TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Mar 11, 2010 5:42 pm

I've heard and seen that a few states now have gone away from stamped/embossed license plates. My state, Wyoming, did years ago. I was lucky to have gotten plates for all my cars before they ran out of the old embossed ones though.

But the flat plates, I just don't like them. Anyone else have an opinion?

It's on my mind because Wyoming requires all plates be changed out on an 8 year cycle.

So last year I had to re-order my personalized plate for my 62 bug in the new flat-with-ugly-numbers style. The plate design itself was OK, but I liked the old stamped nummers better.

This year however, they contracted with Colorado - for 50 bucks they'd reissue your plates in embossed. I went for it for my personalized plates. I don't know if I'll do it for my other cars though.

Anyway, they just came in, and while putting them on I thought I'd take a picture of all three together. Same lettering and numbers as the flat plates though. I still liked the old classic lettering from the 2001 issue plates best. Comparison photo can be found here:

http://members.trainorders.com/android/VW10/WhiteyLicensePlateCompare.jpg

-Andy

Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:31 pm

glutamodo wrote: I've heard and seen that a few states now have gone away from stamped/embossed license plates. My state, Wyoming, did years ago. I was lucky to have gotten plates for all my cars before they ran out of the old embossed ones though.

But the flat plates, I just don't like them. Anyone else have an opinion?

Cool photos!

For sure know what you mean by ugly license plates..
Here in Georgia starting back in late 80's till about mid 90's, we used to run, IMO - some of the god-awfullest looking Peach" plates with white color on top, orange color on the bottom with a peach replacing the "O" letter in Georgia. Always disliked those with a passion!

For the raised lettering, we are fortunate to still have'em. But the County portion has been replaced with a decal that is about as useful as the small decals that we have to put-on yearly. Since those came out, I've noticed a lot over time start peeling off.

Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:09 pm

a.wilson wrote:
Cool photos!

Thanks, but not as cool as your avatar. :twisted:

I do remember those "peach" license plates. They were pretty fugly! From 1992-2001 I regularly drove from Colorado/Wyoming to eastern Iowa, as well as other places, and saw about every license plate you could think of. Since 2002 I've not travelled nearly as much though, so I'm not nearly "up" on what's going on with license plates these days.
-Andy

Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:14 pm

Maybe they do not have enough convicts in the prisons in WY to make the raised letter plates.
That is why they sub-contract it to Colorado.

Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:25 pm

LOL

If I remember correctly, the prison unit where they had the license plate facility got shut down not due to lack of inmates, but rather age - it was like extremely old and falling apart and it was condemmed out of safety issues.

Fri Mar 12, 2010 12:53 am

Idaho went to the flat plate a few years back. Cops don't like them because you can't read them from an angle. I think they look stupid, but that is what happens when politicians get involved. Supposedly they are cheaper to produce.

Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:14 am

Don't know what flat plates are pics ?

Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:19 am

Check out the second plate in the photo link above.

Fri Mar 12, 2010 7:23 am

Andy,

Do you have the option of using an old orig '62 Wyoming plate on the car?

I agree the embossed plate looks best.

Fri Mar 12, 2010 9:26 am

glutamodo wrote: LOL

If I remember correctly, the prison unit where they had the license plate facility got shut down not due to lack of inmates, but rather age - it was like extremely old and falling apart and it was condemmed out of safety issues.

Thats funny! Can't have axe murderers, child molesters, mother rapers, father rapers getting hurt in jail.

Fri Mar 12, 2010 10:37 am

AZ recently swapped to these printed plates.

I don't have any on my cars because I'm running YOM or older plates but the flat plates are sort of ugly.

Fri Mar 12, 2010 11:22 am

Harris wrote: Andy,

Do you have the option of using an old orig '62 Wyoming plate on the car?

Only current issue license plates can be used in Wyoming. So even though my personalized number is the same as before, I cannot use it. And no YOM (year of manufacture) plates are allowed either, like some states do. And almost all the variations sold here are just different logos on the side of that standard image, except for a ugly brown/yellow plate that supports the University of WY and a black "Pioneer" plate for display cars (you can't drive cars with these plates except for in like, parades or to shows)

And for the person who asked about flat vs embossed - I didn't put my photo in directly as I normally would becuase I didn't want to come off as "looky here at what I just got" - But for info purposes, here's some examples of flat vs embossed plates, front and back:

-Andy

Sat Mar 13, 2010 8:19 pm

Last time South Carolina switched plate styles, we got printed tags. I'm with you guys, don't like them as much as stamped plates. We do have the option of using YOM plates though, and once I find a suitable plate for my '64, I'll be going that direction.

Nothing beats how they were back then!

Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:12 pm

i saw one of these on a car the other day, it looked counterfeit!!!

it just looked like a piece of cardboard (the kind they make cereal boxes out of) with a photo of a license plate printed on it.

the front plate on my truck has seen better days, and is getting pretty sand blasted from trips in the desert dust and sand. but you can still tell what it says from the raised letters.

hopefully California will never do this!

Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:27 pm

Yeah, the printed plates are lame. The first time I saw a printed Oregon plate, I thought someone was trying to pass off a fake.

Not to rub it in, but in Washington, not only do we have YOM plates, you don't even need to have 2 plates, AND after you register your YOM plate, there's no more yearly fees. The only catch is you have to register with regular plates first then go back to the DOL with your vintage plates.

I had the OG CA black plates on my 62 when I moved to the PNW and was I little ticked about having to change to modern plates.
So when I heard about the Wa state policy i was stoked. I looked and looked for a nice front and rear set.
(In Ca you have to have front and rear).I passed up some really nice singlel plates 'cus I can't use them right, I finally round up decent set and took them down to the DOL. The nice lady tells me I really only need one since, according to her, back in the day plates were not always issued in pairs #-o ] It's all good. I like the colors on the car.

Sun Mar 14, 2010 12:17 am

glutamodo wrote: Only current issue license plates can be used in Wyoming. So even though my personalized number is the same as before, I cannot use it.
You sure about that?

Around here, the law says you have to use the tags that were issued by the DMV. Whenever they change the colour scheme, everyone gets new tags. If I could find my current plate number in the old colours, there's nothing a cop could do. The old tag was issued by the DMV and it would match my papers. But that's not likely gonna happen. Unless..... you've got a HAM licence. My father has his amateur radio call sign as his truck's tag #. Since he's had his call sign on his tags for several different tag colour changes, all the old ones are legal.

Does your state's law specifically say the old tag can't be used (with it's current valid number), or are you just assuming it can't?

Sun Mar 14, 2010 4:35 am

EverettB wrote: AZ recently swapped to these printed plates.

I don't have any on my cars because I'm running YOM or older plates but the flat plates are sort of ugly.

The new plates here are VERY ugly. Has to be a "cost savings".

Sun Mar 14, 2010 5:59 am

Bruce wrote: glutamodo wrote: Only current issue license plates can be used in Wyoming. So even though my personalized number is the same as before, I cannot use it.
You sure about that?

Around here....

Why would you think that vehicle licensing laws would be the same in Wyoming as they are in Canada??? Laws vary greatly from state to state down here, and they definitely won't be the same as the laws in your region. I know what you're describing would be totally illegal here in NY. You can use YOM plates in NY but you have to carry historical insurance which greatly limits how, when and where you can drive the car. You can't just throw an old set of plates on your car because it has the same number as your current registration. You'd be pulled over and the car impounded probably in about 10 minutes of going out on the road like that.

NY just redesigned our plates, and we'll start handing them out on April 1st. How's this for a downgrade? Old Empire Plate on the left, new Empire Gold plate on the right.

Sun Mar 14, 2010 6:20 am

[quote="VDubTech"] Bruce wrote:
NY just redesigned our plates, and we'll start handing them out on April 1st. How's this for a downgrade? Old Empire Plate on the left, new Empire Gold plate on the right.

Ah, it's just the pendulum of time swinging yet again. Old NY plates were that color many years ago. They are just going "retro".

http://www.worldlicenceplates.com/usa/US_NYXX.html

Delaware hasn't had embossed plates for decades.
I've an old 1913 NJ plate that is porcelain on steel like a bath tub would be finished. No embossing, just flat.
http://www.worldlicenceplates.com/usa/US_NJXX.html

Flat plates are nothing new by any means, just another cost cutting change. I think Indiana went flat years ago. Almost like a cheap sticker if I recall. I've seen them flopping around on cars like a loose piece of cardboard!

I wonder when the term "Made in China" will begin appearing just below the State name or Motto?

Dave

Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:16 am

Bruce wrote:
Does your state's law specifically say the old tag can't be used (with it's current valid number), or are you just assuming it can't?

You can be sure that I asked. I was allowed to keep my old plates, but I can't use them.

And I wasn't saying that flat plates were particularly new by any means, but these new "digital" computer printed plates are not to my taste, especially given the untraditional typeface choices that Wyoming made to put on theirs. It's not like I haven't had flat plates before - just look at that example of that Colorado Collector's Series plate I had above, that's a flat plate and was issued in 1997, I didn't really like that one very much either. I've seen how some other states now are using more traditional looking typefaces on their flat plates, too bad they don't here.

-Andy