Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Who is now manufacturing these? Looking for one for a 17th series (1939) model. I seem to recall that there was a source for them.

Pulfer & Williams, now owned by LaVine Restorations.

Be sure to note that in some states replacing the data plate is illegal as it is here in California and would be an instant failure when verifying a car for registration here. You can probably get away with it if you always keep the original with you but otherwise it's not advised to mess with the data plate!

Email William Bill Clark clarkwc@aol.com
He made my plate which included VIN number, dealer name and date
Looks fab
I kept my old plate which only has the vehicle number embossed on it it was so worn. I was able to reproduce it because I remembered what it had when I got the car in 1959.

Thanks. Here is the situation. A young car enthusiast whom I met on Facebook is rebuilding a 1939 Six Club Coupe. I have been trying to help him source parts he needs to complete the project. The car was partially restored and was already painted when he recently purchased it. It still needs a lot of mechanical work, including a full engine rebuild. The original data plate was missing when he acquired the car. Apparently, the painter removed it prior to painting the car and then lost it or something like that. He does have an old registration paper from 2004 which shows the correct ID number. I used our Packard Decoder to confirm the model number using the ID number on the old registration form. (1285-1939 Six Club Coupe).

Question: What do you recommend he do in order to legally register the car?

It depends what state you are in. Some states, like PA and MT, will issue you an (ugly) state-issued VIN tag with a reprint of the original VIN, if you have a record of it (sounds like you do). The new tag does NOT need to be in the exact spot the original one was, so you can then buy a reproduction original VIN plate and install it to keep it looking correct.

Example of PA tag below on a 56 Patrician that currently resides in Australia (not my car).

What state are you in?

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Guy with the '39 is from Texas. Says he lives in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Anyone familiar with TX DMV requirements regarding antique cars?

Realistically you can just register it and slap a repro VIN plate on. The only time it would be a problem is if the car is inspected such as by the DMV of a future buyer. Or theoretically a cop could impound the car if you get pulled over and he thinks the plate is fake, but the chances of this are extremely remote.

That’s why I suggested to always carry the original! Still not exactly legal but it might just get you by should there be a traffic stop or even an accident.

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Contact Jerry Turner at "Nostalgic Reflections" in Veradale, Washington. He has been manufacturing Packard items like this for several decades. Everything from serial plates to medallions and much more.