1975 - Registration

The day is finally here, after all the hard work, skinned knuckles, late nights and last minute dramas. So off to the Fern tree Gully Police Station I go, in the Chev. Didn't think about trailering it or getting a permit. Don't even know if they were available in those days. So here I am at 23 walking into a police station, already nervous about the registration process, combined with the feeling that normally you are only in such a place when you are either in trouble or there has been trouble.

The Sargent in charge of registration comes to the counter, and we start the paperwork. I produce my hand written receipt for the original wreck, then we had a bit of a debate as the Sargent thought my engine number was not compatible with the year. Turned out to my relief he was reading the wrong page, so all is soon resolved. We go outside for him to check the engine number against what I told him, and he has a bit of a wander around, asking me questions about what I did to the car and how long it took etc.

Back inside to complete the process, and he asks me "what's it worth". Not wanting to say a figure too low, even though I was wanting to keep the charges to a minimum, I said "about $2,500". Immediately he answers back and says "I don't think so". Thinking that I have been caught out attempting to undervalue the car I say nothing, and his next statement was "Lets say $1,500". It was at that point I realized he was actually on my side, he even smiled. I am sent to the next window to pay the registration fee and then return to the counter to receive the plates from the Sergeant. He wanders out with a few sets in his hand, and says "here son these will do nicely". I take the plates thank him very much and get out of there as quick as I could. After work that night when I am fitting the plates, ALO 428, the weight of the world is off my shoulders. The thing runs rough, stopping is a bit hit and miss, but it's on the road, finished enough for me to legally fine tune with testing. It was not till some 20 years later that I realized why he gave me those plates, ALO as in Hello, 4 as in Chev 4 and 28 as in 1928. Anyway that's how people have read the number over the years.