One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

[Mike T.]

In this thread I'm not going to be asking if anyone has knowledge of a dealership that's no doubt long gone and paved over. I'm just posting because the results were a bit surprising to me and maybe someone else has been surprised with their Shipping Report findings.

Currently have two coupes, a 66 and a 65. Both have California Black/Yellow license plates. I bought the 66 in '89 in nearby Santa Rosa and the only documentation I got with it were some old registration tags back to '80 and the previous owners all lived here in the NorthBay, about 50 miles north of San Francisco. Out of curiosity, I signed up for the NCRS Shipping Report and found that Mosport Coupe was originally shipped to a dealer in Paso Robles, roughly in the middle of the state. No surprise there.

Now, I bought the 65 Coupe in '85 from a guy in Richmond, also in the SF Bay Area and it had what I figured were the original black plates on it at that time. No background info on the car at all but I figured all along that it must have started out being sold here in California originally. The surprise was getting the shipping report and finding that it was originally shipped to Rodenfels Chevrolet in Cleveland Ohio. I know it wasn't uncommon for these cars to move around a lot but in the case of my 65, it must have been brought out here very early on because the Black Plate starts with RNX and while there is no real concrete info that says that 1965 California cars only received plates beginning with Q or R or S, and then 66 models came with T or U and so on, I still suspect the car came out here when it was maybe no more than a year old because it was fairly common for cars initially registered in California in 65 to have plates starting with 'R'.
So, I guess I can say my 65 is an original California car...by way of Ohio?

Mike T.

[Don H.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

Mike-
my original late 66 built 1967 VW has a T license plate. I have always considered 67s to normally have T, U or V series plates, 66s to have Q, R, S. And 65s to have M, N, O, and P. Of course this is only a rough guide.
I would bet that you are right; you car was brought West and registered in CA about a year after it was bought new in OH.

[Mike T.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

Don - I know a lot of people have tried to figure out when 'certain lettered' California Black/Yellow plates were dispensed but I think the examples you showed are about as close as we'll ever get to determining what came out when. Here are 5 examples (3 Corvettes, 2 others) I know about personally that are basically all over the map, some fit, some don't.

My Black 65 Coupe, VIN #4212 - Black License Begins with RN
My Dad's 65 Coupe, VIN #7739 - Black License Begins with ML
My Mosport 66 Coupe, VIN #5433 - Black License Begins with ER
My 64 GTO, Sold New in Los Angeles July 64 - Black License Begins with OW
My Dad's 65 Riviera, Bought New Late 65 in San Fran - Blk License Begins with RM

When my Dad bought his 65 Riviera, the 66 models were out so I'm thinking that RMN plate was dispensed some time around Sept through November 65.

The real odd one in that group is my 66 Mosport Coupe with the "ERH" that the shipping report shows was sent to a Chevy Dealer in Paso Robles. I have no idea how it wound up with such an early plate.
Mike T.

[Jim D.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

My 65 coupe has it's original black plates that start with "N". Purchased in Pasadena, April 1965.

[Arland D.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

FWIW - 1965 Mopar purchased new in SF Bay Area in November 1964 has plates that read MLU.

Arland

[Mark S.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

There was a lot of variation based on where the car was originally registered. My 65 originally registered in the fall of 64 (in LA I think) had plates that started PGT. Lots happens over 40+ years. The black pates on my car were replaced in the 80s with blue personalized plates which were replaced again a few years ago when I bought the car. Now with the new law it has black PGT plates again.

[Michael H.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

Had a black plate '65 Impala with RFK.

They must have gotten your coupe out here before winter.

[Mike T.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

I think you're not too far off from what might have happened back then.
The production date was 12/10/64 and I really have no clue as to how long a period of time might elapse before it was delivered to the dealer in Cleveland and then it's anyone's guess as to how long it sat there before being sold so it no doubt had one winter in Ohio and maybe two.

Question...'does anyone know what the rough percentages might be for (a) cars specifically ordered by individuals versus (b) dealer ordered cars just to have on the lot'?

I'd expect that if my car was specifically ordered then it didn't sit on the lot very long but if it was just a Corvette to fill the lot for prospective customers to check out, it might have been there a while longer before heading out.

[Jim D.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

My 65 was ordered 1-30-65, built 4-10-65, pre-delivery inspection 4-21-65 and picked up at the dealer 4-23-65.

[Mike T.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

Jim - I wasn't sure my 'add-on' question was going to be seen so I went ahead and started a new thread in the Tech Forum and one of the responses was from someone who, like you, ordered their 65 brand new. From start to finish, your process seems to have taken slightly less than 3 months. Was that about what the dealer thought it might take? Also, if you wouldn't mind, I'd really like to hear about the 65 you ordered such as color and options.
Thanks,

[Jim D.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

Michael, sent you a PM.

[James G.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

My old Mickey Thompson 2 dr Chevelle wagon was bought on April 4, 1964 from Jack Wall Chevrolet in Pasadena, CA.

Original black plates still on the car with the dealer warantee paperwork are "OOC964"

Per the license plate guy at Pomona Swap Meet, isle #13 since the early 80's, each DMV office got their supply of plates at the same time. Small offices, like Paso Robles, took more time to issue their plates than the larger offices like downtown Los Angeles.

I moved to California in January 1965, and my 65 L-79 SS Chevelle bought new at Rutgers Chevrolet, New Brunswick, N.J received a "RTD 387" California black plate in San Mateo in Feb. 65.

If that car is still alive, the owner today probably thinks it is an original California car. It had 29000 plus cross country miles on it when first registered.

[Jim D.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

My 65 was bought from Jack Wall Chev. 4-23-65. The receipt from the Ca. DMV is dated 4-29-65 and my plates are "NPY" (plate number is stamped on receipt). The original owner lived very close to the dealership so I assume it was licensed at a larger vs. smaller office. Your Chevelle was purchased over a year earlier and has "OOC". Seems odd but I guess anything is possible.

[Greg A.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

FWIW - 1965 Mopar purchased new in SF Bay Area in November 1964 has plates that read MLU.

Arland

Hi Arland...I can't believe that is the original black/yellow plate. As a kid growing up in the Bay Area, I vividly remember our new '64 Pontiac Tempest Lemans (why didn't they get the new GTO option instead?) with an early black/yellow plate AKB 485. This was registered in Jan '64 in Sacramento.

The black/yellow plates lasted somewhere until late 1969. We had a new Ford LTD II in April '70 with the letters AXT and it had a new blue/yellow plate.

Greg.

[Bill O.]

Re: One of My Original California Cars...Isn't

This serves little purpose as help with a '65 but may tend to establish/confirm the black plate Alpha sequence, at least in the beginning.

When the 1956 plates were taken out of circulation in late 1962, the DMV sent new 1963 black plates to me for my 1962 Vette...KHT...had to be very late in 1962. The car then was running '56 plates, first with a red 1961 sticker wth silver letters and then a cream 1962 sticker with green letters...having already been registered for 15 months before the change-over.