Dr L-88

What is the correct numbering system for California license plates used in 1964? My 64 came from California. I have read that the license plate numbers began with the letter D as issued by California DMV, but I have seen other 64 license plates that began with other letters. What is correct?
Thanks,
Rex

Dave Tracy

My '64 starts with a "J".

65hihp

There is no correct. The Black Yellow 63-69 series of CAL plates were issued out to cars as they were registered, and depending on when your car was registered, and where, it would have received original plates down in the first 3rd to first half of the alphabet. So, your D plate is perfectly appropriate. So would E, F, G H I and J.

Dr L-88

It currently has a set of UUJ plates on it with 1973 and 1974 stickers on it. It was sold new in Anaheim in July 1964. Just wondering if I should change to a different plate.

Thanks,
Rex

1snake

UUJ is definitely not a 64 plate.

Jim

TCracingCA

The D's at the beginning and I have heard of it going as high as J's but I am skeptical on that! I also think certain letters went to Southern California and certain ones went to Northern California especially in the 1968, 69 years. Thus the higher alphabet letters might not be appropriate for Socal. I know E is for sure if safe for Socal 1964!

Also L-88 my private message thing is full. I don't know if you sent any other messages about the Cone Bros. As far as that, I hope you liked the early 1960's picture that I put up. Also I have found what dealerships were basically operating out here for around 1964/65 for Ford, Triumph, Datsun, Sunbeam Tiger, Shelby Distribution and a few others but not for Chevrolet yet. I am trying to think where I might have seen a Socal listing of dealerships having looked in some local event programs and magazines, but no luck yet. Naturally I have sparse time to do this.

Thus if you get that invoice, I am interested in knowing if Cone Bros and Cone were operating at the same time as separate Dealerships. My Father's 1968 is a Cone Chevrolet sponsored for some local events car. So he flies Cone plate frames.

Also in the earlier years,

b_pappy

My '64 is QZV... and I believe them to be original plates, we're only the second owner.
Bruce

1snake

Nope.

Jim

66jack

My 66 original, original plates, with a picture from original owner show mine to be "WNS", for which he purchased the car in July of 1966...

I also have a bill of sale from him to me in 1974 with the same letter configuration...

Dr L-88

After some additional research, it looks like "maybe" my 64, which was sold by Cone Bros Chevy in Anaheim in July 1964, should have plates that begin with F or G. But I'm not 100% certain.

Thanks for everyone's input.

SS409

Mines not a 64 but when I purchased my YOM black plates at the Long Beach Ca. swap meet back if February I was told the 66 plates started with either an S or a T.

1snake

Unless one has documentation from the day the car was sold, there's no way to tell for sure if the plates are the originals. One of the NCRS members swore his Ca. plates were original as he bought the car from the original owner 45+ years ago. The trouble is that his beginning letter was too late. When he ordered the shipping report, he found out the car was delivered to a dealer on the East coast and with further investigation, found out the car didn't come to Ca. until 2 years later.
I have the Ca. DMV receipt for license, with my plate number stamped on it, dated only a few days after delivery from the Pasadena dealership. 100% guaranteed my plates are the originals.

65hihp

There is no such thing as "should have" plates. Your 64 is perfectly fine with the black/yel plates it has. It would make no sense whatsoever to give up your plates only to go to the trouble and extra initial and annual expense to run YOM plates. No one with a brain cares what letter your black plates start with. You have black plates. You are golden.

Wait a minute, you're in KY ! You are not running the CA plates anyway. This conversation makes no sense!

Dr L-88

Well.......................kinda. Yes, I'm in KY and the local DMV issued KY antique vehicle plates for my car..................HOWEVER, they said I COULD run the CA plates as long I have the DMV-issued antique plate and vehicle registration IN the car at all times. So, I would just like to have the appropriate YOM plates for the car. They're all over ebay, but at pretty exhorbitant prices. The UUJ plates on the car now are VERY nice. Maybe I'm just being too particular.

1snake

I run my Ca. plates and I live in Wa. Like you, I keep my Wa. YOM plates in the glove box.

Jim

66jack

Snake...

I have copy of the Registration in my safe showing the alphanumeric layout of 'WNSxxx'.....

The OO bought it off the lot locally here...

