I have only had my number plates on the car a couple of months and have acquired a very large star shaped crack in the front one due to a stone impact. The plates look and feel pretty poor quality to me. My questions, are some plates more durable than others? does anyone have a link to a mail order Co., Are the ones on Ebay any good? and finally if I use my old plate as a template are they easy to drill without damage? Should I just drive into a local garage and get them to do it, but then risk poor quality again?.

I have only had my number plates on the car a couple of months and have acquired a very large star shaped crack in the front one due to a stone impact. The plates look and feel pretty poor quality to me. My questions, are some plates more durable than others? does anyone have a link to a mail order Co., Are the ones on Ebay any good? and finally if I use my old plate as a template are they easy to drill without damage? Should I just drive into a local garage and get them to do it, but then risk poor quality again?.

There are a number of mail order/internet companies who will do plates the only thing is if they are legal plates (as opposed to show plates) you will need to prove that you are the legal owner of the car by producing the v5. This means (i think and probably will be corrected if i am wrong) that you need to send your v5 to the company to prove you are the legal owner. I personally would not really be happy posting my v5 so I would just get ones from a local place that I could go to.

I'm not arguing with anything Adam's said, but phone around accessory shops and motor factors in your area, looking for someone who can do aluminium-backed plates.

As for drilling the new plate, no issues with your idea as long as you use a sharp drill bit, and drill into a sacrificial piece of wood.

Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but since it is about numberplates, does anybody have any idea how to remove the dealer fitted surround on the rear of the MKII VRS?

How do you affix the numberplate again once the surround has been removed, or how do the numberplates affix to a new surround (like a Brisky one)?

Thanks

Stu

I'm not arguing with anything Adam's said, but phone around accessory shops and motor factors in your area, looking for someone who can do aluminium-backed plates.

As for drilling the new plate, no issues with your idea as long as you use a sharp drill bit, and drill into a sacrificial piece of wood.

Cheers Ken. Just what I wanted to know. Aluminium backed sounds so much better than the ones I have. Thanks for the tips on drilling, I'll have no problems with that and I would suppose drilling through a piece of adhesive tape applied will help further?.

Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but since it is about numberplates, does anybody have any idea how to remove the dealer fitted surround on the rear of the MKII VRS?

How do you affix the numberplate again once the surround has been removed, or how do the numberplates affix to a new surround (like a Brisky one)?

Thanks

Stu

Sorry mine didnt come with any surround on although the plate does have the dealers details printed on

Can I hijack the hijacker and ask a question?

I'm looking at getting RA11 GUN. Could you use the two screws/caps that put the number plate on to make it look like an 'i' on the first 1?

Can I hijack the hijacker and ask a question?

I'm looking at getting RA11 GUN. Could you use the two screws/caps that put the number plate on to make it look like an 'i' on the first 1?

Only if the cap was black.

I'm pretty sure deliberate modification would be illegal.

Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but since it is about numberplates, does anybody have any idea how to remove the dealer fitted surround on the rear of the MKII VRS?

How do you affix the numberplate again once the surround has been removed, or how do the numberplates affix to a new surround (like a Brisky one)?

Thanks

Stu

I'm guessing the surround will be screwed into behind the plate, so just unscrew the plate and the surround should come out with it, IIRC there should be two raised bits behind the plate and if the dealer has drilled the plate correctly it should be the case it screws into them, the brisky surround should fit where the old surround would go.

Davy

I'm guessing the surround will be screwed into behind the plate, so just unscrew the plate and the surround should come out with it, IIRC there should be two raised bits behind the plate and if the dealer has drilled the plate correctly it should be the case it screws into them, the brisky surround should fit where the old surround would go.

Davy

There isn't any screws on the number plate.

It's stuck on I think.

I'd always advise sticking plates on, or use a plate holder (Briskoda one available in the shop!)

Drilling them just introduces two places that water can seep in, and eventually delaminate the inside of the plate. You then get nasty marks and fading around the drill holes.

I have a good supplier of plates who I've used for a couple of years now. Mail order so while not within the strictest letter of the current legislation, they are fully BS-compliant and meet all current plate rules on reflectivity and the like. Happy to PM details to whoever is interested.

Steve

Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but since it is about numberplates, does anybody have any idea how to remove the dealer fitted surround on the rear of the MKII VRS?

How do you affix the numberplate again once the surround has been removed, or how do the numberplates affix to a new surround (like a Brisky one)?

Once you've removed the numberplate, you should see that there's an adhesive layer between the dealer backing to the plate, and the plate itself. Careful prising this apart should do the trick, but be careful not to be too forceful or you risk warping or even smashing the plate.

Then I'd clean the back of the plate with some WD40 or something similar to remove the remains of the adhesive, and use new plate adhesive pads to put back on the car. Or use a plateholder as you mention. These tend to screw into the default holes on the car, then the plate fits into the holder and clips in place.

If you are talking of drilling an acrylic faced plate, you should use an official negative rake slow helix drill. These are best ordered from an industrial supplier, about £15 each - in packs of ten only Sir.

A cheaper way is to grind off the cutting edges so the drill presents a scaping action rather than cutting. Low pressure, on a drill press for better sensitivity is good, and of course support at the back to prevent tearing the foil on break through.

Drilled lots with ordinary drill over my knee, but then there's always the one, but I could just make another.....

Nick

If you are talking of drilling an acrylic faced plate, you should use an official negative rake slow helix drill. These are best ordered from an industrial supplier, about £15 each - in packs of ten only Sir.

A cheaper way is to grind off the cutting edges so the drill presents a scaping action rather than cutting. Low pressure, on a drill press for better sensitivity is good, and of course support at the back to prevent tearing the foil on break through.

Drilled lots with ordinary drill over my knee, but then there's always the one, but I could just make another.....

Nick

Thanks Nick, looking more like I might just drive in and get one fitted I do like the front plate to be held by screws. Trouble with getting them fitted is finding somebody who can fit them square and level :( I had to insist they start again with my last plates, never seen such a mess, 1/4" down at one side and the screws were set one an inch below the other. I'm far too fussy about how the car looks to let them get away with that..

I thought all new plates have to be stuck on as a security,when you try to remove the aliminum foil breaks away from the plate?maybe be wrong anti-tamper :wonder:

Nope, plates can be screwed or stuck.

New plates must conform to the required spec, have the appropriate BS number stamped on them and also the makers name must also be printed on the plate.

To get new legal ones that have the BS number on, go to halfords or another local motor factor and they can make the plates up. You will need the V5 and some photographic ID to prove you are the owner.

Use your old plates as a template, when I did mine I taped them together and used a normal drill bit and drilled through the acrylic plate from the back towards the front. Drilling is this direction reduces the risk of the backing with the printing on separating from the acylic front.

I thought all new plates have to be stuck on as a security,when you try to remove the aliminum foil breaks away from the plate?maybe be wrong anti-tamper :wonder:

No, I had the current plates made up by Grimsby Audi 2 months ago ( private numberplate) and they screwed them on.The only stipulation regarding FIXING the plates that I know of is that you can't use black screw covers and in such a way that it alters the appearance of the letters. What I do know is, my Daughter recently bought a new Nissan Juke from Nissan and they were fixed by double sided tape. After driving home 15 miles one was hanging off!. Since then they have benn screwed on ..no problems.

Edited 19 February, 201115 yr by horkin