow with black '56 plates were used, that's why the majority have a 1962 registration sticker.
OK, stickers instead of a tab. I was trying to go from memory, which is certainly taking a risk! Thanks for the clarification. I am lucky, I was able to reg my 59 El Camino with the 63 black plates that were on the car as it had an old reg slip in the glovebox. It is a real early 63 commercial plate (El Camino is considered a truck) with an A letter and then the five numbers. I agree with everyone that the DMV really is an exercise in frustration and incompetence.
I'd be happy having to deal with them on a situation like this instead of going back and forth with the Fraudulent Title Dept for a solid year. Even though I was dealing with the DMV's "top brass" (subtracting two letters from the last word would be more appropriate), it took that long to get the title for my '53.
My plates went through when I registered my truck with yom black plates.....until it got to Sac and they sent me a letter saying I could not use them because they were auto plates..The truck had been previously registered with them in the 60's but now they wouldn't let me have them.. I said Ok...and left.. They wanted me to surrender them but I told them I misplaced them and they charged me $15 for the replacement plates that are new and crappy lookin.... It aint over till it's over... EVILT
I've got three of these done to date and I'll offer my .02 The first was my '57 vw bus since the registration listed it as a 56 because date of mfg was 12/56 it was fairly easy. The next was my daughters '62 bug The plates had to have the 62 reg sticker on them it went very well The last set I did was an old set of 1951 plates for my 51 Chevy Truck. The first thing I had to do was to convince her that they were useable. I sprayed some wd40 on them to make them shine. She had to send in auth to Sac and it passed these were car plates on a truck so I was worried about that I did all with the same lady at the DMV in a small town and encouraged her all I could Small town DMV's rock find the gal that will help you and wait your turn to get her. I really think that they choose your destiny! I was told black plates were not being issued as YOM (year of manf) yet let me know if anyone has got black yom plates done as I have several sets waiting. Moral of the story Be nice to a DMV agent that helps you and keep going back!
According to my buddy at the local DMV... There are no plans to issue Black plates to any car that does not currently have them.. If you buy used YOM plates make sure you get them for your application..passenger or commercial. EVILT
try going to different dmvs until it goes through. btw.....if your car is a '56 you don't need anything else but the plates (2 of them), yes, in '57 they went to a sticker, you can NOT run commercial plates on a car (or car on a commercial), i was told ANYTHING that has a bed is considered commercial (even my panel is because it only has 1 row of seats, unlike the suburban which has 2 or 3).....basicly anything you can haul for a charge with. you must give them your old plates, fill out a yom form and pay an extra $10 a year.
The Jalopy Journal
