I’ve been looking for license plate frames from the dealership that ordered my Cougar, Palomar Garage aka Palomar Lincoln-Mercury of Santa Cruz, California. The dealership shut down some time in the 80s.
I’ve sent inquiries to all the outfits that I could find on internet searches and I’ve been to Santa Cruz to comb the thrift shops and whatnot. One outfit lists one for sale on their website but it’s gone, just not updated on the site. I’ll continue to hunt and hit some flea markets when I can get to Santa Cruz, but if anybody has one or two, I’d sure like to buy them.
You might also try going to the Good Guys swap meet in Pleasanton. My Cougar was sold by Marin Bay Lincoln Mercury. I looked for probably 15 years for a license plate frame with that dealer name and found a vendor there (can’t recall his name) who sold me an NOS one with the paper plate. Also, the Turlock Swap Meet is a good place to look – lots of vendors there.
Our 69 was sold at Stanford Lincoln-Mercury in Menlo Park CA. When I lived in the Bay Area, I would go to the Good Guys car shows all the time in Pleasanton and dig through tubs of license plate frames with no luck. There is a guy on Ebay that has a set for more than I want to pay. I did find one frame somewhere and it is faded in color and the chrome a bit pitted, but it works for me right now. I am out here in Idaho now and I continue to look at swap meets and such here in hopes to find something. I will keep my eye out for your Palomar L-M too.
You might try contacting Bruce Canepa, Canepa Design, Scotts Valley, CA; his father owned Palomar L-M and you never know perhaps he has a spare frame or two he would part with. If you contact him please say hi for me, Jim Pinkerton, Cougar GT-E Registrar.
Thanks! If I spot a Stanford L-M frame I will be sure to grab it for you.
When I researched the dealership, I saw that he has a very successful business and thought about reaching out, but frankly I was a little intimidated and unsure if I would look silly inquiring about that license plate frames with an outfit of that caliber. Now that you’ve suggested it, I’m going to give it a shot. Thanks for the help and I will definitely pass along your greetings.
Our 69 Eliminator was advertised for “Clean-up Time” by Palomar L-M in the Summer of 69. Dave Wyrwas sent a photocopy (via Phil Parcells) of the Santa Cruz Sentinel - Dealer Demo Newspaper Ad for our Eliminator. Our Cats VIN: 9F91M565898 was printed in the caption advertising the Cougar. The unanswered question is: Was our Eliminator dealer traded? Or was Polamar advertising in anticipation of a dealer trade? According to the Marti report, our Eliminator was sold from Rohla L-M of Albuquerque, NM on 6-20-1969. Perhaps that puzzle will be solved at some future point.
Does the dealer listed on the report represent the ordering dealer or the selling dealer? I had thought it was ordering, but now that I look at my report it doesn’t actually say.
I found your ad in the California Digital Newspaper Archives. August 8, 1969 copy of the Santa Cruz Sentinel, page 16. Almost a full two months after it was reportedly “sold” by the dealership in New Mexico. I don’t know what that means but maybe someone has a better understanding of how the dates on the Marti report work?
Edit: Just noticed that the ad says “Low mileage demo.” So it was a press vehicle or something along those lines? Interesting.
Yep, that’s the Palomar ad for our “low mileage demo” 69 Eliminator. I have the original purchase contract from Rohla L-M, Albuquerque.
The June 20, 1969 sale date for the Eliminator is a match on both docs: Rohla contract & Marti report. As mentioned… it’s a puzzle?
Kinda got off track here from the original subject…sorry about that.
Hi there. I came across this post this morning while researching info on the dealership plate of a car we purchased yesterday. I see its been quite a while, but curious if you found plate frame you were looking for?
