Sticky numberplates
Discussion
Hi all,
I know this seems like a really stupid question, but I have a sticky numberplate on the front of my Griff and I would really like to take it off without leaving a numberplate-sized hole in the paintwork...
Any ideas how I can do this? Or should I order up some paint first??
Oh, forgot to mention. It's been on the car since 1995!
Cheers!
>>> Edited by SGirl on Sunday 29th September 18:27
I know this seems like a really stupid question, but I have a sticky numberplate on the front of my Griff and I would really like to take it off without leaving a numberplate-sized hole in the paintwork...
Any ideas how I can do this? Or should I order up some paint first??
Oh, forgot to mention. It's been on the car since 1995!
Cheers!
>>> Edited by SGirl on Sunday 29th September 18:27
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Would have thought u could just peel it off in bits by getting them loverly long nails under it:ducks4cover:
Haven't got any any more - spent the afternoon playing mechanics!!
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My only real concern would be the colour difference that would be left and wether its gonna need a respray or T-cuting.
I'm not too fussed about colour matching problems really - I'm planning to put a new plate over the space where the old one was (bought the Griff a new registration!). But I don't want to leave the old one on because it'll look like I couldn't be bothered making it look nice. I just want to avoid peeling the plate off and half the paint on the front of the car coming off with it.
I'll address the problem of how to remove the sticky plate permanently if/when I get pulled over for it!!
(Legal plate going into boot as we speak!) Thanks BB!
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SGirl
Play some gentle heat on the sticky plate from a hairdryer (I am sure you've got one!!) lift one corner and keep pulling while playing heat on it - it should come off easy.
This sounds good - thanks Paul! Believe it or not, I don't actually own a hairdrier - but if Griff wants one, then Griff shall have one! It'll come in handy for drying the carpets in winter, anyway...
Cheers!
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You'll need to warm it, but I would guess that they're not designed to be removed easily.
It doesn't look like it. That's why I was worried.
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When I took the dealer badge off the back of my Chim, I used a kettle full of nearly boiling water (probably about 80C) and slowly poured it over, then gently peeled it off.
Hm, I thought about doing this, but I was a bit worried about damaging the car. Yours was okay after this?
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I'd also be very surprised if the paint matched underneath.......
Don't care if it doesn't (see my message to BB above). Until Mr Plod tells me I have to.
ouch:
Update on situation so far - well, I've started it!! Went out and bought a hairdryer this morning and have now got singed fingers and no fingernails. Can't get the plate to lift at all, it's just coming off in bits. This is going to be a loooong job.
Presumably this means that the plate is just too brittle to get off in a single piece? If anyone has any good ideas, I'd be very pleased to hear them!!
You weren't wrong about the aggressive adhesive...
Presumably this means that the plate is just too brittle to get off in a single piece? If anyone has any good ideas, I'd be very pleased to hear them!!
You weren't wrong about the aggressive adhesive...
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Just play a little more heat from the dryer to stop it from coming off in little pieces, it should work okay if it's warm enough.
Nope, doesn't seem to. I tried boiling water as well. It still comes off in pieces - got the plate as hot as I could but it's ancient, that might have something to do with it.
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SGirl
How you getting on with getting the number plate off?
Just interested as I suggested the hair dryer route.
Hope it worked in the end.
Paul
Failing miserably so far... I'm heading in the general direction of "shove the new one over the top and get the front end resprayed ASAP". The front end does need some TLC anyway, it's a bit tatty IMO.
The hairdryer didn't seem to work. Or rather, it did to an extent - but the plate refused to peel off nicely, it just lifts off in teensy bits. The whole thing is taking hours. It's something to do with the adhesive.
Are you going to the Bucks meet late next week? If so I'll show you what I've done - although it'll almost certainly be a shove-the-new-one-over-the-top job at that time.
Oh, and please remind me - I owe you a beer next time I see you for suggesting the hairdryer! Without that I wouldn't have had a hope of even getting as far as I did.
I can't even get a corner lifted. It just breaks off and won't let go enough for me to get the pliers on it. Once the plate bits are off, though, the adhesive comes off fairly easily with white spirit. So if I could just work out how to get the white spirit underneath the plate... Tom Cruise, where are you when we need you?
I'm still exceedingly tempted by the respray, though. The front of the car isn't pristine and I want it to look nice. (The gold badges are on order as we speak!) And when it is resprayed, no more sticky numberplates for me - nope, I'd rather have a fan override and a slightly hotter engine than all this trouble again.
The beer will keep until the next Middx gathering, though! The theory was spot on, it's only the plate itself that's stopping your hairdryer method from working.
I'm still exceedingly tempted by the respray, though. The front of the car isn't pristine and I want it to look nice. (The gold badges are on order as we speak!) And when it is resprayed, no more sticky numberplates for me - nope, I'd rather have a fan override and a slightly hotter engine than all this trouble again.
The beer will keep until the next Middx gathering, though!
The theory was spot on, it's only the plate itself that's stopping your hairdryer method from working. I wish it was just an adhesive pad or two, I could cope with that (nothing against breaking a plate if it's a means to an end!). But the entire plate is stuck on - it's one of those flexible sticky reflective jobs.
Hence the problem - the plate has been on the car for years and so it seems to have lost any flexibility it once had - apart from underneath the letters, oddly enough. But I still can't lift enough of the plate to get a grip on it. The seal between the car and the plate is 100% effective, there's absolutely no way I can even lift any of the plate without applying heat first.
Hence the problem - the plate has been on the car for years and so it seems to have lost any flexibility it once had - apart from underneath the letters, oddly enough. But I still can't lift enough of the plate to get a grip on it. The seal between the car and the plate is 100% effective, there's absolutely no way I can even lift any of the plate without applying heat first.
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Not trying to be a party pooper but the heat theory??
Dont u think the plate would have neer enough been cooked on with all the heat dissapation from the engine.
Mm, I wondered about this...
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Another source of ideas may be in JAG or Classic car forum, weather there are some i dunno but if there are i am sure some of them must of come across this sort of problem before.
Smart thinking BB! I'll have a look and report back on any findings!
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