The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk customized personalized Vanity Plates

Does anyone have custom Plates on their truck? I am thinking about adding some to my truck. I am looking for Ideas at this point.

Here are some that I have so far.

OLDNSLO

49 3100

LOWTECH

FIXR 49

Brian - Before you get too far choosing a vanity plate monicker, you should check with your state DMV to find out if your possible choices may already be in use.

Some states have a way to search existing issued vanity plates to see if what you're contemplating is already issued or not. Not sure about Colorado.

Dan
I am aware of my DMV requirements. I know that some of the ones I pick my already be taken. I want to have a good list of options before I start the process.

5WINDOW (don't know how many characters you're allowed.)
OLDTRCK

Gotcha!

I guess I'd be more help with suggestions if I new some of the history of your truck, or maybe some pictures would provide some food for thought.

For reference I am allowed 7 letters/numbers with some limitations within that.

As for history there isn't much. Bought my truck in 1998. I had been posting want ads on any and all sites that offered free ads. I was specific, I wanted a 5 window 4 speed. Didn't need to be running.

Went to see it in Missouri (I lived in Michigan at the time). Made an offer to the owner and bought it. Had it trucked up to Michigan and started working on getting it running. In 2012 or 13 My son asked me if he could Paint my truck. I asked him why he wanted to paint my truck? It was for a Scholarship opportunity to the Design School that he wanted to attend.

The photo below is the result. I love it. He didn't get the scholarship, but another school saw his work and it all worked out for the best.

That's pretty cool.

What do those numbers represent - some are backward.

Does the truck have a name?

I saw a vanity plate on a truck in central California owned by a Portugese dairy farm worker- - - - - - -"PEEK OP". A San Joaquin valley resident will understand that one pretty quickly!

My 53 3100 has an Indiana YOM plate now. When I lived in SoCal with my truck (1980-1989) it had a vanity plate that said "53 6 POPR". I still have it around here somewhere.

I have black out plates that are personalized and regular plates so I can drive anywhere, anytime.

GLENS46 in MN.

When I went to the DMV in MN they were able to tell me instantly if they were available. I also had several options with me.

I think it’s worth it to go for YOM plates. More authentic old school. Sometimes finding the plate that is acceptable for your state can be the challenge.

I also think that year of manufacture license plates are a good idea.

I found a 1950 Georgia plate on ebay for $10. It cost $10 shipping but that was still a bargain. It's beat up and has a hole in it between the words Peach and State but it fits Ol' Roy's beat up character.

The best thing about YOM plates in Georgia is that they are free to use. The same is true for Colorado.

The state doesn't charge extra fees each year to put them on your car. You pay the regular $20 tag fee each year and put the modern tag in your clove box and display the antique tag. Vanity plates cost an extra $50/year on top of the $20 registration fee, here.

I just looked up 1949 Colorado license plates. They're pretty nice looking - black with yellow numbers and words and yellow border around the plate.

There are a lot of good looking ones currently for sale on ebay. Unfortunately, Colorado requires two plates so you have to buy a set of two. There's a really nice set that looks almost brand new for $44.00 OBO. I'd buy it right now if I lived out there.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256638244232


https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nk...from=R40&_trksid=p4624852.m570.l1313

In Indiana the YOM plate must be unrestored and readable. In the rust belt that can be a challenge. We only run a rear plate now but we must have run 2 plates back in 1951 because I ended up with 2 plates when I found them. We are also issued a modern plate with stickers that you don't have to display but you have to carry with the vehicle, under the seat or somewhere. Both plate numbers are on the registration. In 53 Indiana didn't make a new plate but instead made a 53 topper that goes over the 51 plate. That was much harder to find. I saw nice ones go for over $100. I was in no hurry and one day 3 mint ones (52, 53, and 55) popped up on Ebay for $29. I still have the 55 if anyone needs it.

I had a set of YOM plates that I was going to use in Michigan but Never got the truck to a state to use them. As for the trucks name it is Marion, after my Grandmother. As far as the numbers that is my sons creation, I don't believe that there is any meaning to them. I do know that he has been commissioned by a couple of people to do custom work with numbers that were important to them.

