My Plates is a Texas-based company that was awarded a contract by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to design, market and sell new Specialty license plates in the State of Texas. The first company that was awarded the contract to run My Plates ceased operations last fall, citing the U.S. economic crisis. Perhaps this was a sign of the type of shaky business practices we had to look forward to from this new venture. In August 2009, TxDOT awarded a new contract to a joint venture between Pinnacle Technical Resources of Dallas (www.pinnacle1.com) and Etech, Inc. of Nacogdoches (www.etechinc.com). My Plates sales resumed November 19, 2009.

At the time of this post, Etech, Inc. of Nacogdoches is listed on the Texas Comptroller of Public accounts with the following status: NOT IN GOOD STANDING. Typically, when a company fails to file a franchise company report (which every Texas business is required to do), the company is no longer in good standing (view the account status on the Texas Comptroller website). My request for an explanation from MyPlates about why the parent company is not in good standing has been ignored. My question has been posted on the MyPlates fan page on Facebook if you want to see for yourself. Interestingly, MyPlates has ignored many of my questions.

Maybe there is a good explanation for this status. Maybe there are two Etech, Inc. companies in Nacogdoches… Or perhaps the company has received special exemptions. Whatever the case, my question has been publicly ignored by MyPlates. So based on my previous experiences with MyPlates, I continue to assume that this is business as usual for the shady operation.

Related Articles:

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A common upgrade for for 1996 through 1998 Toyota 4Runners is replacing the headlights with the new, more modern looking headlights found on the 1999 through 2002 model years. This modification is simple and can be completed in less than an hour. The major difference between the modern headlights and the old style is the clearer glass lens. Fitment is unchanged, so swapping the headlights is an easy job. I purchased a new pair of headlights for my 1997 4Runner from Ebay and paid just under $80 (including shipping). You can probably find them at any online auto parts retailer, just search for 1999 – 2002 Toyota 4Runner headlights. All trims use the same headlights (e.i. SR5, Limited, 2WD, 4WD). This is a quick and easy way to give your older third generation 4Runner an updated look.

How to Upgrade Toyota 4Runner Headlights

The following tools are used for this project:

• Phillips head screwdriver
• ratchet with deep 10 millimeter socket (small 10 millimeter wrench will work too)
• small flat head screwdriver

Pop the hood. For added safety, disconnect the battery. Located on the top of the headlight (close to the fender) is the screw that fastens the turn signal light. Unscrew it to loosen the piece.

Gently wiggle the side light while pulling forward to remove the light. Once the light is out, twist the lamp connector counter-clockwise to remove the lamp and completely detach this component.

There are two 10 millimeter nuts behind the turn signal indicator, remove them.

Next, remove the grill. In order to remove the grill, release the six fasteners that hold it in place. Each fastener needs to be compressed on the top and bottom, then the grill will pull straight out. To compress the fasteners, use the small flat head screwdriver. First, push straight down on the small black piece that is visible (shown in blue rectangle below). Underneath, do the same thing. As you release each fastener, slightly pull the grill forward.

Once the grill is removed, you will have access to the remaining screw/bolts. Remove the screw first that fastens the body trim piece (bottom screw pictured). Underneath the body trim piece is another 10 millimeter bolt, remove it. It may be easier to access this bolt from underneath the vehicle. Remove the top bolt shown. This is the last bolt that holds the headlight assembly in place, so support the headlight with your other hand.

Pull the headlight assembly forward to disconnect the lamp. Press the tabs and pull the socket out. Mine was dirty and a little rusty, so it required a bit of tugging to free the connector.

The new headlight assembly will simply fit into the exact same position as the old one. Connect the lamp. Align the bolt studs and holes with the new headlight and begin to reassemble in the reverse order that you removed the headlight. It took a fraction of the time for me to install the second headlight unit. After installing the second light, snap the grill back into place and you are finished.

