License Plates
Odometer (Legend): 528,718
Odometer (ILX): 68,429
It’s always a good day when my neighbors get to see another Acura at my house. Special thanks to my friend James for his visit this past Sunday! James is the former owner of a Legend LS coupe, but he’s been driving a 2004 Acura TL 6-speed for the last 6 years. It’s looking good for 170,000 miles on the odometer. We snagged a picture together after getting back from lunch in the Legend.
I do love that factory body kit!
James is the Executive Director of the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona. His license plate says “Ph.D Cowboy,” and that makes a nice segway into today’s topic.
A couple of weeks ago, I got digging through my collection of license plates and I was able to round up each one of the 10 vanity plates that my cars have worn in my 16 years of driving.
Each one carries with it a unique set of memories in the hundreds of thousands of miles they’ve covered. From my high school “HUGGIE’S” days with my 1986 Chevy Celebrity to my college years with the 1991 Prelude Si 4WS and the multiple Legends I’ve owned over the last decade, each car has had its own personality.
Perhaps the most meaningful pair of plates in my collection is this one:
Those were the last license plates registered to a black 1987 Chevy pickup truck that my late grandfather owned. He passed away at the young age of 58 years old in September, 1989. The license plates expired one month later. These plates have been kept in safekeeping for 25 years now. They still have bug guts on them that I refuse to clean off because they represent part of the history with my grandpa and his beautiful black truck.
What does your plate say, and does it have any special meaning to you?
Thanks to Dillon – “Hondatalover” for this sweet TLX rendering I’m sharing today.
And guess who’s a new card-carrying member of the Acura NSX Club of America (NSXCA)?! Yeah baby!
drivetofive 
February 25, 2014 at 5:33 pm
Nice NSX card- congrats! Wonder if they have a Yugo club card..lol
I have kept a few old plates- one being a ‘QQ’ plate (antique designation in Nj) from my 72 Torino. And my only two personalized plates that I have ever had but currently both in use on my two legend coupes. One I sort of stole from you 😉
February 25, 2014 at 6:41 pm
Haha, I guarantee there’s a Yugo club (with cards) somewhere out there in the universe. The NSXCA membership actually has some pretty comprehensive benefits – a friend of mine picked up the tab for me this year, and it included a subscription to NSX Driver magazine, a sticker, a DIY booklet, etc. On the subject of license plates I’m surprised you didn’t pick a personalized tag out for the GSR!
February 26, 2014 at 9:39 pm
Hmmm, actually hadn’t thought about it..but you have me thinking now
February 25, 2014 at 5:56 pm
You likely have a better memory of my various personalized plates than I do, but I have had: GOTIAGO, C TIA GO, TOY4TIA, WHYWALK, FASTFWD, and RUNZLOT. What do these suggest about me? I can’t think of one thing they have in common!
February 25, 2014 at 6:43 pm
I can definitely identify a trend among them! It sounds like you’re someone who’s always on the go. I can certainly relate! Time to start brainstorming your next combination.
February 26, 2014 at 4:19 am
Great blood lines, both Mama Tia and Tyson never seem to stop running.
February 26, 2014 at 6:22 am
That’s for sure. Catch us if you can!
February 27, 2014 at 6:31 pm
And that’s just ONE of the things we have in common!
February 26, 2014 at 7:38 pm
We have never had a custom license plate! I think it would be cool to get one though.
They’re a really cool (and clever) way to give the people in the car behind you a quick laugh or to share a interesting little bit of info about yourself or car.
My favorite of yours is the “HUGGIES” plate. I bet it made people wonder.. “Why a diapers brand?” when they have no idea it’s really just a play on your last name. All of your plates are awesome!
Thanks for the TLX share, Tyson. I hear a few TLX’s may be making it into some dealers for product demonstration and training “in a box” in about a month. So keep an eye out!
Enjoyed the blog as always! Take care. 🙂
February 26, 2014 at 10:00 pm
Thanks Dillon, and as always, keep the great Acura pictures coming my way and I will continue to feature them. As for the license plates, I only had “Huggie’s” for about a year but it was a good year 🙂 Maybe I should resurrect that on another car sometime in the future. Haha