Has anybody removed the number plate mount on the front and attached the plate directly to the bumper? I'm thinking of getting a shorter but still legal plate as mine is 6 digits rather than 7. Will look silly on the mount but might be alright attached directly. I'm assuming the mount is only screwed into the bumper anyway?
Front number plate mount
- Thread starter sjj84
- Start date
Cheers for that, hadn't thought of the heat gun trick to bend the plate, will give that a go. At the end of the day if it looks rubbish I can just put the holder back on with a standard size plate.
So next question, anybody know where to get custom size plates? I found craigsplates which do a six digit plate for £14ish, but as one of my digits is 1 it means legally I can have a shorter plate than the six digit, but not quite as short as the 5 digit, this incurs an additional £10 for each plate which seems a bit excessive. Anywhere else do them?
So next question, anybody know where to get custom size plates? I found craigsplates which do a six digit plate for £14ish, but as one of my digits is 1 it means legally I can have a shorter plate than the six digit, but not quite as short as the 5 digit, this incurs an additional £10 for each plate which seems a bit excessive. Anywhere else do them?
Couple of thoughts for you having rebuilt my carrier to accept a 5 digit plate:
Firstly the carrier is pop rivetted to the bumper and once you remove it there will be 2 or 4 damage holes in the underlying bumper cover. These will show up depending how short a plate you opt for and how it was last fitted.
The standard carrier can easily be shut and cut to a smaller size and plastic welded together. Mine's been that way for 3 years and looks good
Standard plates can easily be cut down and the ends smoothed with file/sanding to shape. That's what many of the suppliers do anyway.
Check the DVLA site if you want to know legal minimum on plate sizes. It's all about border space at top, bottom and ends, so yo can have a smaller plate legally (assuming fonts, spacing, etc. are correct)
Shot of the end result of a 5 digit plate, shortened mount and respray of bumper cover (needed anyway)
Firstly the carrier is pop rivetted to the bumper and once you remove it there will be 2 or 4 damage holes in the underlying bumper cover. These will show up depending how short a plate you opt for and how it was last fitted.
The standard carrier can easily be shut and cut to a smaller size and plastic welded together. Mine's been that way for 3 years and looks good
Standard plates can easily be cut down and the ends smoothed with file/sanding to shape. That's what many of the suppliers do anyway.
Check the DVLA site if you want to know legal minimum on plate sizes. It's all about border space at top, bottom and ends, so yo can have a smaller plate legally (assuming fonts, spacing, etc. are correct)
Shot of the end result of a 5 digit plate, shortened mount and respray of bumper cover (needed anyway)
It was a picture of yours that gave me the idea in the first place! Did you cut and shut the carrier yourself? Never tried plastic welding before, any specialist equipment needed? Think I'll have to get out there with a tape measure and work out if it'll cover the original holes or not, don't really want to have them filled and sprayed at this stage.
Yes - basically I made my plates up to be legal with correct border spaces, then back calculated how much I needed to remove from the centre of the carrier to reduce it to match the plate. Simply marked it and cut in my case 1" off each each side of the centre line using a mitre saw.
Te remaining piece then gave me all the scrap material I needed to melt onto the back of the carrier to join the 2 parts together. Tiny smear of sealer on the top edge and reprofile the rear, as it needed to match a now changed bumper area of location.
Take your reg plate off and see where the pop rivets are and that will tell you how much you could reduce by without revealing holes.
BTW - I don't like plates flat on the bumper as they tip downwards and look wrong.
Te remaining piece then gave me all the scrap material I needed to melt onto the back of the carrier to join the 2 parts together. Tiny smear of sealer on the top edge and reprofile the rear, as it needed to match a now changed bumper area of location.
Take your reg plate off and see where the pop rivets are and that will tell you how much you could reduce by without revealing holes.
BTW - I don't like plates flat on the bumper as they tip downwards and look wrong.
Hi all - just thought i would add to this thread, pc plod while my car was unattended last night 1am outside the house on the road stuck a fixed penalty notice on the car. I like you guys have a 5 digit reg plate, the ticket said VRM Incorrect, having taken the plate off in the garage and getting a ruler out it would appear the spacing is a bit off by 5mm for the gap and 3mm between each letter the plates also don't have any dealer markings or postcode as i am told is now a requirement. I got these made up online as 'legal plates' no designs, correct font etc years back as i wanted no dealer adverts on there. I have been stopped quite a few times for routine checks and once for speeding and they never said a thing! . Just thought I would warn you all... £60 28days! Looks like there was not much crime going on last night :headbang:
The requirement is Dealer name > Postcode > Plate Manufacturer name > British Standard stamp ! Aside from all the letters being legal! Looks like a trip to Sytners tomorrow....
The requirement is Dealer name > Postcode > Plate Manufacturer name > British Standard stamp ! Aside from all the letters being legal! Looks like a trip to Sytners tomorrow....
If you go to direct.gov there is an accurate and detailed spec for a plate. Aside font and postcode of manufacturer it's all about specing between letters and border at sides and top/bottom. Nothing wrong with a shortened plate per se.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/PersonalisedRegAndNumberPlates/DG_181503
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/PersonalisedRegAndNumberPlates/DG_181503
Iam also looking at repositioning and shortening my plate i have checked the gov and mot web sites and as CJ has stated its all about spacing and the correct font.
Positioning can be any where on the front as long it can be read from the front of the car at 20m and not obscured by any thing so technically you could place it behind your sun visor but probably not advised .Iam looking at mounting it on the lower grill to the right (pre face lift) i have just got to measure up to see if it will fit height wise and without restricting the air flow to much. This will make the front end look more clean but will mean a respray though.
Positioning can be any where on the front as long it can be read from the front of the car at 20m and not obscured by any thing so technically you could place it behind your sun visor but probably not advised .Iam looking at mounting it on the lower grill to the right (pre face lift) i have just got to measure up to see if it will fit height wise and without restricting the air flow to much. This will make the front end look more clean but will mean a respray though.
So the bottom line is if all the font and spacing is legal and there is no RNPS registered plate maker details on there (as per your gov link CJ) does this still render the plate illegal as it was made by a non approved plate maker? I am being picky here as whoever this copper is will likely drive past again and from what I have read 2 strikes and the DVLA can reclaim your plate, i find it hard to believe he has spotted a few mm difference its likely the short plate that drew attention and then the lack of RNPS text... The sytner ones on my other car have the RNPS text on the far right so it appears I wouldn't be able to cut those down (if i bought the same from Sytner for the Z4)
thanks
thanks
If you can wait a couple of days for delivery, these are some of the cheapest and tidiest legal plates I could find: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NUMBER-PLATES-DESPATCHED-SAME-DAY-GB-Non-GB-/170592858306?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27b82070c2
The legal markings are very discreet but still legal, so they're quite a "clean" looking plate IMO. I've got a set from this seller on my Z4, the van plus the wife's car - all fine.
The legal markings are very discreet but still legal, so they're quite a "clean" looking plate IMO. I've got a set from this seller on my Z4, the van plus the wife's car - all fine.
yg54sg said:
I believe you're correct. He would have seen the plate and if then it's an easy catch if there is no manufacturer identifier on it. Check your spacing and if in doubt at a couple of mm ont he end.
I simply had mine made at a shop (with postcode in the centre) and then cut them down to size and smoothed the corners. That's all the so called sepcialist manufacturers do.
lacroupade
Lifer
yg54sg said:
I suspect it was a PCSO.....but what a pathetic, mean-minded waste of bloody resources that we are paying for, at a time when police numbers are being cut. It gets up my f*cking nose.
