[DeTomaso] NPC - Retro Lic Plate

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/18/11 11 35 17, bjbstewart at yahoo.com writes:


> A friend of mine took this picture in Palo Alto yesterday - He is a cop 
> and elected not to give a ticket on account of how cool it is:
> 
> http://www.poca.com/index.php/gallery/?g2_itemId=34270 
> 
> 
> This doesn't look like a one-off, seems very professionally done.  Anyone 
> ever seen something like this? know where you might be able to get one? 
>  Seems like a pretty nice addition to your 60's classic...
> 
>>>Absolutely.   My 427 Cobra replica came with modern personalized plates 
that the original owner carefully repainted, simply changing the color 
scheme to black/gold to reflect the supposed age of the car.   But you can also 
buy ready-made plates.

This is the best source I've found for such things:

http://www.licenseplates.tv/index.php?main_page=resources&
resource=antique_collectors

They stamp out perfect reproduction plates, in aluminum (not cheap plastic 
like some other companies).   As California switched from black/gold plates 
to blue/gold in 1969, this page shows the plates that would be 
age-appropriate:

http://www.licenseplates.tv/replica-california-license-plates-from-1969-to-1
983.html

Besides making reproductions of plates from all 50 states, in virtually 
every different vintage, they also make plates from around the world.   My '72 
Pantera wears a Modena front plate, which I got from them on this page:

http://www.licenseplates.tv/antique-italy-plates.html

I did a bunch of internet research before ordering, to ensure that the 
numbers on the plate accurately reflect issuance in the summer/fall of 1972.   

Drilling down almost to the very bottom of the internet, I found an Italian 
license plate dork website that has a brilliant search feature.   You can 
choose the province of Italy (I chose Modena) and the type of vehicle (I 
chose automobile, as opposed to motorcycle, tractor, truck etc.), and then it 
will show representative number plates and dates of issuance.   Here's the one 
for Modena:

http://www.targheitaliane.com/visualizza_1927_ext.php?prov=MO&
tipo=Autoveicolo

Plates are numbered sequentually, and had six digits by 1964.   Plate #1 
was issued on 15 March 1927.   A plate issued on 7 March 1972 had the prefix 
26, and one on 7 Feb 1973 had the prefix 29.   So based on that, I chose the 
prefix of 27 for mine, with the last four being a copy of my VIN (3960), 
just because.

I'm childishly proud of it. :>)

The really difficult part of the job was finding an authentic Italian 
antique plate frame/mount.   I managed to track one down on E-bay Italy, and got 
it shipped to me at the same time I bought the plate.   Major score there. :>
)

http://www.poca.com/index.php/gallery/?g2_itemId=34273

Mike