FRENCH POLICE - FRONT NUMBERPLATES - VX 220
Discussion
Came back via Eurotunnel yesterday and met a group of VX220's back from LeMans track day. They were being done by LePlod for not having their front numberplates fixed by "rivets". I am told this followed an earlier incident when one of their group allegedly exceeded the 30KPH limit leaving a payage into the parking area. This is all news to me, but it cost them loads of expensive Euros and 2/3 hours holding at Eurotunnel.
Seems very unfair - be warned - have some dummy plate screw covers ready to glue on temporarily if necessary!
As you probably know, drilling a reflective plate from the face side ruins it, causing delamination. I would not want some local plod drilling holes in my car = no matter how big his gun is.
Hope you had a good trip home guys - we got through ok - this post is really for LeMans info
Seems very unfair - be warned - have some dummy plate screw covers ready to glue on temporarily if necessary!
As you probably know, drilling a reflective plate from the face side ruins it, causing delamination. I would not want some local plod drilling holes in my car = no matter how big his gun is.
Hope you had a good trip home guys - we got through ok - this post is really for LeMans info
Got done indirectly in the same way a few years ago; I had a plate on the front of my Exige, but velcroed it on so if it did hit a speed bump it came off rather than ripped screws from fibreglass.
Coming out of underground parking in Nice the plate got knocked off so I picked it up to put it back on when we got round the front of the hotel - only all my friends were ready to go, so I carried on driving.
€90 later I learnt that it's not allowed to not have a front plate. D'oh.
Coming out of underground parking in Nice the plate got knocked off so I picked it up to put it back on when we got round the front of the hotel - only all my friends were ready to go, so I carried on driving.
€90 later I learnt that it's not allowed to not have a front plate. D'oh.
I was one of the VX220 drivers and the police were being really difficult with us. Initially they only wanted to speak to two of us so 7 out of 12 of the convoy headed off. Only then did Le Plod insist they came back. When I explained that I had no phone numbers to ring to tell them this he called ahead to the tunnel and had them stopped there.
Meantime the 5 left had to rivet their plates on, drilling holes with screwdrivers and using pliers to crush the pop rivets (don't ask how or why we had rivets with us, more luck than planning) and were eventually allowed to leave with passports returned but only thanks to the British Consulate.
Meantime, PC Officious has driven to the tunnel and proceeded to fine 6 out of the 7 that left 45 Euros for not having plates riveted on; the 7th was fined 45 Euros for leaving originally even though he was not told to wait and even though he did have his plates riveted on.
BEWARE
The Fecker copper at the Plod Station after the last toll booth on the way back to the Tunnel is an over bumptious and officious t
t and will no doubt be looking out for the Le Mans returnees and nicking as many as he can.
Meantime the 5 left had to rivet their plates on, drilling holes with screwdrivers and using pliers to crush the pop rivets (don't ask how or why we had rivets with us, more luck than planning) and were eventually allowed to leave with passports returned but only thanks to the British Consulate.
Meantime, PC Officious has driven to the tunnel and proceeded to fine 6 out of the 7 that left 45 Euros for not having plates riveted on; the 7th was fined 45 Euros for leaving originally even though he was not told to wait and even though he did have his plates riveted on.
BEWARE
The Fecker copper at the Plod Station after the last toll booth on the way back to the Tunnel is an over bumptious and officious t
t and will no doubt be looking out for the Le Mans returnees and nicking as many as he can.I would be livid if they had tried this to me.
Drilling the front fibreglass clam will inherently weaken it, even if you go back to sticking the plate on when you return to the UK. It could make the difference between it simply shrugging off a minor impact or needing fibreglass repairs.
As I understand it there is no legal requirement in the UK for the plates to be screwed/riveted on, are the French police really in their rights to insist on this being done on a UK car that's not being permanently imported?
Drilling the front fibreglass clam will inherently weaken it, even if you go back to sticking the plate on when you return to the UK. It could make the difference between it simply shrugging off a minor impact or needing fibreglass repairs.
As I understand it there is no legal requirement in the UK for the plates to be screwed/riveted on, are the French police really in their rights to insist on this being done on a UK car that's not being permanently imported?
snoopstah said:
As I understand it there is no legal requirement in the UK for the plates to be screwed/riveted on, are the French police really in their rights to insist on this being done on a UK car that's not being permanently imported?
As mine is fixed by velcro (for the reasons defined above) I'm also interested in this.
cliffie said:
I was one of the VX220 drivers and the police were being really difficult with us. Initially they only wanted to speak to two of us so 7 out of 12 of the convoy headed off. Only then did Le Plod insist they came back. When I explained that I had no phone numbers to ring to tell them this he called ahead to the tunnel and had them stopped there.
Meantime the 5 left had to rivet their plates on, drilling holes with screwdrivers and using pliers to crush the pop rivets (don't ask how or why we had rivets with us, more luck than planning) and were eventually allowed to leave with passports returned but only thanks to the British Consulate.
Meantime, PC Officious has driven to the tunnel and proceeded to fine 6 out of the 7 that left 45 Euros for not having plates riveted on; the 7th was fined 45 Euros for leaving originally even though he was not told to wait and even though he did have his plates riveted on.
BEWARE
The Fecker copper at the Plod Station after the last toll booth on the way back to the Tunnel is an over bumptious and officious tt and will no doubt be looking out for the Le Mans returnees and nicking as many as he can.
Cliffie I think you've hit the nail on the head with that statement, this has all the hallmarks of a shot across the bows from "our garlic munching surrender monkey neighbours" (not my words you understand) to all this years Le Mans attendees which basically says "you're not welcome, we don't want you treating our roads like a race circuit, beware and behave or we'll be doing all we can to make life very awkward for you"Meantime the 5 left had to rivet their plates on, drilling holes with screwdrivers and using pliers to crush the pop rivets (don't ask how or why we had rivets with us, more luck than planning) and were eventually allowed to leave with passports returned but only thanks to the British Consulate.
Meantime, PC Officious has driven to the tunnel and proceeded to fine 6 out of the 7 that left 45 Euros for not having plates riveted on; the 7th was fined 45 Euros for leaving originally even though he was not told to wait and even though he did have his plates riveted on.
BEWARE
The Fecker copper at the Plod Station after the last toll booth on the way back to the Tunnel is an over bumptious and officious t
t and will no doubt be looking out for the Le Mans returnees and nicking as many as he can.This sounds like a right load of old tosh to me. As I'm typing this I'm watching an old episode of Fifth Gear (yeah I know, glutton for punishment). Tom Ford is testing a French registered Pug of some kind with stuck on plates and no other fixings. Sounds like you lot just upset plod in some way.
Apart from that, I don't see how they could enforce a French law on UK cars that are not registered in France?
Apart from that, I don't see how they could enforce a French law on UK cars that are not registered in France?
Edited by benny.c on Thursday 3rd June 10:33
I've got a 993RS with stuck on cut down, but legal size plastic plates. I logged on as usual through the Porsche section and didn't think about going elsewhere (is there a VX220 bit?)
The post was just to be a helpful warning and you can add stick on dummy screw heads to the other big list of "touring" parts you may need when going east of Dover!
The post was just to be a helpful warning and you can add stick on dummy screw heads to the other big list of "touring" parts you may need when going east of Dover!
Womaniser said:
Why do people velcro plates on, that's gotta' be dangerous! I can imagine you're travelling at around 70MPH and the turbulence rips the plate off and over/under your car. Nothing nicer than having a number plate smash into your windscreen!
I've had velcro plates stay on past 140mph.Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff