Gerry - I picked up a '48 pan and attempted to get an 'Antique' plate here in PA....I'm not aware of a 'historic' plate. Since PA uses tag shops and messenger services you really don't get an opportunity to talk to a DMV representative face-to-face. I went to my local tag shop and figure I'd get an antique tag for the one time price of $75 and be set for life. The guy at the counter said he would try and do it for me, but the State requires insurance and 4 pictures (front, right side, left side and back) in order to issue the plate. He said 'try' because according to his experience (and others that I've found) the State will deny anything that looks either non-factory or that is not perfectly shiny and new. My issue is that the panhead looks like it hasn't been cleaned in 30 years. It's not the orginal paint, but I at least like the patina. The guy said that it would most likely be denied becuase of the condition. He said the State will deny anything that doesn't look tip-top because once the plate is issued there is no annual safety inspection requirement. So, it pretty much has to look new so that the State thinks you're not causing a safety concern for other drivers. Anyway, the irony is that he said my best bet would be to restore it, take pictures and then tag it. My contention was that, under the rules, an unrestored/original paint bike would never pass the test for the antique plate in the eyes of the State. He pretty much agreed. So, I'm going to tag it as a regular bike and then keep up with the safety inspections each year.
This thread is helpful but is there another thread warranted for titles? I have the worst luck with titles and I'm curious to hear what the other requirements are across the states. I know there are (were?) services to title vehicles where a title has been lost through the years, but it's tough work to get one. My favorite response is when I ask (in PA) "How do I title a vehicle that doesn't have a title?"....response "Bring the title from the former owner with you."
This thread is helpful but is there another thread warranted for titles? I have the worst luck with titles and I'm curious to hear what the other requirements are across the states. I know there are (were?) services to title vehicles where a title has been lost through the years, but it's tough work to get one. My favorite response is when I ask (in PA) "How do I title a vehicle that doesn't have a title?"....response "Bring the title from the former owner with you."
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