NUMBER PLATES

[MATHEW]

Hi all
I am at that stage with the kit car that I need to get a set of number plates for the car, I want stick on ones for the front and back as to save drilling the body, can anyone help me, also what is the smallest legal size you can have?
Regards
Mathew

[motco]

As far as I know, although my Westfield has one, stick-on plates are not type approved. Allegedly, they have to have a BS kitemark and the DVLA site states that there are no stick-on plates with BS kitemarks. Just like the bumblebee who doesn't know that aerodynamicists have declared it impossible for it to fly - it, in ignorance flies anyway, my number plate HAS got a kitemark! You'll have a job to get them excpet from 'exhibition' suppliers such as Fancyplates.

[Foolish Dave]

Can you get the 'proper' ones stuck to the car without drilling for SVA then remove them and use the sticker type, or for SVA do they have to be stuck on with tamper-proof screws?

Maybe I'll check the SVA doc above and see...

[MartinDB]

You'll be SVAing your car before it's registered, so you won't have any plates to worry about.

[motco]

DVLA See the last item on this page.

[Munter]

Some of this makes interesting reading.

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/number_plates_regi...

Many years ago a lad on the mx5 owners club forums worked for a vinyl graphics company and they made me up a front plate. So a local company might make you up a sticker that looks remarkably like a numberplate...

This sort of company http://www.solargraphics.net/

Edited by Munter on Wednesday 29th August 17:00

[MATHEW]

Thanks for that what I might have to do is use velcro to hold the plates on which is similar to the TVR Griffith rear plate.
Ideally what I would like is a small stick on plate for the front positioned on the front side (like an Alfa) and a small square plate for the back. My big concern is the police in North Wales are very keen and I dont really want to be pulled evry time I go out.
Mathew

[Munter]

Have a read of this as well.

http://www.craigsplates.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...

I've had my plate on the MX5 for years and NEVER been pulled. But it IS: the correct font, the correct size and as vertical as possible. Which is about all plod care about.

[Furyblade_Lee]

I had a 60% scale front number plate on my Fury and now on my Libra. In 5 years of owning them, have never had any problem with the plod. Not condoning such behaviour, and you need a friendly MOT inspector, but Kit cars seem to not get harassed about it. Go to any sign shop and they will knock you up a plate for about £10, I know 3 companies local to me that do them.

[jimmystratos]

I presume we're talking front plate here? I got the adhesive font done by a graphics place and put it on a reflective vinyl rectangle of the correct size. Still got a square metre of the reflective if you need some. there used to be a dispensation to use a smaller plate if the car was continental origin and didn't have a place big enough for a UK plate, but that seems to have disappeared off the website. I went with that on my Stratos and have never had it questioned. Nowhere near vertical either. i must say I've seen a good number of cars spoiled by a plate tacked on in a really inappropriate place (aesthetic wise), presumably to fulfil the regs to the letter. I'm also tickled by the hinged ones that hang vertical in front of the grille when stationary, but stream back when in airflow.

[GTWayne]

Try this on for size. I have a self adhesive vinyl front plate made by Fancyplates and although the numerals are of the correct size I have trimmed the plate down by approx. 20mm H & W which allows the fitment of a regulation plate using low strength adhesive double sided tape for SVA and subsequent MOT testing. The only thing that you need to be aware of is over zealous well genned up who may pull you over and in the advent of not finding anything else to persecute you for may issue a fixed penalty for the non regulation plate.

[RazMan]

Both of my plates are technically illegal as they are scaled down versions of the real thing made up by my local sign shop. As long as you show common sense by using standard fonts and spacing you won't have any problems with Mr Plod. It's only when fancy fonts are used to spell out 'special' words or numbers, that the auto recognition systems have trouble identifying the registration - so thats when you will get pulled.

[MATHEW]

as I have only 5 characters in my number plate so will go with a self adhesive type for the front and trim them both down to 10mm off all the letters.
As a below thread suggested it can either make or spoil a car where the number plate is located.