Ganey

Who all has them? Do they issue special plates, any photos? Which plates are the least noticeable? Some have mentioned using plates from the car year, are 2 needed?

:cool:

flynhi

I have 1971 Texas plates on my 71. You bring in the plates and they register them. Then you get a small window sticker instead of the stickers that go on the standard Texas plates. Annual fee is much lower.
I have a second set for sale if you're interested. Also there's a guy down near Houston who has a large inventory for sale. He will probably be at the Houston Corvette show later this month.
Don't know much about Antique plates. The plate has a cartoon of a 1910+/- stanley steamer or something that I thought looked a bit cheesy for a Vette.

Tom73

Ganey,
I have one of my 73s registered as Antique. It is using 1973 plates, front & rear. If you use original year plates you must have what was required that year. The exception would be to use dealer plates since only a rear is required for dealer. When using original plates they send you a metal "tab" with a number on it. That number is your registration number, not the plate number. The tab must be attached to the rear plate. The antique plate web page is: http://www.dot.state.tx.us/insdtdot/...te.asp?antique

The other option would be to have Antique plates issued. They are new plates with a drawing of an early model T or something like that on them.


I do not know about the Classic plates but do know that the car still has to have the safety inspection (antique does not) but there are no usage limitations. Here is the web page about classic plates: http://www.dot.state.tx.us/insdtdot/...e.asp?clasauto


tom...


[Modified by Tom73, 7:56 AM 2/12/2002]

Ganey

Will

Do you have an e-mail for the lic. plate guy? Have at least 1 from 77.
Your website does not come up.

Anyone seen the upside down Hemisfair ones or know value?

Tom73

Ganey,
I have his business card somewhere at home, he is the one I got my plate from. Do not believe he has an e-mail address. If I can find his card I will post it tonight. I will be going to the houston show and can get contact info for you then if still needed.

tom...

Ganey

Tom

Sounds good, would like that info. as well. You have done a great job of supplying info. particularly on the Antique plates. Nice to show the photos. You might want to add a page on this to your 73 site. Do you know the no./letter rules on Antique plates?


Anyone know what is supposed to be the benefit of Classic over reg. plates?

:cool:


[Modified by Ganey, 9:20 AM 2/12/2002]

Tom73

The issued Antique plates cannot be personalized, I tried that but they would not go for it. So you just get a random alpha/numeric plate.

tom...

63Banshee

Personally I think the Classic plates are a rip off. They are very expensive and they offer no benefit over regular personalized plates. I ran Antique plates on my GTO for several years with no regard as to the restrictions and was never questioned... except once when I didn’t have the front plate on the car. After that I ran the “Grrrrrrr” plate on the front and was never stopped again. Go figure.

BeaterShark

That makes me wonder. What is the penelty for actually driving a car that is registered as an "Antique"? If you use the plates from the car's year, the only thing that I can think of that would give you away is the lack of an inspection sticker, right?

63Banshee

My guess is that you could get fined for the amount equal to 5 years standard registration, plus a little extra for messing with Texas.

gerry72

Just so you're clear on this, there is a difference -in Texas, anyway- between Antique and Classic plates. Antique plates come with restrictions on how you can use the vehicle. The only advantage to getting ANTIQUE plates is that the cost is real low and you get a picture of that goofy car on the plate along with the "Antique Car" font. With CLASSIC plates, you have a couple of options: 1) You can use a year of manufacturer (YOM) plate on your car for $15.00 above the normal registration fee and vehicle use is not restricted. 2) You can get a "personalized" plate (like Dave's Grrrrr) that have the "Classic Car" font. For this you'll pay the 15-clams for the basic classic plate plus a $45.00 fee for the personalized characters. The best solution is to get some YOM plates and pay the $15.00 over regular registration. Here's the application form you use with the explanation on the back: http://www.dot.state.tx.us/insdtdot/...e.asp?clasauto

Tom73

gerry72
You can also use the year of manufacturer plates with Antique registration.

What I am not seeing, and what I think alot of the others are asking, is what do you get for that $15 extra fee for Classic registration? You pay the normal registration fee, plus $15 for classic plates, and if you want personalized plates you pay an additional $45. What is the advantage. You can get regular personalized plates for the normal reg fee plus the personalized fee and save the $15 classic fee. At least with Antique plates your fee works out to $5.00/year and not safety/emission inspections.

tom...

gerry72

As I previously wrote, the ANTIQUE plates have restrictions on how you can use the vehicle (such as only in parades). The fine is hefty for using your car outside of the restrictions.

I suppose it's how you define "advantage" when it comes to CLASSIC plates. I'm happy to pay the $15.00 above my $55.00 standard registration (or $70.00 total) to use my 1972 Texas plates unrestricted. As to the personalized CLASSIC plate, I don't know. Frankly I don't see the value of paying $60.00 more for registration ($15.00 Classic plate fee plus the $45.00 personalized plate fee then add the standard registration for a whopping total of $105.00) for option two, unless you like having it be made clear to the great unwashed that your car is at least 25-years old.

BeaterShark

Gerry, I understand the restrictions required for the antique plates. I'm still curious as to what is this "hefty" fine is if you are caught driving when you're not supposed to. I'm a little concerned about my lack of a smog pump when my county starts their emissions testing. I know that I'll not need to do any type of tailpipe test, but I think that I must still pass a visual.

63Banshee

Regardless of the registration a car has, it is exempt from emissions testing when it becomes 25 years old and requires only safety inspection... in Texas.


[Modified by 63Banshee, 2:39 PM 2/12/2002]

flynhi

The Houston area license plate guy is:
Larry Machacek
P.O. Box 515
Porter, Tx
77365
218-429-2505
No web site

I spoke with him at the Jan Austin car show - nice guy with a good selection.

rrent

I'm running truck plates '67 on the elCamino - '72's on the Blazer and a pair of '52's on the Studebaker - can be seen following links from my web page.

Big question (I haven't called to get an answer yet) since '77's didn't have the year stamped into the plate can we use any non- stamped correct black on white background plates? If we have to have a '77 sticker that will be tricky as these had later stickers strapped on the following year(s).

Ganey

Will

Thanks.

SharkAttack

I use the "Antique" registration and new, never-issued '72 plates. Only one (rear) is on the car, but don't tell Johnny Law!

VettePower

Are there advantages to having classic plates? I have a 77 that does not require emission testing. If you have a classic plate do you need to have a safety inspection? :confused: