Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

The new to me 48 Custom Club Sedan arrived without a cowl ID plate, sadly. I have no historical information on the car, and so identifying the actual Packard vehicle number seems unlikely at present unless someone who knew my car before the last two owners surfaces...highly unlikely. The Briggs body plate is still there and reads 2255 2305, so that'll have to do, and certainly better than nothing.

New cowl ID plates are available off eBay for around $50 all in, including stamping your vehicle number in the field with the right typeface (pictured below). With quick turnaround, and considering the plate screening is more or less spot on (some loss of detail in the crest is obvious compared to an original plate), I'd say that's good. Their screening is all-black.






Then, there's Nostalgic Reflections who also has the cowl ID plate in stock. They also offer a quick turnaround with correct number stamping. Their plate is a work of art: acid-etched, enamel back-filled with a clear coat, will outlast silkscreened plates. I even notice that their plate has a dark red fill within the radiator/crest and inside the marca registrada lined hexagon. Their plate is also $300, so no small price difference.






If you have a very good or restored original cowl ID plate for a '48 Custom, would you please post a picture of yours for me to compare? I don't recall these ID plates having a red fill anywhere on them, but maybe I never paid attention. I also assumed (maybe incorrectly) that all cowl ID plates for the year between all models were the same. I love Nostalgic Reflections plate which is clearly and obviously better, but it practically looks too good. And when I compare theirs against a fair-condition original plate I saw on the site here, theirs almost looks incorrect. Thoughts?

I am presuming you're the same person who very recently posted this question on one of the Facebook groups and if so, the answer is still the same here. Replacing the VIN plate is an automatic failure with the California DMV and would never pass a verification unless you can back it up by having the original with the car. As a licensed VIN verifier, a vehicle with a new plate would mean that the verifier would have to tick the box to refer it to the CHP which would likely want to affix their own plate and number to the car.

If it's already registered, then it should be no problem unless for whatever reason an officer wanted to see it but what was used on the title? The engine number? California frowns on engine numbers but will accept them in a pinch.

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Hi Don, nope, it wasn't me. Title/registration is pending. Sacramento has already referred me to the CHP as the Canadian title used the engine block number but the local DMV employee didn't like it and wanted to switch to the body number plate because that at least refers to the year, model, vehicle number. You and I PM'd about it. Tried going back to the DMV, now Sacramento won't accept anything more from the local DMV, they're forcing me to visit CHP, so....yeah, fun. CHP hasn't seen anything yet. Was supposed to have an appointment with them yesterday, but fuel pump troubles caused a reschedule, so now it'll be another month, sigh.

I knew the question was familiar and remember that now that it was direct communication. I belong to lots of Packard groups which all tend to merge together after a while especially as may people are on multiples.

I wonder why the DMV would have referred you to the CHP rather than simply using the body tag on the cowl. It's not for titling purposes but THEY don't know that! It is nearly always the same as the VIN although I have heard of some rare exceptions. As long as the engine block number matches the title, there is absolutely no reason that the DMV employee can't change it to the number on the body tag and I've done that very thing for customers more than once. All it takes is a note in the form's Remarks section that the engine matches the title but that it's being switched over to the actual VIN number. From what you told me before, it's no wonder it was rejected with all the convoluted remarks they made in the field which didn't even make sense to me when I already understood the issue!

Whatever you do and as I said before, don't go to the CHP! You'll regret it. I can't do a VIN verification remotely as it requires a physical inspection and I can't do one in any event for a vehicle with foreign documentation but I can write you a letter on my letterhead if it will help but I will need to see photos of the title, engine number and cowl plate along with a photo of the car itself. You know how to reach me.

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I never had the cowl ID tag, hence this post and hopefully, people's opinions about which tag is more correct.

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Yes, it hasn't been mentioned.

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It should have been that easy and this all should be done by now. You may recall my local DMV vehicle inspector failed to explicitly write "engine block number matches Canadian title" on the form, and that's what we deduced triggered the directive from Sacramento to visit CHP. The local DMV should be able to own their mistake and Sacramento should accept that the local office made a mistake, but according to one employee I spoke with, they won't now. CHP is my only avenue.

Granted, I could visit the DMV here again to try my luck with a less-"I know it" DMV clerk (which shouldn't, but unfortunately does seem to matter!). Meh.