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Info from NY license plate

Started by EAAR, January 17, 2018, 08:53:09 PM

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EAAR

I recently purchased a 1932 Cadillac which has a 1948 New York license plate on it.  Does anyone know if I can get any history from this?  I tried the formal inquiry going through the NY DMV website but have not gotten any response.

Mike Josephic CLC #3877

Most state DMV's will not provide any information such
as names of former owners due to privacy concerns. 
Also, many states destroy their records after a certain
number of years, usually 20, but some as soon as 10.

That makes it very difficult to trace back ownership. 
I tried to trace my '55 Eldo back about 25 years ago,
and ran into a dead end with California -- they destroy
records after 20 years (at least back then, may be
different now).

Mike
1955 Cadillac Eldorado
1973 Cadillac Eldorado
1995 Cadillac Seville
2004 Escalade
1997 GMC Suburban 4X4, 454 engine, 3/4 ton
custom built by Santa Fe in Evansville, IN
2011 Buick Lucerne CX
-------------------------------------
CLCMRC Museum Benefactor #38
Past: VP International Affiliates, Museum Board Director, President / Director Pittsburgh Region

e.kempton

Some states had license plate number listing books. I do not know if New York had them or not.  I am in MA and they did have them.  I am a member of ALPCA which is a license plate collectors club and I know people in the local club that have these books for MA, NH, & ME.   Maybe you could talk to someone who knows about what NY offered and maybe there are members who have these books.   I hope this helps you.

DaveZ

Chances are if the plate is 1948 that it may very well have still been registered to the original owner since it is only 16 years. If you get the GM build sheet you can at least see where it was delivered. If it was delivered to NY it also most likely never left the state. Also later in NY state history they made it mandatory to put in sealed beam headlamps so If you still have the original headlights on it probably was not driven after 1948. I think maybe 1949 was when they start only changing the year and had the little tags they you stuck over the previous year.  Plus back then every year you got a new plate with the year stamped on it and the first letter was the county it was registered in. If a Q it is Queens, if K Kings; however I don't know they did that every year.
Regards,
David Zitzmann
1932 345B

Jon S

NY used to issue plate numbers by county thereby giving you a clue as th where in the state the owner lived. That policy continued through the '50's.
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT

Jay Friedman

In the '50s when I was a teenager in rural Sullivan County NY, the plates for that county began with either "9D" or "SC".  However, l later lived in Queens, New York City, where I don't remember any particular letters or numbers on license plates.  There must have been too many plates in the city for that.
1949 Cadillac 6107 Club Coupe
1932 Ford V8 Phaeton (restored, not a rod).  Sold
Decatur, Georgia
CLC # 3210, since 1984
"If it won't work, get a bigger hammer."

TonyZappone #2624

Orleans county had: OR, RN, 8H.  Monroe county:  M, MN, Genesee County : 7H, GS.  These were some that I remember.  I do not remember old cars having to be changed over to sealed beams.
Tony Zappone, #2624
1936 Pierce-Arrow conv sed
1947 Cadillac Conv cpe
1958 Cadillac conv
2016 Cadillac CT6 Platinum
2022 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle

35-709

#7
Greene County in New York had GR either before or after the numbers.  My father had GR-21 for many years, GR-3 is extant, and my sister and brother-in-law have GR-27.  In Ulster County, family there had 8D-81 and CU-61 back in the day for a long time.  All on Cadillacs back then of course.
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2

DaveZ

Not to change the subject, but Tony how is the 36 coming?  The reason I know about the headlights is when dad bought the 32 it had sealed beams. That was in 1958. Minnie had to put them in so sometime in the 50's I would say in NYC, at least, they had to use sealed beam.
Regards,
David Zitzmann
1932 345B

TonyZappone #2624

The '36 is doing fine.  Resting nicely in Saratoga, as we remain in Florida.  Being in my 70's, as a child I remember very few 30's cars converted to seal beams in New York State.  Perhaps someone knows whether there actually was a law regarding converting to seal beams.
Tony Zappone, #2624
1936 Pierce-Arrow conv sed
1947 Cadillac Conv cpe
1958 Cadillac conv
2016 Cadillac CT6 Platinum
2022 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle

DaveZ

So got an answer from Pops. Technically it was not a law, but to pass inspection the lights had to pass. If they were not bright enough you had to fix them. Being silver plated a lot of people opted to change to sealed beams.
Regards,
David Zitzmann
1932 345B

EAAR

This license plate reads 6C23-35.  Any clues?

DaveZ

Our 48 plate is 7Q-xxx and was Queens county. I know because that where they lived. C would most likely be Columbia county. There are other "C" counties in NY, but they are way out on the fringes.
Regards,
David Zitzmann
1932 345B

EAAR


Jon S

My plate is 7G but that was a Suffolk County designation. There was no logical assignment of the plate designations. I believe 9G was Nassau County.
Jon

1958 Cadillac Sedan De Ville
1973 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1981 Corvette
2004 Mustang GT