Author Topic: California license letter sequence  (Read 35860 times)

bertfam

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #15 on: August 11, 2007, 03:45:42 AM »
Geez, I knew someone was going to ask that!!! I really don't. I do remember they were black, but the letters and numbers elude me. Sorry guys. My mom and dad passed away long ago so I can't ask them. I looked through all the pictures I could find, but couldn't find any of the car. I remember it was a burgandy LeMans with a black interior and a V8 automatic, but that's about it.

Except to tell you guys an interesting story about the car...

One day my mom, my sister and I went to Monkey Wards to get something, and when we came out, mom had forgotten where the car was. We went up and down the isles until we finally found it. She unlocked the door and my sister and I got into the back seat. Mom started up the car and had started to back out of the parking place when I noticed a lot of stuff in the back seat that wasn't there when we pulled in! I looked at my sister and she looked at me and we both yelled at mom to stop the car. She pulled back into the parking place and we all got out of the car. We turned around and there was another Burgandy Pontiac LeMans one isle over. OURS!! Come to find out, we had gotten into the wrong car!! And the interesting part is that the keys to our car, worked perfectly in the other LeMans!!

Thought you guys might like that one.

Ed

tom

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #16 on: August 11, 2007, 02:13:41 PM »
Yep, there were only if I remember, about 50 keys patterns used by GM back then. We had a full set at the gas station, and if someone locked their keys in the car, or took the keys when they left a car for service, we were good to go.

Tom
69 X11 Z21 L14 glide
looking for a 69 export model (KPH) speed
o

1968RSZ28

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #17 on: August 11, 2007, 06:31:54 PM »
Yep, there were only if I remember, about 50 keys patterns used by GM back then. We had a full set at the gas station, and if someone locked their keys in the car, or took the keys when they left a car for service, we were good to go.

Tom

So what you are saying is there a thousands of people with the keys to my 1968 RallySport Z/28 Camaro!    :o   So much for that great GM feeling!    :P

Paul

GaryL

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #18 on: August 11, 2007, 09:02:27 PM »
I'm not going to argue with you but I just wanted to give you this to chew on...

When I was 11, my father bought a brand new 1966 Pontiac LeMans. We went down to the DMV in El Cajon, California to register it. The person behind the counter handed him two new license plates wrapped up in brown paper, which I installed on the car. We didn't have to wait for them from Sacramento.

Ed

Yes, if you want to get a car registered in person you get the plates. Who buys a new car and goes to DMV? We wait for them to come in the mail after the dealer registers it.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2007, 09:04:01 PM by GaryL »
Gary

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67camarorsss

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #19 on: August 20, 2007, 09:19:41 PM »
Geez, I knew someone was going to ask that!!! I really don't. I do remember they were black, but the letters and numbers elude me. Sorry guys. My mom and dad passed away long ago so I can't ask them. I looked through all the pictures I could find, but couldn't find any of the car. I remember it was a burgandy LeMans with a black interior and a V8 automatic, but that's about it.

Except to tell you guys an interesting story about the car...

One day my mom, my sister and I went to Monkey Wards to get something, and when we came out, mom had forgotten where the car was. We went up and down the isles until we finally found it. She unlocked the door and my sister and I got into the back seat. Mom started up the car and had started to back out of the parking place when I noticed a lot of stuff in the back seat that wasn't there when we pulled in! I looked at my sister and she looked at me and we both yelled at mom to stop the car. She pulled back into the parking place and we all got out of the car. We turned around and there was another Burgandy Pontiac LeMans one isle over. OURS!! Come to find out, we had gotten into the wrong car!! And the interesting part is that the keys to our car, worked perfectly in the other LeMans!!

Thought you guys might like that one.

Ed

Another interesting "key" story. back in the early 70's I had a 67 Nova Sport Coupe and my buddy had a 67 Malibu. We were going to take his car but he had to run back into the house to get something. It starts to rain. Knowing there were only so many key patterns I decided to see if I could unlock his car to get in. Sure enough the key fit. Thinking I'll really freak him out I decide to see if the ignition key works in the ignition too. Sure enough the car starts right up. The look on his face when he saw me sitting in the passenger seat of his locked car with the engine running was priceless.
« Last Edit: August 20, 2007, 09:21:26 PM by 67camarorsss »
- 1967 RS/SS 396/TH400 (loaded clone restification)
- 1998 Z28 LS1/M6 (daily driver)
- 2002 Z28 LS1/4L60E (12 sec toy/bookend to the 67)

Hugger Orange 69

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #20 on: August 29, 2007, 04:52:26 PM »
Well, my California plates finally arrived from Australia.
Black and yellow, XTR xxx.
I did some research online, and by removing the registration tags one at a time.
Here's what I discovered:

I checked out a lot of pictures of cars online that have readable black and yellow California plates.
Near as I can tell 1967 vehicles had high T's (TRW, TWY) through low to mid V's (VAM, VEL); 1968 vehicles had mid V's (VNK) to high X's (XPV); 1969 vehicles had high X's (XUL, XXP) to the end of the Z's (ZQX). Note: (_ _ _) denotes the actual letters I found for that particular year of vehicle.