I also have the pop/warranty booklet with OO and wifes signatures in it for when they took it in for work...plate number is documented on it aslo...

TCracingCA

Basically in my photo data base that got scrabbled, I was denoting old dated car pictures and the model year and then by search of other forums and everything else. I wrote down what should be approximately appropriate for California because I have three black plate cars.
A Late 1964 would be safe with an F or G, the D's are usually 0n 1963 car built very late in production or early 1964 production that were build in 1963 as the beginning of the 1964 production run. The E's are usually 1964 production cars that were built near the end of the 1963 year. Thus I would say a G would be most accurate.
N for 1966, sounds right as one member has! and etc..

I at times sit around and do all of these strange research projects! Thus if you want to know all of the Lamborghini Miura car colors by year, or the CSX 3000 series cobras build color, or the GT-40 serial numbers by color or my list of 1967 L-88 cars. I have notes somewhere.

Also California DMV is kind of crazy (anyone that has dealt with them knows what I am talking about). Basically some of the prisons probably delivered there plates on time and some weren't on schedule. Thus you can find alot of variations! It seems like Northern Californian prisons were more laid back than their Southern Counterparts. NoCal is still so! More laid back!

But no promises- I will see if I can find my notes. As for my E Nov 1963 car. The front plate was lost. Thus trying to get around the two plate mandatory rule. My 1965 (1964 Registered El Camino) it had a commercial plate on it, and the DMV is having a problem with issuing on that. The commercial plates started with a number. Thus you could park it and the police back in the day would know it was a work vehicle and not ticket it as readily. The 1968 I just grabbed plates and that is how I found out about Northern Cal and Southern Cal plates. In the earlier days less so, because I have found the D, E, F, G, J north and south.

Thus basically I see the rule as 1963 usually A,B,C and half of D
1964 Half of D, E, F, G
1965 maybe G, but H, I, J, K
1966 L, M, N, O and maybe a P
then they really got into north and south and for those letters after P, I would have to dig the notes out.

Also it is important to remember that some cars sat on the lot unsold in the later years. So a new 1964 could have been plated with a later letter because it was first sold in later years when the sequencing was continuing. The problem I have is when a guy has a plate that is too early for his or her car! And claims originality.

Sorry to some guys, that is why I raise an eyebrow at times when I see claimed original owner everything is perfect. For the Bull crap, in your strive to prove authenticity, all it takes is one lack of research for someone to call you out and that is unfortunate. Because I just like seeing Black Cal plates on 1960's cars. Even though I forgot I had a 1960 Cone bros Anaheim picture, I never researched dealership back in the 1950's and thought Cone Bros was pre 1960's so I never studied it until here in the now and present. I just saw Cone (no Bros) in Fullerton 1961 and discounted Bros in Fullerton. Thus you can see why I am on this topic, it is kinda interesting for no reason. Just interesting.

L-88 it sounds like you are close. Cool car with vintage correct frame (the guy you were talking to was going to sell you one?) and naturally the coolness of having date correct blacks! That is how I run. Thus the easiest way is to go get a modern custom (personal) plate from California and then throw it in the garage to collect dust and it matches your authentic black that is on the car. Yes a police officer might make an issue as to why you don't have the modern plate on it, but I doubt it unless you are an appendage! I am not sure I spelled """""" D ! ( k """""""" right "Appendage?"

As far as Cone Bros- I don't ever remember the Fullerton dealerships being called Bros. Thus Cone Bros Anaheim and I now believe they were operating into the early 1960's, but Vern Trider came in on that location shortly after that, and there might have been an Oldsmobile operation there between the two Chevrolet outlets.

1snake

I'm not saying yours aren't original, just highly unlikely. How is the license number "documented" on the POP or warranty booklet? Someone hand writing it on a piece of paper isn't real documentation. A picture of the car brand new with the plate or a copy of what I posted above is. A lot of things can happen that would require a new plate even in the first couple of years. Lost, stolen plates, damaged in a wreck etc. would all require a new plate that would be out of sequence.

Jim

1snake

It's a 1965.

Jim

TCracingCA

I wrote a whole bunch more as others were being more efficient in their posts. I tend to do that. I also could get way behind in the thread progress and still be lingering on my inner thought struggle!