Front plates (or) One good reason not to live in the UK
Discussion
jus said:
Hehe... all in good humour, mate!
The droptop's the prettiest of all droptops no doubt...
On that note though, have a look at these pics I snapped a little while ago with my car next to a mate's GT3RS (with a rubbish cellphone camera I'm afraid)... the design differences become quite noticeable!
Man, that's the size all AMV8 front plates should be.The droptop's the prettiest of all droptops no doubt...
On that note though, have a look at these pics I snapped a little while ago with my car next to a mate's GT3RS (with a rubbish cellphone camera I'm afraid)... the design differences become quite noticeable!
This is real life-on-the-edge stuff...
I'm refitting my front plate. I plan to:
take off the dealer's plate box (which elevates the plate to obscure the grille);
remove the overengineered ally plate supporting the top part of the dealer's plate box; and
fit a standard UK plate into the threaded holes in the bumper strip immediately below the grille thus obscuring very much less of the grille than before.
I'm a law abiding chap so won't resort to 3/4 sized plates or the like.
Anyone done this already (and if not, why ever not?) ?
Why does the dealer box specifically obscure the upper grille when it could so easily have been fitted just a shade lower, despite the woes of UK's fixed font/letter height + 4mm top and bottom margin. In fact, why is the box needed at all, when the plate could have been wrapped onto and screwed into the plate holes provided? Of course, there may be some over-riding Health and Safety requirement specifying that:
the plate must be x microns above the road surface; and
must lie dead flat and be attached to an ugly box on the front of your car to make it all look pants.
Thanks in advance for any salutory lessons or tips to maximise grille visibility!
yep - takes 5 mins to get all the plastic crap off, then I fitted a 3/4 GB style plate - never had any bother in 14months and 30K miles of motoring...as long as its a legal font etc they seem to go unnoticed
looks MUCH better and leaves that lovely AM grille fully on show
oh - I just stuck mine on with double sided no plate tape stuff, to save drilling holes etc
looks MUCH better and leaves that lovely AM grille fully on show
oh - I just stuck mine on with double sided no plate tape stuff, to save drilling holes etc
Murph7355 said:
I did the same as Bogie.
Std size plates at present but a 3/4 is on the list.
btw bogie, don't suppose you found the iPod bookmarks did you? I still can't find anyone other than Aston's solution.
Hi Murph - sorry, the 2 links I had bookmarked are now dead, in fact one of the places isnt even a caraudio installer anymore Std size plates at present but a 3/4 is on the list.
btw bogie, don't suppose you found the iPod bookmarks did you? I still can't find anyone other than Aston's solution.
...I know Dension do an ipod solution for the Vantage, but have never tried it myself ....bogie said:
Hi Murph - sorry, the 2 links I had bookmarked are now dead, in fact one of the places isnt even a caraudio installer anymore ...I know Dension do an ipod solution for the Vantage, but have never tried it myself ....
No worries - thanks for looking. ...I know Dension do an ipod solution for the Vantage, but have never tried it myself ....I think the "Vantage" Dension link is the original Vantage unfortunately.
As per my pic, my plate is technically illegal, having been made up to be a perfect proportionally downsized legal plate with the correct font that fits on the strip between the grille and the scoop. I've just stuck it on with double-sided tape. I think it does the car the justice it deserves! 
I have once been fined for it during a routine roadblock where they were cracking down on any and all minor infringements. Other than that I've had no trouble and I don't feel that I am flouting the law as I still have a plate on display which is perfectly legible. In any case the fine didn't even amount to a tank of fuel. Fortunately we don't have a points system here yet, but it's coming..!
Found a bit of an arty pic...
And another, just for good measure!
I have once been fined for it during a routine roadblock where they were cracking down on any and all minor infringements. Other than that I've had no trouble and I don't feel that I am flouting the law as I still have a plate on display which is perfectly legible. In any case the fine didn't even amount to a tank of fuel. Fortunately we don't have a points system here yet, but it's coming..!
Found a bit of an arty pic...
And another, just for good measure!
Edited by jus on Wednesday 30th July 08:11
Sorry guys I must be the odd one out, my last V8 was delivered with the number plate below the grill I had it changed back to standard, IMO the AMV8's exposed grill is too large for the overall shape/size!
So I'm voting for as intended direct from the factory balances aggression & beauty!
So I'm voting for as intended direct from the factory balances aggression & beauty!
Grant3 said:
Sorry guys I must be the odd one out, my last V8 was delivered with the number plate below the grill I had it changed back to standard, IMO the AMV8's exposed grill is too large for the overall shape/size!
So I'm voting for as intended direct from the factory balances aggression & beauty!
Checks calender - nope not April 1st. Therefore a reasoned arguement is required. Um, you're weird you are mate! So I'm voting for as intended direct from the factory balances aggression & beauty!
Is there ANY car that looks better with a front plate than without?
I've just picked myself back up off the floor. All Astons come out of the factory looking like this, in the buff and devoid of any clutter:
http://www.astonmartin.com/eng/thecars
If we weren't forced to have front plates, then we wouldn't have them, would we? Plates just break up the natural lines.
No - Grant3 - you're not being serious... please say you aren't suggesting that a licence plate/grille combination improves the aesthetics of the car over the "naked" version?
I've just picked myself back up off the floor. All Astons come out of the factory looking like this, in the buff and devoid of any clutter:
http://www.astonmartin.com/eng/thecars
If we weren't forced to have front plates, then we wouldn't have them, would we? Plates just break up the natural lines.
No - Grant3 - you're not being serious... please say you aren't suggesting that a licence plate/grille combination improves the aesthetics of the car over the "naked" version?
vpr said:
This is a better option.....Never had a problem in 15 years like this.
Has "gullible" been taken out of the Oxford English dictionary? Cracking looking collection but I can only think that you haven't had a problem in the last 15 years cos they are all SORN and never grace our public roads... shame.Did a stag party in Vegas and had a great time doing all the usual things there: gambling , titty bars, more gambling, helicopter into Grand Canyon, more gambling but they wouldn't let me hire some Vipers and go out into the desert for a Hoon - that is my one big regret from that trip (that and not seeing Celine Dion perform)... sigh
Grant3 said:
We have to have a number plate in the UK, so it's either as the factory intended, or shoved below the grill, the factory design looks better balanced, all IMO of course but as ever beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
Indeed, and thank god some people like swamp donkeys to leave the good looking ones for the rest of us. We salute you grant3 but as ever beauty is in the eye of the beholder!Having seen some Swiss V8s recently, our travesty of a plate holder is...well...a travesty.
It also weighs about 2.5kg is my memory of my scales serves.
Murph7355 said:
Indeed, and thank god some people like swamp donkeys to leave the good looking ones for the rest of us.
Murph clearly you know far too much about what constitutes a swamp Donkey!!!Anyway I know I'm on a loser, but sorry this just doesn't do it for me....
& the factory clearly agree as both Vanquish & DB9 feature UK plates that, as standard, leave the grill fully exposed...........
yet they chose to balance beauty & beast by a placing it a tad higher on the over large maw (in relation to its other proportions)of the V8!
Flame away
Edited by Grant3 on Thursday 31st July 19:43
Gosh Grant3 - you're right after all. 
Sorry all for wasting your time on this post... in the timeless words of Borat ... "not".
No need for a lighter to start the flames, Grant3 looks set to self-combust.
Strangely though, he's right in one way, the mini-plate on the roadster does look plain wrong - out of place. I guess we are all so used to seeing regular sized plates on that pretty face that anything that deviates from the norm rather jars. All the other car faces look spectacular (and right). Nothing to do with the mini-plate photo composition being the worst of the bunch.
Best look is for a regular size plate lowered to expose full grille. Match lit, stands back...
Plain economics dictates that one must dispense with plate holder - a fag packet calculation shows 2.5kg weight reduction will save £317.12 in fuel costs over 6000 miles.
Sorry all for wasting your time on this post... in the timeless words of Borat ... "not".
No need for a lighter to start the flames, Grant3 looks set to self-combust.
Strangely though, he's right in one way, the mini-plate on the roadster does look plain wrong - out of place. I guess we are all so used to seeing regular sized plates on that pretty face that anything that deviates from the norm rather jars. All the other car faces look spectacular (and right). Nothing to do with the mini-plate photo composition being the worst of the bunch.
Best look is for a regular size plate lowered to expose full grille. Match lit, stands back...
Plain economics dictates that one must dispense with plate holder - a fag packet calculation shows 2.5kg weight reduction will save £317.12 in fuel costs over 6000 miles.
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