Plates turned into the CA DMV are destroyed. A total waste. Black plates original to the car add to the value of the car considerably, IME. They document that the car has been in a very mild environment for at least the past 45 years. If a black plate car is shipped elsewhere, the plates should be kept with the car, if at all possible. CA DMV allows these plates to be used as Year of Manufacture on vehicles of the era that are newly registered that don't have black plates (out of state cars coming into CA), but you have to buy a pair of DMV-cleared plates at a swap meet, and pay about $50 per year to use them. Even then, it will be evident from the paperwork that the plates were not on the car when the car was new. I have one original black plate car left, my '65, and it'll stay that way, even if I move out of state. Every 10 years or so, I scrape the 1/4" thick yearly registration stickers off the rear plate, and I'm good to go for another 10 years until the stickers pile up again. That rear plate as seen 33 tags since I've owned the car, and 17 prior to my ownership. That is definite history, and worth something, IMO.
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Jeff 
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