Then I did a little archaelogical digging on my plates by carefully removing the registration stickers one at a time and recording them. What I discovered is that the earliest sticker is 1968. It is located in the upper right hand rectangular recess, then the 1969 sticker is in the upper left hand recess. The yearly stickers alternate back and forth from one side to the other: 1970 on right, 1971 on left, 1972 on right. There is no 1973 sticker. There is a 1974 sticker on the right and an OCT sticker on the left. The OCT sticker was on the top of the stack when I bought the plates. The year stickers on the right continue all the way up to 1978.

Based upon this, I can deduce that the plate was issued in October 1968 and it was continuously registered until 1978.

My 1969 Camaro was built in the 2nd week of October 1968, so these plates, originally registered in October 1968, are a pretty good match!

I have written to the Governor to ask him to sign an updated YOM law that would allow black and yellow plates to be put back onto vehicles of the same vintage. I received a reply asking for more information. It stated that the Governor is very interested in this issue. Maybe we a close to getting this resolved.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2007, 09:56:51 PM by Hugger Orange 69 »

fireZ

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #21 on: August 29, 2007, 11:07:25 PM »
That all makes sense as my 1968 Z28 was built 02E of 68 and my black plate is VNK----. Nice detective work
1968 Z28 LA Built
LIC # RPO Z28

1968RSZ28

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #22 on: August 30, 2007, 06:39:04 PM »
I saw a '68 Camaro (plain jane) coupe today at the grocery store with it's original CA black plates:  VXU---.  I couldn't locate the owner before I left so I couldn't pop the hood to check the build date, but the vin is 124378L3163--.   ;D

Paul

KevinK

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #23 on: September 07, 2007, 05:31:25 PM »
  Just to add...
  ...These are the original Black Plates off my (11B) '67, ...and were valid through AUG' '06 (when I had the car shipped back to NY). I have paperwork back to '72 reflecting this #, ...so it seems to add up. Only the rear plate has all the stickers on it, ...I didn't want to disturb them, ...so there still all 'piled' on there... :)


 
 

« Last Edit: September 07, 2007, 05:33:15 PM by KevinK »

duntov3030

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #24 on: September 08, 2007, 12:08:17 AM »
What is the significance of the Black plate?
Butch

'67 Z/28 RS Tuxedo Black

CNorton

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #25 on: September 08, 2007, 12:43:27 AM »
Yellow-on-black (or "black"), six-character (i.e. ABC 123) license plates were original on California cars up until just about the end of the 1969 model year.  I've seen only a FEW '69s with the succeeding series of plates (yellow-on-blue, 123 ABC, configuration).  Since California plates stay with the car when it's traded, and "black plates" cannot be retroactively assigned as can the series that immediately preceded the black ones, a car carrying it's original set of plates is accorded a level of respect that comes with having just one more element of originality.  It's been factor out here for over twenty years but, apparently, it's becoming a more widely recognizable feature that denotes something special about a survivor car.  More aficionados are now realizing that first generation Camaros sold new in California were assigned license numbers beginning with the last letters of the alphabet as the series ran out of possible combinations.  I've watched it play out for over forty years but it's sort of cool to watch others catch on.

duntov3030

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #26 on: September 08, 2007, 02:51:44 AM »
CNorton ... Thanks for the explanation.  I've seen the mention of black plates in ads.  Just didn't realize the significance.
Butch

'67 Z/28 RS Tuxedo Black

basecoupe#79

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #27 on: September 10, 2007, 10:52:43 AM »
Heres my set that was refurbihed by the tag Dr.

fireZ

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #28 on: September 10, 2007, 12:34:35 PM »
Did California cars in 1968 have both front and rear plates? I have one black plate that matches the California Title for my Z,
1968 Z28 LA Built
LIC # RPO Z28

KevinK

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Re: California license letter sequence
« Reply #29 on: September 10, 2007, 01:20:20 PM »
...yes, ...two plates.

 

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