Front Lights & Rear Plates

[Digger]

Morning Guys!

Can someone tell me if access to the side/headlights is an up in the air job, or a simple pop the bonnet job. Just wondering if therefore I can do it or Fernhurst whilst they are prepping her!

Also, and I know what the answer is going to be to this, but I am going to ask anyhoo does anyone have a pic of a black/silver style rear plate on their Griff? Also has anyone got away without a front plate at all? I'd carry mine in the boot and pretend I hadn't got around to fitting?!

[5.0ltr]

Lights are under the covers inside the front wheel arch.
Rear plates are black on yellow, fronts black on white. Something called a legal requirement.
It`s a Griff not a Saxo! (And poss an SE one at that.)

[Hedgehopper]

It depends what you want to do to the lights. As said above there is access behind the wheelarch covers...but only for bulb changes. To change the light units the perspex covers must come off, they won't come out via the wheelarch.

[V8 GRF]

Digger said:

Morning Guys!

Can someone tell me if access to the side/headlights is an up in the air job, or a simple pop the bonnet job. Just wondering if therefore I can do it or Fernhurst whilst they are prepping her!

Also, and I know what the answer is going to be to this, but I am going to ask anyhoo does anyone have a pic of a black/silver style rear plate on their Griff? Also has anyone got away without a front plate at all? I'd carry mine in the boot and pretend I hadn't got around to fitting?!

As mentioned the headlights are accessed through a hatch in the front wheel arch so the wheel(s) needs to come off and the hatch removed. Bulb only.

If your car has a backlit rear numberplate then obviously the black/silver is a definite no no apart from being illegal.

The BB are getting heavier on numberplate offences and I understand they can/will give you two separate 'on the spot' fines for 1. Not displaying a front plate and 2. Displaying an incorrect plate style on the rear.

The "I haven't got round to fitting it" excuse rarely works these days and if it's a matching incorrect black/silver they'll do you for that as well.

Not worth it really imo.

[Digger]

Thanks chaps. I was thinking about trying some brighter 24w halogen sidelight bulbs, as mentioned in another thread I have responded to. Can someone tell me what the sidelight fitment is?

Would there be enough access on full steering-lock perhaps? I feel I have asked Fernhurst to do enough prep as it is!

[Digger]

V8 GRF - & you're advising ME on plate legality?!

Or is that a show plate?

[V8 GRF]

Digger said:

V8 GRF - & you're advising ME on plate legality?!

Or is that a show plate?

"Do as I say not as I do" . Difference being is mine don't 'obviously' break any rules.

2/3rds front plate been seen by BiB on several occasions and stopped at a checkpoint with NPR cameras twice and been OK'd each time.

Smaller number on a smaller plate doesn't look crowded and I've got a font that's been described as clearer than the official one.

ETA

Bulb is an H4 combined side and dip. There is no main beam in the pod lights that's why you have the driving lights.

Edited by V8 GRF on Thursday 21st February 14:13

[Digger]

V8 GRF said:

Bulb is an H4 combined side and dip. There is no main beam in the pod lights that's why you have the driving lights.

Not sure I follow. Would that not make for an overly powerful sidelight? Is it not a 501 or similar?

[V8 GRF]

Digger said:

V8 GRF said:

Bulb is an H4 combined side and dip. There is no main beam in the pod lights that's why you have the driving lights.

Not sure I follow. Would that not make for an overly powerful sidelight? Is it not a 501 or similar?

No it's a combined bulb with two elements, one side light, one dip. The lights on an SE are more powerful 7" units though as opposed to the pathetic 5" standard tea lights on the other Griffiths.

[Hedgehopper]

An H4 bulb is main and dipped beams (two seperate filaments in one bulb rated at 60/55 watts). I thought the dipped beam in the pod and the main beam in the lower lamps were single filament H1. The side light is listed in the bible as 5 Watt so presumably it is a seperate bulb.

Can you access the bulbs with the wheel still attached...I doubt it, it took me best part of an hour just to cut through the silicone seal.

[Digger]

Hedgehopper said:

The side light is listed in the bible as 5 Watt so presumably it is a seperate bulb.

That was my assumption looking at their brightness?

[V8 GRF]

Hedgehopper said:

An H4 bulb is main and dipped beams (two seperate filaments in one bulb rated at 60/55 watts). I thought the dipped beam in the pod and the main beam in the lower lamps were single filament H1. The side light is listed in the bible as 5 Watt so presumably it is a seperate bulb.

Can you access the bulbs with the wheel still attached...I doubt it, it took me best part of an hour just to cut through the silicone seal.

Yep you're dead right I'm mixing up my models & descriptions but I'm pretty sure the SE's have H4s in their bigger lights but as you say with a separate side light.

[mcosh]

Just a note on plates. There is a 3/4 legal front plate. Also I was under the impression the rear plate needs to be honeycomb so to allow the lights behind the illumination at night. I may be wrong but it's what I have had for 10 years

[Digger]

I'll be leaving the plates alone. Unfortunately the two holes for the front plate are 17.5 inches apart which means I'm stuck with a full size plate, unless I want to muck around with filler & paint.

[V8 GRF]

mcosh said:

Just a note on plates. There is a 3/4 legal front plate. Also I was under the impression the rear plate needs to be honeycomb so to allow the lights behind the illumination at night. I may be wrong but it's what I have had for 10 years

I'm losing it. Mine is a 3/4 plate, not 2/3 so that's probably why it's OK.

Honeycomb isn't an indication of a plate being translucent. TVR translucent plates ARE honeycomb but that doesn't necessarily mean a honeycomb plate is translucent if you follow? When ordering a plate you need to ensure it's a proper translucent material.

Fancyplates and Craigplates list them as an option.

[Digger]

On second thoughts it should be a reasonably straightforward job to fill and touch up the existing plate holes!?

[V8 GRF]

Digger said:

On second thoughts it should be a reasonably straightforward job to fill and touch up the existing plate holes!?

Yep bit of filler and a touchup stick. Won't be perfect but it's not that noticeable an area and you'll find other chips around there.

[ESDavey]

Digger, Velcro the front plate = no nasty screws + remove when tracking for improved cooling. Sorted

[Digger]

I'm starting to feel guilty about how much extra prep work I'm asking the dealer to do! Well, I did pay top $.

[Hoover.]

Having been done twice (1 fixed penalty and 1 court hearing) for illegal type face on number plates I now keep my legal

My front is held on with velcro... not that it interfers with cooling on the precats ... just left on from when I used to have the illegal plates, but would switch plates if I knew I was going somewhere with lots of BiBs.

albeit I'm pretty sure the MOT states securely fixed which I don't think velcro fixing is actually classified as secure ..... ?