Q. I read your article on "creative" Illinois license plates (July 26 AutoTimes) and am motivated to send unusual plates I have on my vehicles. I hope they're good enough to be printed in your column. --J.L. Mount Prospect

A. Here are your plates: UR MY JOY, I O U JOY and US FIV LV

Q. I've read your AutoTimes articles about unusual Illinois license plates, but have been disappointed that my six-year-old ones haven't been noticed. They've received numerous comments from other drivers over the years. I believe they're among the best in Chicago. My plates were on 2002 and 2004 Cadillac Escalades and now are on my Cadillac STS. Could you print the plate? --J.N., Chicago

A. Sure can. The Illinois plates read "IM HURTN." But things can't be TOO bad, considering all the Cadillacs you've owned!

Q. I enjoyed the article about unusual Illinois license plates, but my plates weren't included. --J.R., Arlington Heights

A. You wrote that you drive a Hummer H3 and that your plates read JOES H 3.

Q. I'm a veterinarian who read your recent AutoTimes article about unusual license plates. Could you include my plates and those of my neighbor? --C.V., Chicago area

A. Be delighted to. Your plates read I PLAY DR and you neighbor's plates read CYKOMOM.

Q. Your article about unusual plates reminded me of one I saw several years ago, perhaps from another state. I've seen clever plates, but feel that none tops that one. I don't remember the exact abbreviation used by the plate's owner, but it read "BEYOND THE" -- or maybe "BEYON THE." The plate made no sense to me until I noticed it was attached to a Plymouth Horizon model with blue paint. The plate's message may tell you something about the older age of its owner. --J.P., Western Springs

A. The plate refers to the famous classic song entitled "Beyond The Blue Horizon." Very clever, indeed. That was an out-of-state plate because Illinois vanity plates can contain only one to seven letters and personalized plates must contain a combination of letters and numbers with a maximum of seven.

Q. Are collector car market values falling as fast as the values of many current and late-model vehicles? I especially remember that values of 1950s and 1960s Ferraris soared to astronomical amounts in 1989. Values of Ferraris and other such classic cars fell in the early 1990s and I wonder what's happening with them now. --D.W., Western Springs

A. Values of old Ferraris and other desirable classic cars have soared in recent years. For instance, a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder convertible formerly owned by actor James Coburn, who used it as a "daily driver" car from 1964 to 1987, recently sold for $10.9 million during a bidding frenzy at an RM Auction in Italy. Moreover, in a classic car market obsessed with all-original components, Coburn's former Ferrari didn't even have its original Ferrari V-12 engine. Nobody knows how much Coburn's ownership upped the car's value. But Sports Car Market magazine said in its August issue, "Yes, James Coburn once owned it, but unlike the ex-Steve McQueen [Ferrari] Lusso that blitzed its estimate last year at Christie's Monterey [classic car auction], it wasn't built for him and without disrespect to ultra-cool Mr. Coburn, he wasn't quite the car legend McQueen has become."

Q. My wife drives a Subaru Forester that has passed the time for its scheduled tire rotation. However, after carefully checking all its tires with my tread depth gauge, the depth and wear pattern on all tires are identical. Given the even tire wear, is there any reason to rotate the tires? --J.P., South Holland

A. If the tread depth is identical, keep doing what you have been doing (such as prior rotations) if the tread depth is even. But, if you decide to rotate the tires, carefully torque the wheel lug nuts with a wrench when they're rotated. Otherwise you risk warping the brake rotors.

Q. I'd like to sell my 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix GT V-6 for around $9,000 and buy a friend's 2006 Hyundai Sonata V-6 for $12,000-$13,000. It'd probably cost me $3,000-$4,000 to get the Sonata. Good move? --G.S., Cedar Lake, Ind.

A. Your math doesn't quite work, but otherwise it's probably a good deal: Your Pontiac has an average retail value of $7,975, and the Sonata's average retail value is $12,775-$13,850.

Car question? Send it to Dan Jedlicka, Chicago Sun-Times, 350 N. Orleans, Chicago, IL 60654, or e-mail djedlicka@suntimes.com. Include name, hometown and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to ensure a personal reply.