Retired

"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake) 07/26/2020 at 11:31 • Filed to: None

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It’s the end of an era. The CAMERO tag was retired when I traded my Mustang for a Scion, replaced by TOYODUH. While CAMERO got a ton of attention in countless cell phone pictures in traffic, comments at car shows, and looks of confusion TOYODUH never raised an eyebrow.

The state of Kansas changes the design on vanity plates every 5 years, and at that time if you have one you have to renew it and exchange it for the new design. I had been ready and willing to do so, but then the new design came out and...eesh.

I dig the sentiment, wind turbines are sweet. But the color scheme is gross. It’s an affront to real Kansas sunsets which are breathtakingly beautiful, and the actual plates are significantly darker than this image. The darkness of the plate combined with the bright white text makes the wind turbines completely imperceptible, so it just looks like a generic dark plate with big white letters.

I really don’t like it at all, so rather than put it on my car I decided to let the vanity plate wait until 2025 when hopefully the new design is better. I hear a lot of mixed reviews of the sunflower plate retired this year, but personally I love it and am sad to see it go.

The standard Kansas plate is super boring though. It’s just the state seal, and while I love our state motto (Ad Astra Per Aspera), much like the wind turbines on the new vanity tag it is obscured by the number too much to be readable anyways

So what to do? I considered a KU plate, after all I am a Jayhawk, but while I do like the KU logo and the ROCK CHALK at the bottom the stark white plate is too much white for my tastes.

I could do a Wichita State plate, seeing as I am also an alumnus of that university, but WuShock is a weird ass mascot and the plate has the same plain white with a logo problem:

Even these two don’t seem terribly happy with it

Luckily the state introduced a new plate that looks decent: the City of Wichita flag

I wish the letters and numbers were personalized and white, but otherwise it’s a good looking plate reflecting our cool looking flag. So the Scion will be adorned with a little hometown pride. I have my fully-refundable Bronco deposit in so maybe the vanity plate will return when I get mine ...

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jayhawk Jake 07/26/2020 at 12:02

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“Jeepish" on a Bronco would be amazing. Too bad about the plates. Georgia recently got a new design which, while a little busy, is pretty good looking. Our vanity plates have always been kind of awful though. 

Just Jeepin' > Jayhawk Jake 07/26/2020 at 12:10

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Typography and legibility is an interesting problem with license plates. When these plates first came out I was shocked at how hard to read they were; I briefly thought my eyesight was getting dramatically worse.

The state changed the typeface after complaints; I think this is the easier-to-read version, but I can’t find any comparisons online.

E90M3 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/26/2020 at 12:14

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I don’t know what you’re talking about, they were just fine.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > E90M3 07/26/2020 at 12:19

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I suppose I mean there isn't much variety in plate designs, not the words people put on them. There are a few college ones, the "save wildlife," and . . . ? ? ?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/26/2020 at 12:20

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Also, I didn't know you had a custom plate. The white design with a peach is classic. 

E90M3 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/26/2020 at 12:24

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That’s fair.

That used to be my plate when I was a GA resident. I also had a personalized plate in TX.

I don’t one in SC as it’s not as easy as it was in either TX or GA. 

CB > Jayhawk Jake 07/26/2020 at 12:26

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If you buy a Bronco, please put an "It's a Jeep thing" sticker of some variety somewhere.

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > Jayhawk Jake 07/26/2020 at 12:43

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If I do decide to capitalize on my bronco reservation, I always think of your Camero plate and want to do something cheeky. I’m thinking I will do “J00P” or “WRANGLER” (OH allows 8 digits)

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > E90M3 07/26/2020 at 12:46

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What does CHE 12 mean? I’m surprised they had a Georgia Tech plate in Texas.

Also, “WAGOOON” is entirely appropriate as is the enthusiasm shown. 

E90M3 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/26/2020 at 12:50

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Chemical engineering 2012, it was my major and I didn’t want random numbers on it. There’s a lot of Tech grads in that state, so it makes sense. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > E90M3 07/26/2020 at 12:52

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Ah. That makes sense, but not as much sense as **inhales** WAGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON! I love that plate.

Dr.Jeckyl > Just Jeepin' 07/26/2020 at 12:58

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I think the smaller type with the separation was a little easier on the eyes. But this was not one of my favorite plates. 

Just Jeepin' > Dr.Jeckyl 07/26/2020 at 13:08

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Ah, yeah, indeed.

I was at a photography club meeting around that time and met the designer . The original artwork was kind of nice, but definitely did not make for a good plat e.

Jayhawk Jake > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/26/2020 at 13:11

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We only have 7 so WRANGLER is out. JEEP is taken, obviously, as is JEEPTHG (Jeep Thing). JOOP is a top contender for me too.

Jayhawk Jake > CB 07/26/2020 at 13:15

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Oh 100%. I have a “My 1st Subaru” badge on my FRS

Boxer_4 > Just Jeepin' 07/26/2020 at 14:18

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I know I’ve talked about this one before, but the PA specialty plate for the Flagship Niagara was a disaster.

These were available for a bit over a year, but were deemed unreadable on the road. As a result, most specialty plates in PA are now derivatives of the standard tri-color plates - the designs for various plates changed as they were reissued . We used to have some very nice plates available.

Just Jeepin' > Boxer_4 07/26/2020 at 14:20

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Gotta wonder how something like that makes it to production. Why is legibility not the most important thing to be tested for plate designs?

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > Jayhawk Jake 07/26/2020 at 15:23

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Could always do JOOPTHG

I almost bought a PP2 mustang last year. I would’ve gotten “PP STNG” 

Under_Score > Jayhawk Jake 07/26/2020 at 15:36

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In Georgia, there are people that still have their faded 20+ year old On My Mind plates, and they keep applying them to brand new vehicles. There’s a Telluride near me with the 123ABC design.

It used to be on a Cadenza, which looked weirder.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Boxer_4 07/26/2020 at 15:59

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That is a cracked out otter

Dusty Ventures > Jayhawk Jake 07/26/2020 at 18:37

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Is JOOP available? Just curious

Dusty Ventures > Jayhawk Jake 07/26/2020 at 18:49

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Massachusetts personalized plates can only be had in the basic red text on white.

Our specialty plates, while there’s a wide selection, aren’t much better. Most are just red on white with a logo on the left. The “Preserve the Trust” plates, which support the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, at least spread the color a bit more across the plate (the three plates in the top row). I have the Blackstone Valley plate on my BRZ (top right plate).

Jayhawk Jake > Dusty Ventures 07/27/2020 at 09:15

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Yes

Jayhawk Jake > Dusty Ventures 07/27/2020 at 09:15

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Ugh, I don’t like any of those. I’d probably just get the one with a whale tail

Dusty Ventures > Jayhawk Jake 07/27/2020 at 13:15

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Yeah, a lot of low cards in that deck. MA went for easy identification over style. I do like my Blackstone Valley plate more than the whale, but that’s as much because I think those old waterwheel looks are cool as hell