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MG TD TF 1500 - California Personal License Plate

I have obtained YOM license plates for my TD and want to sell or give away the Blue and Yellow plates that were on the car, # A 1952TD. I am going to check with the DMV to find out what I can do with them, I would hate to see them junked.
If any California '52 TD owner is interested email me and I will let you know what the DMV has to say.
Louis
L.M. Levin

Not sure about CA. but in Ohio I can run just about anything for a plate as long as I have the current Historicial plates & regestration in the car.

My rear Ohio historicial plate is: TF1555 and I had a UK style plate with same number made for the front.
Never had a question about it ...and yes I have had a few "roadside conversations" with law enforcement types concerning "other" issues.
(Izzy was "calabrated" in excess of 117MPH.) ;-)
David Sheward

David, seriously?, 117mph? Impressive David, very impressive. Can't recall what LaVerne had the Green Hornet up to, but none the less 117mph is noteworthy.

John
54mgtf-0781
"Meeker"
John Brickell

David, were you lucky to fine a 1955 Ohio plate with a good number or is there a way to have a vanity plate made for your year? I've found a couple of different 53 Ohio plates but the numbers aren't significant. Took some time to find what I have because I was looking for a set, but in 53 they only used one plate.

Bill
TD24570
Bill Brown

David Sheward,

I seem to remember a story about a TD/TF that was clocked at some REALLY high speed and was pulled over. The officer came over to the driver and said something to the effect of, "here's the deal... You're going to pop the bonnet and if the running gear is stock, you get away with a warning... if not, you're getting a ticket"

The rest of the story was something about how the officer was an MG enthusiast and was pretty excited to know that someone could get one to go that fast. Officer had a nice chat on the side of the road, parted ways and the driver got off with a warning (if that).

Was this your story or was that someone else's?

Alex
Alex Waugh

Bill,
Ohio kind of changed things ...and near as I can figure by reading the laws, created a "loop-hole".
Historical vanity plates "were" $15 a year but they decided to get greedy and raised it to $50 a year. At the same time they went to a "flat" historical plate instead of "raised" letter that is good for 10 years for one time $15 fee. (Maybe 20years ..can't remember)
The law says as long as "those plates" are in the car you can run any "specialty plates" (commonly "year of manufacture"). So I bought the "10 year plates" but still run my old historical TF1555 plates on the car.
When I got those "TF1500" was my 1st choice but was already taken so, since the car is titled as a 1955
TF1555 was my 2nd choice. (fifteen hundred-fifty-five).

I have 9 cars ....Ohio gets plenty of $$ from me each year for plates (and nail me for plenty on a truck I hardly ever drive) so this is what we did on a few of them. Hope you will visit and bring some smokes if I land in prison for it ...but that is what I am doing! LOL
So far none of the police I have been stopped by have ever even questioned it, or even asked to see the plates for the registration I handed them.
The normal question has always been "do you have any idea how fast you were going"? When I answer "did I hit 130 yet" most have just smiled, then start talking about the car! ;-)
David Sheward

Alex,
That was me! Said he could never get his TD over 80MPH. Also asked if it would ruin my day if he gave me a ticket. I told him I would frame it for the garage.
Actually saw him last summer ...he came out and we converted his TD to neg ground, installed a pertronix, and worked on some wiring. Gave him some names for rear end change over. Real nice guy.
David Sheward

David, I have the historical Ohio plates (raised letters) and my understanding is if I can find old Ohio plates, my case 1953, I can send them to Columbus and have them registered and run them on the car as long as I have the Historical plate in the car. Did that change? I was going to call the folks in Columbus and try to get this straightened out. I have the same situation on my 67 Camaro.

BTW 117MPH got my attention. I start to worry at 50% of that.

thanks
Bill
TD24570
Bill Brown

I've gotten to 60 with quite a bit of throttle but very little courage left. I have a pair of California black plates with orange/gold letters "GW 707" (no significance to the numbers that I know of and I'm not at the garage so I forget the plate year. If anybody is interested, let me know and I'll post a pic.
Jud
J K Chapin

A well known guy in the MG community was pulled over on the intestate in Vermont driving his green TD/C one very foggy spring morning. The state trouper walked around the car, front to back looking the car over very carefully. The Cop then said "sir, I'm sorry I pulled you over, my radar seems to be malfunctioning. I clocked you at 91 MPH. Have a nice day".
His rather generic name has been omitted from this telling of the story.
-David.
D. Sander

Bill,
Far as I know you don't have regester, or inform OBMV of the "other" plates, as long as you have the correct ones in the car.
My uncle was lucky enough to find 1937 OHIO plates with his initials on them and runs those on his 37 Chevrolet.
David Sheward

Got stopped on an out of town trip driving 35 in a 25 in my TD. Officer said he clocked me on radar. I said that I appreciated that information since my speedometer is somewhat like a clock (gear drive) and my car over 50 years old and I have never really known how accurate it was.

