Moving the front number plate

[Greeners]

In case it help's heres a pic of APS's ED30: -



Not sure about using rivets but otherwise with I think it looks better without the backing plate.

Surely if your going to do that you'd go for a reflective number plate sticker like an MX5? 

[LaserBlue]

@RR i used impact adhesive to stick my plate on-
im in-need of a new grille mask soon anyway due to scratches and stone chips so i thought id experiment and see how it looks. it stuck on ok (for now)..

i only used standard adhesive, sticks well but RR your right in the summer im sure it will peel off.
only other option is to drill it like on that photo or use tiger seal and 4clamps to help mould the plate around the mask.. soon as tiger seal sets aint nothing taking it off again 

@GREENOUSE do you know were to source the reflective number plate stickers? ive asked a few motoring shops but they told me they cant sell them with the plastic coating?

[RedRobin]

....

Thanks, Steve - That pic very usefully shows how much tidier it all looks also when the plate is positioned upwards a fraction so it doesn't overhang the lower grill.

TC - You may already know that the DVLA have been conducting trials (unsuccessfully so far) with the Police to plant microchips in plates. Incidentally this has been without any public consultation about rights of privacy etc. I understand the benefits but it's a coin with two sides. 'Big Brother' Nanny State will be tagging the driver next!

[RedRobin]

....

Reflective number plate stickers are the way to go. But do they meet all the legal criteria?

LB - Thanks for the info but I ain't gonna be using Tiger glue on my precious carbon!

[Btw, I'll be posting a full review here on this site re my LED DRL's - Job #432!!]

[CocoPops]

I've ordered a "plateless grill" from VagParts, should be here next week. Cheaper than a carbon skin and it means I can put my old grill back on when/if I sell.

I intend to fit a 3/4 plate but will have a "as small as legally possible" plate as well ie min spacing/margins/letter size with no excessive plastic where not needed.

I intend to use velcro to attach the plates so I can swap as needed.

[Greeners]

@RR i used impact adhesive to stick my plate on-
im in-need of a new grille mask soon anyway due to scratches and stone chips so i thought id experiment and see how it looks. it stuck on ok (for now)..

i only used standard adhesive, sticks well but RR your right in the summer im sure it will peel off.
only other option is to drill it like on that photo or use tiger seal and 4clamps to help mould the plate around the mask.. soon as tiger seal sets aint nothing taking it off again 

@GREENOUSE do you know were to source the reflective number plate stickers? ive asked a few motoring shops but they told me they cant sell them with the plastic coating?

Not that I've looked into this as Im not personaly planning any changes in this dept, but maybe a MK1 MX5 parts supplier would be a good start? 

[ukdub]

I have thought about doing something like this for while.  How do you think about going down the Alfa 156 route?  I will have to make brackets though.  Anyone fancy doing a Photochop?

[WhiteGTI]

Right... I'd better contribute, seeing as I was one of the main reasons this started up! (apologies again for going off topic in the other thread  )

At the moment, I have taken off the plinth (thank god, it looked so damn ugly and ruined the curvature of the front of the car) and just screwed my original number plate back into the screw holes that it was in originally (the screws went through both the plinth and the front mask)

I have got a sticker numberplate that I just haven't got round to putting on yet. Unfortunately it is non-reflective, but thats the risk I'm taking. However, the letters are legal (font, size and spacing)

I really want to give the car the same look as the USA GTI, it looks so much better without a plate - as I'm sure you are all aware. So that means freeing up the glossy black part of the front of the car.

I tried mounting the plate with some plasterboard clips through the bottom grille, so that it hangs down onto the lower valance, but it really looked like the car was sticking out its two front teeth!! Also, mounting it through the lower grille (I think someone on this forum has done that), will surely considerably inhibit airflow to the intercooler!

As UKDUB mentioned below, the Alfa look is certainly one way to explore - i.e. putting the plate underneath one of the headlights (providing you dont have headlamp washers!!!!). With a sticker numberplate it is a challenge to stick it on without making it look angled or squewiff! This is because it follows the contours of the car so much.  I think I was experimenting for about 45 mins and only once got it angled correctly!

One other suggestion is one of those pop-up plate holders such as this:

http://www.swiftmotorsports.com/product_info.php?cPath=2049&products_id=3144&osCsid=ffd98cfad50ebf5daea5b033163

So I would guess that you mount it underneath the lower valance and have it so it pops up infront of the grille - but will this inhibit air flow to the intercooler?! I have recently wondered if you could put it to the side a bit, so that maybe it pops up over one of the foglight grilles...something to think about and discuss maybe.

What are your thoughts?
 

[Hurdy]

Seen this before and thought that I'd be wanting machine-guns popping from the foglights next

[RedRobin]

Seen this before and thought that I'd be wanting machine-guns popping from the foglights next

....I wondered how long it would take you to realise that those 3 LED's in my DRL's are actually gun barrels.

[RedRobin]

Right... I'd better contribute, seeing as I was one of the main reasons this started up!....................................................
..........................What are your thoughts?

....Personally and just my opinion, I think it looks best to either risk being slightly illegal with a stick-on plate or remove the stock plate mount, but keep the central position. Off to the side really spoils the car's visual symmetry and draws more attention to the number plate - It'll look bodged on.

I would not do anything to reduce air intake.

[Greeners]

Seen this before and thought that I'd be wanting machine-guns popping from the foglights next

....I wondered how long it would take you to realise that those 3 LED's in my DRL's are actually gun barrels.

I thought they were monkeys 

[john_o]

heres mine
Found some grommets in B&Q that fill the plinth holes

[RedRobin]

^^^^

Now that is what I think is the perfect size for a numberplate.

[CocoPops]

I've just ordered a plate...

333mm x 101mm

The legal minimum for a A11 GLF style plate...
11mm+50mm+50mm+11mm+50mm+50mm+50mm+11mm = 333mm wide
11mm+79m+11mm= 101mm high

Should be here around the same time as my front grill without holes in.

Standard plate is 520mm by 112mm