All Things Mk5 > How to Guides / Troubleshooting

How To: Position and Fix a Front Numberplate....

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RedRobin:
....

I lost both my number plate and its mount while driving through the wilds of Wolverhampton. Hence providing me with the perfect excuse for ditching the mount and just sticking on the number plate. Like everyone else I much prefer the look of the GTI without a front plate but the good old UK has different laws about this than in the States. I reported my loss to the Police and was given a 'Get-Out-Of-Jail' piece of paper in case I was stopped. No time limit on it either but I prefer to maintain my good relationships with the Police and not to take the p!ss, so I wasn't going to continue like this for too long.





^ Looks great without a plate ^

My VW dealer supplied me with a new plate and even suggested the 'carbon-style' option. I kept it in the boot for a few weeks and then felt that although no Police anywhere had questioned my missing front plate it was time to be a good boy and stick it on.



The front of the GTI is curved and the sticky pads which the TTshop helped me out with were warned to be strictly immovable once any contact was made - But this same adhesive strength was going to be what keeps them on! (Unless perhaps if I ever visit Wolverhampton again). So I decided to make myself a template so I could position my new plate accurately.

I bought a length of plastic angle and sawed cuts in one side so it could bend : -





^ Basically I was making a 'shelf' to position the number plate in line with the bottom of the nose mask.

To be able to position the plate centrally I marked both the plate, front and back, and the plastic 'shelf' : -





To fit the angled lower grill I also marked and cut the uncut side of the plastic 'shelf' : -

 



It was now time to stick the double-sided sticky pads to the back of the number plate : -



The shelf was attached with masking tape and it was time to finish the job : -



JKM very kindly allowed me to use their rolling-road as a ramp so I wasn't crawling all over the floor : -



I never liked the fact that the oem mounted plate dropped below the mask and slightly in front of the lower honeycombe grill.

Personally I don't want to take any risks on the legality of my plates both in the UK and Europe.

john_o:
nice writeup Red  :happy2:
my tip in cold weather  is to get your loved ones hair drier out to warm the plate area , and let the plate sit on a radiator in the house for abit before applying to car  :happy2:
as you say you only get one chance at alignment :scared:
[plates too big as well lol]

vwrascal:
Nice job   :happy2:, a true perfectionist (maybe a likkle OCD)   :laugh:

RedRobin:
^^^^
Yep, I'm defo a bit of a perfectionist in what I attempt. It's the result of being a pro graphic designer and art director for a few decades.

It's just something which would be so easy to get wrong or wonky and with enormous problems trying to then fix.

:happy2:

stealthwolf:
Nice one!

Maybe you could do one on car stickers? I've got a sticker for the rear view mirror (for the old site until I get one for this place) and need to position it properly (more so the dealers know where I visit).

Wanna do another walkthrough?

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