Got a personalized license plate? - make the effort to secure it!

[elagache]

Dear mid-60 Buick defenders of our car's personal property,

This morning I spotted a Ford Model-A in an unusual location in the neighborhood.  When I came closer to have a look it had a sad story to tell:



Considering the owner's troubles, I only thought it appropriate to blur out the license plate and VIN number, but both were printed on the piece of paper attached to the back window.  The stolen personalized plate was something desirable for someone with a car of the same age.  The lesson seems obvious.  If you have a personalized license plate, make the extra effort to install it in a way that deter thieves.  There is plate mounting hardware with special pattern wrenches like custom wheels.  That will thwart at least the casual thief.

Sad to see people stooping to this sort of behavior, but "such are the conditions that prevail" . . . .

Cheers, Edouard

P.S. Does anybody know if you have personalized plate stolen, can you ask for it to be replaced by your local DMW?

[GS66]

I know here they will replace it if its damaged, not sure about stolen though.

[TrunkMonkey]

Florida will provide a replacment tag (no charge). Personalized with the same characters, if LE provides you a statement for FLDOT that the plate is removed form NCIC and FCIC systems.

[Mister T]

A couple of years ago I found some one way screws which allow you to attach the plate with ease, but they're next to impossible to remove. I used them on my Bamboo Cream GS and when Dan bought it, had to use a small grinder to cut enough of a slot to remove them. It was a PITA.

Can't remember for sure where I got them, might have been a local parts store. 

[elagache]

Dear Tom and mid-60s Buick security hardliners!

A couple of years ago I found some one way screws which allow you to attach the plate with ease, but they're next to impossible to remove. I used them on my Bamboo Cream GS and when Dan bought it, had to use a small grinder to cut enough of a slot to remove them. It was a PITA.

Can't remember for sure where I got them, might have been a local parts store. 

. . . Well I suppose that will work, but I prefer the setup I have now with the special wrench.  Since I secure both the front and back plates, and it is really necessary to remove the back plate to affix each new year's sticker, it would be a real drag to replace those one way screws every year!  . . .   

Still thanks for the comment.  There might be other things where a one-way screw would be really handy! 

Cheers, Edouard