I just looked up the rules for YOM plates in Colorado. These would only be able to be used for special events like parades and such. Since I plan this to be my daily work truck the YOM would have to be a Secondary registration. So at this point I don't think I will buy any YOM plates. I will be checking swap meets for some cheaper though.

In Montana, any vehicle over 10 years old can be permanently registered for a small extra fee. And yes, they do require 2 plates to register, but only rear displayed on YOM. The highway patrol does give waivers for only having one plate, which I have been approved by the captain, now just waiting on the docs before I register it. He said he can approve newer vehicle singles with certain ones not having hardware to mount front plate. He did ask for a pic of the front of my truck, which doesn’t have plate mounting hardware. It’s his discretion, but it seems that he is much more lenient with older YOM requests, especially in a small ranching county with 75 year old truck plates. I think with the condition of the plate, it was tacked in the barn 75 years ago, only slapping the rear on. Check your state to see if they offer waivers for singles.

Excuse the hairy legs. I didn’t shave that day.

The plates on my ‘50 are ‘47 commercial but with ‘50 tags. The truck loves them.

In Alaska, they recently changed to only a rear plate, which allowed me to go with a YOM plate. Finding a pair of plates would have been nearly impossible, although I did find a pair of 1952 plates.

How do you find such nice 50's plates. Are they restoried? We can't run restored plates. I spent probably 3 years finding my 51 Indiana plates in the condition they are in. The guy at the BMV called them mint and said they were the nicest he had seen. they don't even have rust around the mounting holes. California I could understand but Alaska and Montana? Help me understand.

I was given a set of 51 plates with a 52 tag from my wife we found on eBay a few years back in really good condition.

Georgia doesn't seem to care whether the plate is restored or not. I've seen fully renovated plates registered legally.

They also don't seem to care if you use a replica plate as long as the colors are correct and the number isn't already on file. I have a friend with a replica 1958 Georgia plate on his car that has numbers of his choosing - 58 6239.

I don't think using a replica plate is strictly in compliance with the provision but tag office workers don't know the difference and no harm is really being done.

Mine is simply "Forty9"

Anybody have soybean plates? My doctor had a pair of Montana soybeans framed in his office. At least I think I remember a pair that survived bossy chewing on them.

I have soybean plates from Illinois and I messed up on a chance to buy a Montana plate that had been double-stamped with Illinois on the reverse. Apparntly Illinois supplied the soybean blanks to Montana back in WWII.

I searched the ole interwebs for over 6 years for a pair, and hit on a site that had two different singles in almost brand new condition. One was the plate I finally grabbed and the other was # 47 T 603. My guess is that both were from the same family pulled from the barn and sold to that site. Not uncommon for ranchers to have consecutive #s with several old beat up trucks. Come into town to re-register the fleet.

Both the nearly pristine one on my truck (has one small chip) and the pair of 52 Alaska plates (one is faded) I have came off eBay. I have no idea of their history or how they wound up in the lower 48. I also have a not quite period correct (60's style) Department of Interior Govt plate that I stick on the front for shows. The Alaska Road Commission was part of the Interior Department in the '50s before statehood in 1959.

I remember thinking during my search "somebody's got one hanging on their wall somewhere".

Kevin good chance those Alaska plates got to the lower 48 by a military person after completing a tour up there and then transferring back down. Ask me how I know. 🤔

I have a couple of Alaska plates that came with me just as Mickey suggested. I don't believe any are close to the year of your Truck. One of them came from '57 Dodge Truck that the Maintenance Unit at Elmendorf AFB was restoring.

I found this’46 plate on e-bay, it’s the correct county number. I was able to get this black out vanity plate I use on the rear.

On the military taking plates out of Alaska, that's possible, but military doesn't need to get local state plates while stationed away from their home state. I didn't switch to Alaska plates till I got out since the ones from my home state were cheaper. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act was enacted in 1940 with that provision.