I asked him how long it would take to set up a court date and he looked at me like why would I contest the ticket? I said that I would not contest a fix-it ticket but for a speeding ticket, I would plead my case to the judge.

He let me off with a warning.
Bruce Cunha

David S,

Do you have a 5 speed in your TF, a 4.3, or both? I have a hot rod motor (manley crank with B rod journals, sanez rods, JE forged pistons with fully floating pins, B+G window flywheel with cortina clutch, ported head, 9.3CR, Len's roller cam and a Manley extractor), but had a bent diff cage that caused my 4.3 conversion to make noise, so I haven't had a chance to really run the car in a performance mode yet.

I'm curious to know how you got all the way to 114 with out taking flight. When LaVerne did it, he had the wings off (if I remember correctly). My rear end is all done and awaiting some time from me to get it installed. Hoping to have it ready to drive by the 16th.

Care to share your secrets Dave?

Alex
Alex Waugh

Louis, blue and yellow plates are not yet allowed in the YOM program, so at this point hey are simply wall art. I suggest telling the DMV that your old plates were lost so that you can preserve them for someone in the future. If you hand them in, they will be scrapped. If you just want to find a home for them, I know someone who would take them. Just let me know.

JK, your plates sound like they are from a commercial vehicle. Standard passenger vehicle plates had three letters followed by three numbers. I would love to give them a home on an old pickup if you decide to get rid of them.
Steve Simmons

Louis, I'd be interested in the plates, since I have a 52 TD, even though I'm in germany. Can't use it on the road, obviously, but are a great add on at shows.
I use the PPO british plates at an annual "british days" fair and it just blends in nicely.
Fritsch_michael at gmx dot de
Mike
Mike Fritsch

Just over 100 MPH once. Just to see if the Green Hornet could do it. Might do it again someday with video evidence of the gps speedo. Fully together Alex. Never left the ground...never even really felt light but I wasn't there for very long. Had Ed with me once and I think we got up to about 90 and he pulled the plug so to speak. Might have been because I asked his wife if his life insurance was paid up before we left.
L E D LaVerne

Steve: These are personalized plates that I have on my TD for many years. Attached is a photo of the plates on the TD. I just got YOM plates which are black and yellow 1951 plates with a yellow metal tag that says 52. The YOM plates are registered an on the car. I think I can gift them to someone in Calif. that will be able to use them on their car. If not I will transfer them to another car I own, an
American car.
Louis





L.M. Levin

Alex,
4.3 (4 speed) and stage III tunning is all.
Oh ...and I run oversized tyres.
I saw 120 on the GPS...speedo was bouncing all over the place.
Surprised the BJ out of me ...but I saw 100MPH on the speedo when I test drove it before buying the car.
David Sheward

I had already typed "What's YOM?" when it came to me - Year of Make. Duh!!
Jud
J K Chapin

YOM = Year of Manufacture ;)

Louis, to the best of my knowledge, you will not be able to assign those plates to someone else's car. The only way they could be used is if you transferred them to another one of your cars. They allow this so that you can retain personalized plates indefinitely. But I don't know of a way to transfer the plates to someone else without selling them the car with it! If someone else wanted that letter/number combo then they would have to get it on a new, white plate and I believe only after yours had been turned in.
Steve Simmons

Steve: I just left the DMV and the plates are mine to do what I wish with them, they belong to me not the car. So if anyone with a '52TD is interested in makling a deal email me.
Louis
L.M. Levin

Indeed, this is how you sometimes see blue plates on brand new cars. Where you may run into difficulty is if the person who buys them wants to register the plates to their car. The laws may have changed but last time I checked this couldn't be done. But I'm very glad you kept the plates so the DMV couldn't scrap them!
Steve Simmons

Steve: The new buyer can register the plates to his TD because these are personalized plates. I just went through this with the DMV today.
Thanks for your interest.
L.M. Levin

That's great, good to know they're finally being sensible.
Steve Simmons

This thread was discussed between 06/03/2013 and 09/03/2013

MG TD TF 1500 index

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