MX-5 OC Forum

Was giving the front bumper a good clean this morning as it was covered in mud, I removed the plinth for the deeper clean, stepped back and realised how much better my lil 5 looked without it.

Can you put the plate somewhere else on the front whilst still being road-legal? What have other members done with theirs?

As per signature, I have a mk2.5.

Thanks

The only real options are....

Stick on plate,

A low mounted plate bracket,

Look HERE for info

Or an offset plate mount.,

I hope this helps.

Scotty B.

Just leave it off

@Mr Reman: Thank you for your suggestions. I like the stick on plate option the best as it's the most symmetrical without covering her 'smile' in the bumper.

@AndyMk2: I'd love to, but surely a plateless front is illegal on uk roads?

Riisa:

surely a plateless front is illegal on uk roads?

Yup it is

It's really not worth getting hassle from the fuzz when I'm out and about.

Hmmm the real crime is ruining the car's beautiful curves by screwing a ugly bit of plastic right on the nose - how dare they!

Another option is the route I took, more out of convenience than anything else. Some git in a taxi reversed into me which broke my numberplate plinth, so I got rid of that and used some heavy-duty stick-on foam patches to stick the plate to the front of the car where the plinth used to go. Looks fairly neat IMO:

At some stage though I might go for one of the suggestions mentioned above, such as the stick-on plate or a square plate mounted to the side. In an ideal world I'd run without a plate at all. I'm also tempted to get old-style silver-on-black plates, even though they wouldn't technically be very legal on a car as "new" as the '5.

Ant:

 I'm also tempted to get old-style silver-on-black plates

That would look even worse!

 Fixed directly on to the bumper, as I didn't like the plinth either......

 Quote........I like the stick on plate option the best as it's the most symmetrical without covering her 'smile'

Me too, and after reading these posts I am 95% going to replace the 'plate' with a stick on one. HOWEVER!!! Can the more knowledgable amongst you tell me ....

A/ Are they road legal in the UK

and

B/ Are they road legal in France ('cos they can be funny muckers over there about us 'Les Anglais') and we are driving down the length of France in the Autumn

Mike H:

Me too, and after reading these posts I am 95% going to replace the 'plate' with a stick on one. HOWEVER!!! Can the more knowledgable amongst you tell me ....A/ Are they road legal in the UK

The FAQs are a valuable source of information, and if you search the forum you will find several threads on this topic. ---
However, from the MOT manual :

1. Check that there is a registration plate both at the front and the rear of the vehicle, and check each one for security and condition.

2. On Vehicles first Registered on or after 1 January 1973, Check

. the colour of the characters and background

. that the registration plates are fixed vertically, or as close to vertical as is reasonably practical

 3. On vehicles first registered on or after 1 September 2001, check that the registration plates

a. display the name and postcode of the supplying outlet

b. display a BSAU145d marking

c. do not display a honeycomb or similar effect background

4. Refer to pages 4 - 6 and check visually that the characters are correctly formed, spaced, and are not obviously likely to be misread due to, for example, badly positioned or uncovered retaining

From the FAQ

This is a direct quote from the DVLA in reply to an e mail that I sent to them

Dear Mr Walton

Thank you for your email received on 9/10/09. Your email reference number is 130980.

I have highlighted some information in this email which may help you further.

The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) regulations 2001, took effect from 1 September 2001. These regulations introduced a mandatory character font, provision for the optional use of the Euro-symbol, provision for the new registration number format to take effect on that date and a new British Standard (BS AU 145d) for the manufacture of number plates. Besides the registration number the new British Standard made it compulsory for a number plate to display:

• the British Standard number
• the name, trade mark or other means of identification of the manufacturer or component supplier (taken to be the manufacturer of the number plate and the character to be used on it)
• the name and postcode of the supplying outlet. The "supplying outlet" means the person or company who provides the plate for fixing on the vehicle e.g. dealer who supplies vehicle or affixes new plates

From 1 September 2001 all new number plates must be constructed using the new mandatory font and characters must be of the size given below (sizes do not refer to motorcycles and vehicles manufactured before 1973). The characters must be black; the background must be of reflex-reflecting material white at the front and yellow at the rear. It seems unlikely that a "stick on number" could conform to the British Standard. However, this could be confirmed by contacting the British Standards Institute (telephone number 0208 9967333).

Characters Size all vehicles except motorcycles:

Height 79mm

Width 50mm

Stroke 14mm

Side margin 11mm

Top & bottom margins 11mm

Space between characters 11mm

Space between groups 33mm

Motorcycles only:

Height 64mm

Width 44mm

Stroke 10mm

Space between characters 10mm

Space between groups 30mm

Top, Side & Bottom margin 11mm

Motorists, may if they wish, display the Euro symbol and GB national identifier on the number plate. This will dispense with the need for a separate GB sticker when travelling within the EU. The symbol must confirm to the EC Council Regulation 2411/98 which states the height must be a minimum of 98mm the width must be a minimum of 40mm, maximum of 50mm. The background must be of retro-reflecting blue with 12 retro-reflecting yellow stars at the top and the distinguishing sign of the Member State (GB) in retro-reflecting white or yellow.

Full details (including examples of the style and shape of number plates) can be found at our website www.dvla.gov.uk. A copy of the new regulations can be purchased through:

HMSO (Her Majesty's Stationary Office)

PO Box 276

London

SW8 5DT

Regards

G Parslow

Customer Enquiries Group

DVLA

I contacted the BSI and they said all they do is set the standard, they do not police it.

No idea of the rules in France, but I toured there a few years ago, and no comment was made about my stick on plate

[edited by: Geoff Walton at 1:59 PM (GMT 0) on 9-10-2009]

For what its worth, I dumped the plinth on my K reg and have a stick on plate (see avatar).

Bought it online as a show plate but specified the correct reflective background and correct lettering so in all aspects it is as good as a "real" one.

Been through a couple of MOTs without comment and covered a fair few miles (including France, Belgium and Germany) with no reaction at all.

You'll see a lot of them about and as long as you don't take the pi55 with odd characters or size , then it'll be fine.

However, after the last lot of snow / ice / frost it has started to get a bit frilly around the edges so would appear not to be as durable as a perspex one and will be replaced in the spring and then I'll be able to advise on how easy (or otherwise) they are to get off!

I've found this which feels like a neat option, should fool the front facing speed cameras and keep the Police happy if you get stopped as the plate will reappear by the time you stop!!  Very tempting, anyone else fitted one of these?

From Thompson Automotive http://www.thompson-automotive.com/Disappearing_plate.html

That is a very interesting solution.