the tags on my "toy car"

There have been some really cool various license plates shown in the past few weeks here from several different members -- made me think to take these quick pics when I last visited the location of my "toy car", of the plates it is currently wearing. :-) (and no matter how dirty they are... <groan>)

The car is a 1974 FORD THUNDERBIRD, in original unrestored condition with just under 140K on its odometer. 460 cu.in. V-8 under the 6.5' long hood, hasn't ran in too many years but did when I got it and could rather easily do so again with a few minutes tinkering (and a battery) and I have driven it (a little) before it got parked in storage. Now a several-tons-worth of "to do" on my projects list, I got it around 20 yrs ago after noticing it sitting on a small town used car lot nearby (for a price I could afford) and it has always been a 'local car', still with the chromed FORD dealership logo affixed to its trunk lid advertising where it was sold brand new, still existing under the same name at the same location to this day.

Pic 1 shows the front bumper, wearing its blue-oval FORD logo in a chromed frame. (front tags from the State aren't required here) Also pictured (and from the unrelated trivia dept.) is the distinctive THUNDERBIRD chromed hood ornament, which is actually the *very same* one I watched the road thru in the *very first* car I ever owned as my own, which happened to be a 1973 T-Bird, which I loved dearly despite its flaws, and which I transplanted onto this car to replace the broken one it came with.

The last couple pics are where the story lies. (if there is one worth sharing, that is...) In AR, the official issue "antique car" registration/plate is available, for qualifying vehicles. (the definitions of which are only barely enforced, but that's another matter) The two funnest things about getting one are: 1) it costs less than half what a standard plate does -- and 2) it only needs to be purchased and paid for *ONCE* when first issued, remaining perfectly valid without any further registration renewal (and fees) indefinitely, as long as I continue to own the vehicle. As to the plate numbers themselves, at the time they were issued with a five digit numerical format (they now includes a letter) and were distributed to various Motor Vehicles offices in sequentially numbered batches, then to the public as they came off the pile on the shelf.

NOTICE that the last four numbers on my plate are "1974". (and remember that the model year of my car is also "1974") THAT was a very happy but also absolutely coincidental accident. :-) :-) :-) Soon after I bought the car, I naturally went to Motor Vehicles to register it. After the requisite waiting in line and filling out paperwork (and writing a check) the nice clerk lady went to the shelf behind her counter and brought back plate #51972 from the top of her stack. Noticing immediately, before she'd started to fill out that section of the forms in fact, I interrupted her and asked "is there any chance there's a 1974 right there in your pile, and could I have *it*, instead??" With the further reminding her that my car was a '74 model, she went back to look and got it for me, prompting huge smiles and profuse thank-you's on my part.

I mean, what's the chances that the totally random day I happened to pick would be the exact day when *that* plate number would be just sitting there coming to the top of the pile on the shelf in *that* office, waiting patiently for me to show up and claim it...??? :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)