CA blue plates and history of my 911

[laneranch]

I recently bought my first 911 and am trying to sort out its history and previous owners. A 1971 T targa that sold initially to CT owner on 11/10/1971. Origonal owners manual and maintenance record documents this. Maintenance stamps by dealer for mileage of 589, 6450, 14,752, 19,238 and 24,953 show for Triangle Porsche Audi in Durham NC. The final stamp in the Maintenance Record is at 33,808 miles on 8/1/1975 at a Porsche dealer in Canorga Park, CA. I think the car spent the rest of its life in CA as there are insurance records for the 1990's at a Dixon, CA address. Then flash forward to 2012 when I acquire the car with CA blue plates and the last license sticker was for Mar 2001. So the car was off the road in dry storage for 11 years before I bought it. If the car moved or was sold to a CA owner in 1975 would these same CA blue plates have been provided or did they show up later? the C of A showed it to be number matching, it appears to be totally stock and unmolested and may have only had a few owners. Although it is unlikely the 60,000 miles on the odo could be origonal.
al

[Jim Breazeale]

The blue plates would have remained with the car as long as it stayed in California.

Regards

Jim

[Pinball]

If you want to know whether the numbering sequence is correct (i.e., whether these are the original blue plates) consider that the switch from black to blue plates in California took place in MY 1970. For instance, our 1970 Cougar had this plate: "581 ADF". My 1973 911E had "367 HXR", so a 1971 plate original to the car should fall somewhere in between, closer to the "A"s than the "H"s

[LongRanger]

. . . trying to sort out . . . history and previous owners . . . 1971 T targa that sold initially to CT owner . . . Maintenance stamps by dealer . . . Triangle Porsche Audi in Durham NC . . . final stamp in the Maintenance Record is at 33,808 miles on 8/1/1975 at a Porsche dealer in Canorga Park, CA . . . flash forward to 2012 . . . with CA blue plates and the last license sticker was for Mar 2001. So the car was off the road in dry storage for 11 years before I bought it. If the car moved or was sold to a CA owner in 1975 would these same CA blue plates have been provided or did they show up later? the C of A showed it to be number matching, it appears to be totally stock and unmolested and may have only had a few owners. Although it is unlikely the 60,000 miles on the odo could be original . . .

Hmm

First off --- what's the CA plate number on the car? . . . 6-digit or 7? That plate sequence will tell something about the date those plates were issued. WAY more here . . .

http://www.15q.net/ca.html



Next --- I'd contact CA DMV, take the VIN, and request/check the registration history. I did this, cheap. More here --- see post #341 . . .

http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...ty-nine/page35



I don't know where you live, but if you're in CA and have both plates, this vehicle can probably be registered w/ those tags . . . although there may be some passed-due reg fees to be paid . . . gulp!

Also, do those plates + VIN match your insurance records? And while you're at it, any names on those records? Check the white pages --- name/city/etc . . . who knows . . . somebody may still be around/available/chatty . . .

And also --- I gotta ask . . . why was this car laid-up for 11 years??

HtH . . . and tell us how you do, whatcha/whooya find, etc . . . this kinda stuff is always fascinating --- for me, at least . . .

Good hunting!

PS Some/any pictures --- please?

[LongRanger]

. . . If you want to know whether . . . these are the original blue plates . . . consider that . . . our 1970 Cougar had this plate: "581 ADF". My 1973 911E had "367 HXR", so a 1971 plate original to the car should fall somewhere in between . . .

Hmm

Al wrote that his vehicle's service record shows it being in NC for the first ~24k miles, so . . . car may not've been registered in CA 'till after '71 . . . prolly way . .

[laneranch]

The plate is 291 RVW

the dealer stamp in the Maintenance Record book changed from NC to CA between April 1973 and Aug 1975.
al

[LongRanger]

. . . plate is 291 RVW . . . the dealer stamp in the Maintenance Record book changed from NC to CA between April 1973 and Aug 1975 . . .

Hmm

My 1st car was an 'R' plate . . . issued summer '76

[Harvey Weidman]

Sounds about right. Bring in your car from out of state and change to CA plates when the registration expires.
According to LongRanger looks like 76-77 ish plate not a 71.
H

[Jim Breazeale]

Sounds about right. Bring in your car from out of state and change to CA plates when the registration expires.
According to LongRanger looks like 76-77 ish plate not a 71.
H

My 71 911 wears plate number 927 DHO. It was the plate that was assigned to the car when it was first registered in 1971 and has been on the car ever since. Numbers were not necessarily assigned in numerical order. Different counties had different plate sequences.

[Harvey Weidman]

You are right, Jim. They don't all leave at the correct alphabetical sequence. There are many places that the plates move slower. I have seen some at my DMV that were definately older than if you got one from Sac with a new car. BTW my 1/71 Porsche has a K plate. Also a later addition....But still Blue
H