BEFORE: 1996 – 1998 Headlight

AFTER: 1999 – 2002 Headlight

Tips:

1. Once you have installed the first headlight, reconnect the battery and test to make sure the light works before you tighten down all your bolts or install the second headlight.
2. While the grill is off the truck, clean debris out of the radiator since it is easy to access.
3. You can sell your old headlights on Craigslist! I sold mine for $25 (in less than 3 hours after placing the ad). I probably could have asked for double that amount, but I helped out a fellow 4Runner owner. That made the net cost of this project under $55.

If you have any question about this project post them below. Also, online enthusiast forums are a great resource for additional help.

Angry about the price increase? Let MyPlates.com and other customers know by commenting on the MyPlates.com Facebook Page. Unfortunately, you will need to “Like” them to leave a comment, but let others know about this enormous price increase: MyPlates on Facebook

I’ve always liked personalized license plates. When I was a kid, it was amusing to try and figure out the riddle of a cryptic plate. When I bought my first car in college, I went to the local tax office to find out how to get personalized plates. Since then, I’ve had them on almost every car I’ve owned.

A couple years ago I was excited to learn about new personalized license plate designs from MyPlates.com, a private vendor for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. I decided to get one of the newly designed plates, even though it was a bit expensive at $95 per year. The personalized plates I had in the past were ordered directly from the Texas DMV in Austin, at $40 per year. So even though the price was higher, I thought I would be cool to have one of the new designs. Fast-forward about a year and a half later and I receive this letter (see below) informing me that if I want to renew my plate, the renewal rate is $155 per year. And other specialty plates will increase from $85 to $195 per year! Since this is the only vendor with which the State of Texas has a relationship, it looks like I am stuck. It’s not like I can run to a competitor. I certainly don’t want to pay $155 per year for plates, in addition to regular registration fees. How can the state promote a company that does this? What is to stop MyPlates.com from increasing the price to $255, $355, or heck, why not $1000? It’s quite aggravating to me.

My attempt at a solution: I’m going to see if I can register the same plate number with the state, instead of the misguided folks at MyPlates.com. I will keep you posted, but as for now, it seems MyPlates.com has a license to rip you off.

P.S. As of the posting date of this article, “RIPOFF” is available for purchase.

Related Articles:

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I purchased a new (to me) 1997 Toyota 4Runner SR5 this month. I’ve wanted something with 4wd for the last year, and I finally got the “okay” from management to buy this one. It was a great deal I found on Craigslist. The carpet inside was in bad shape, so my first major project was to replace it. I purchased new carpet online, custom fit for my vehicle. I recorded the project so I could add it to my collection of car repair/maintenance/mods videos.

The main problem area was the rear driver side carpet, something horrible happened there long ago.

The first step of this project was to remove the seats, center console, and trim. Here is what the interior looks like after it is stripped.

Here is what the old carpet looks like next to the new carpet. As you can see, the old carpet was quite disgusting.

After the old carpet was removed, I cleaned all the trim and hard to reach areas. I even cleaned the floor underneath the carpet.

Overall, the installation of the new carpet was not difficult, but it was time-consuming. The installation instructions suggest placing the old carpet over the new carpet to trace where the holes should go. I found this method to be inaccurate when I placed the new carpet in the vehicle. Many of the marks for the bolt holes were off by several inches. The solution to this problem was to place the new carpet in the vehicle, and then use a small screwdriver (or similar sharp object) to stab through the carpet to locate the bolt holes. When the screwdriver pierces through the carpet and does not hit the metal underneath, then you have located the bolt hole.

The new, clean carpet makes the entire interior look much nicer. The 4Runner does not look like a 13 year old vehicle anymore. The finished product was worth the effort.

Recently, Chris and I took a quick journey to Temple, TX with a few detours. We first had to drop off Chris’ kid, The Chosen One, at a gas station/Church’s Chicken in Buffalo, TX. After we left him there, we then headed to Temple to eat some Mexican food at Little Mexico. Then we headed back to the Dallas area. We learned a lot of valuable life lessons along the way, none of which were captured on video. If you have 13 minutes to spare, I invite you to watch the excitement… it tapers off toward the end, but so does life.