License Plates question

[Ms Grumpy]

Many years ago I purchased a set of 1972 dealer plates for my Chevelle. I did not use them because I had a custom plate already on the car. Well I would now like to now register these plates to the car. Today I was at a swap meet and was looking at some 72 plates (always looking to see if I find ones with a unique number/letter combination), and talking to the guys who sell them and was told that it is difficult to register the dealer plates to a classic car. Now in 1972 Michigan started using the stickers in the corners of the plates, and they only produced truch plates for the first half of the year. I don't like the truck plates because they have an expiration date stamped on them, and that is why want to stick with the dealer plate.

Just wondering if anyone has recently tried to register an older dealer plate to their classic car, and if so has their been any problems?

Thanks for any help...
Nancy

[grandsport]

I'm a dealer and you cannot register one specific car to a plate,at least in Pa. Were you guys a new car dealer?

[Ms Grumpy]

In Michigan you can register a license plate to a classic car. Their are restictions, and we meet them. The plates that we have, have never been registered to a vehicle so we just need to copy the plates and send in a special form to the state, wait for about 4-6 weeks and if the plate is clear and not registered to another vehicle then they send you the registration. You can even paint the plate the same color as the car, which is what we plan on doing.

[grumpy]

Basically what she is saying is in Michigan you can register any plate from the year of manufacture of your car prior to a certain year. It designates a historic vehicle.

Since in 1972 Michigan switched over to replaceable tags the only 72 only plates usually to be found are dealer only plates, or truck plates. They used to allow you to register either to a car as long as it matched the year of manufacture. We think this has changed, at least according to this plate dealer we ran in to at the swap meet.

Then again he could have been blowing smoke up our you know what.

[Hank70SS]

Take a photo copy of the plate and try, all they can do is say no. Unless they changed things you cannot change the color of the year of manufacture plates, supposed to be the original colors. I do know people that have painted them to match the car and haven't had a problem. Really, how many police out there know what the original color was for a 38 year old plate.

I have 70 plates on my car. If you do get the plate registered make sure you let your insurance company know. You get around $100 off a year, the fee for 'catastrophic claims fund' is that much less for historic/year of manufacture plates.

[Mike 1972SS]

I plan on doing something similar very soon. (Actually you just reminded me.) I have a set of 1972 Michigan manufactures plates. I don't think I'll have a problem registering them and I don't think you will either Nancy. I doubt the people in the secretary of state office will have a clue about your dealer plates.

Good luck, let us know.

Mike

[Animal69]

I have a '72 plate on my El Camino. It cost $35 and is good for as long as I own the car. The plate can not be reused. I never saw anything about painting the plate but would be nice as '71-72 plates are a crappy brown color. Classic car plate are only $30 but are only good for 10 years.

[grumpy]

If yours are that brownish color I think thats the half year plate. Ours are dealer plates and are Blue and gold. If I recall there are are something like 3 or 4 different 72 plates.

Does your have the month of expire stamped in to it ?