Both number plates on my newly-acquired car are looking decidedly shabby, so I'll be renewing them shortly. I've seen the same deterioration - a sort of internal 'bleeding' in two thin lines from top to bottom - on other cars, so was wondering if there's any appreciable difference in the quality of aftermarket plates.
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I don't think numberplate manufacture has much in the way of quality control no matter how much you pay. You can be lucky, or not.
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Type FRAMPTONS into a search engine;they make proper plates as well as acrylic.
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I used to think that Vauxhalls were particularly prone to this problem. I think it may come down to the person making up the plates. I recommend using velcro or double-sided sticky pads to attach the plates to the car since the screws allow water in. I used double sided pads on mine and they are still holding strong 5 years later.
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Thanks for the replies. rich - I'd consider sticking the plates on rather than screw fixing, although the current plates are failing well away from the screw holes..... hmmm.
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number plates are now make via a glorified printer and laminator and are of a disgraceful quality
they delaminate from day one
however the brown brothers ones i have made are slightly better than the norm
but as paul daniels would say
not a lot
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LHM
Halfords are one of a number of retailers who use the Signam Number Plate Assembly System. They may cost more - but you should get a decent plate that will last.
Clk Sec
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I have found that if you drill from the front the backing pushes away which subsequently allows allows water ingress. If you drill from the back the backing seems stuck.
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Fullchat
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I agree with Bell Boy, the old ones where they arranged the letters and then passed it through a laminator roller seem to have been replaced by some sort of dye sub printer. While the latter looks better at first, they start to show signs of ageing after around 9 months.
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The plates on Nicoles clio failed the MOT last month. I had been waiting for it to happen, they have been getting worse. The rear backing came away and allowed dirt down and make the plate unreadable.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I have found that if you drill from the front the backing pushes away which subsequently allows allows water ingress. If you drill from the back the backing seems stuck. -- Fullchat
And it might help (but I haven't proved it) to put a piece of PVC tape on the back before you drill and then leave it there.
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L\'escargot.
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Proudly picked up my new car on September 1st last year. Had driven almost 30 miles towards home when I reached a queue at the end of a dual carriageway. A lady pulled alongside and told me my rear numberplate had fallen off 'about 10 miles back'! That gave it a durability rating of around 20 miles tops :)
Went back to the dealer, who used double the number of sticky pads the second time around, steadfastly ignoring the nice holes drilled by Toyota for just such a purpose. It's still in place now though....
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.......steadfastly ignoring the nice holes drilled by Toyota for just such a purpose.
Is it common practice for cars to incorporate number plate attachment holes? I would have thought the hole positions would need to be determined by the position/size of the characters on the plates.
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L\'escargot.
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Way back in 1989 I bought a new Golf Driver, not long after I noticed rust stains running down from behind the rear plate. I removed the plates and discovered that the fitter had ignored the pre drilled holes with plastic grommets on he hatch and just carelessly drilled through the plates and into bodywork!!. This resulted in them replacing the hatch after a lot of arguments.
Mal.
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Is it common practice for cars to incorporate number plate attachment holes?
Tis on Vauxhalls.
I would have thought the hole positions would need to be determined by the position/size of the characters on the plates
That's why you can get black and yellow caps to go on the screw heads. Mind you, people have bee known to use them for other purposes. ie, putting a black cap between the numbers 1 1 to make the letter H.
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Proudly picked up my new car on September 1st last year. Had driven almost 30 miles towards home when I reached a queue at the end of a dual carriageway. A lady pulled alongside and told me my rear numberplate had fallen off 'about 10 miles back'! That gave it a durability rating of around 20 miles tops :)
There is a vast differnce between the different types of double sided pads thast are in use for plates. The cream coluoured ones you can buy from motor accessory shops are carp whilst the grey/black ones the trade use are bomb-proof. I had these on my new SaaB and I had a hell of a job getting the number plate off to change it and then cleaning off the surplus pad. Anyone know where you get these ?
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@Roly93 you could try no more nails or low modulus mastic? I wonder if the problem is because there is wax present before the sticky pads are positioned?
Great thread this, they're only £16 a pair :o)
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=>> And it might help (but I haven't proved it) to puta piece of PVC tape on the back before you drill and then leave it there. -- L'escargot.
Even running some Super Glue around the inside of the drilled holes might help by welding the thus exposed surfaces, thus sealing them- on the other hand some of this glue might get inside some of the laminate in that area and make it look worse although the fixing bolts would cover up localised damage.
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I have found that if you drill from the front the backing pushes away which subsequently allows allows water ingress.
Good advice. Drilling from the rear is essential.
Clk Sec
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>>I have found that if you drill from the front the backing pushes away which subsequently allows allows water ingress.
Sound advice. Plates drilled from the front won't keep their appearance long.
Clk Sec
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re my two posts above. Apologies - I'm having a bad day.
Clk Sec
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re my two posts above. Apologies - I'm having a bad day. Clk Sec
You just had a Second Click, that's all! ;-)
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L\'escargot.
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Having had an advisory at the 6 year MOT on rear number plate, I've noticed that many cars seem to have two vertical lines of deterioation, often in line with drain points in the moulding above.
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A year ago I took my Vauxhall for a service to the same main dealer who had serviced it for four years prior and requested they change the tatty number plates. They wanted all sorts of paperwork and proof I owned the car so I didn't bother - too much hassle. I went to a local Sunday Market and got them made up no questions asked :)
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I bought some Signam plates (not knowing the brand at the time) off eBay. Worked out inexpensive, but they are the type that could delaminate quite easily. Very similar construction to the dealer-fitted Jepson plates that were badly delaminated after 2 years but got no worse in the next year and now replaced. They were both made by printing the letters onto a highly reflective material, stuck to a piece of clear acrylic. It isn't too difficult to peel the reflective material off.
The eBay ones were from a DVLA-registered company and they put the postcode & BS marking on, but they didn't want to see the normal documents. That meant they were technically not sold as number plates, just pieces of plastic that look just like them. It made life easier for me because of documentation being sent off to the DVLA for number plate changes.
The ones that were fitted to my dad's car are HHSP - a very solid build with no obvious way to easily deliminate. Not sure where to get them from publicly - a Porsche dealer fitted them.
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Slightly O/T but, i always like to see the supplying dealer plates on a car - matching the invariable rear window dealer franchise sticker, adds somehow to the 'authenticity' of a car, imho.
Also, if plates have been replaced, I wonder if there's somethinghidden in the history or the previous owner(s) might have been careless parkers (..or worse)
My plates have the supplying dealer name embossed, which makes a 'smart' set with the dealer rear window sticker - sad I know.
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plates on a car - matching the invariable rear window dealer franchise sticker, adds somehow to the 'authenticity' of a car, imho. Also, if plates have been replaced, I wonder if there's somethinghidden in the history or the previous owner(s) might have been careless parkers (..or worse)
Something I always check, when buying, so a simple & free 'extra' check, when looking over a vehicle.
Butr I then re-brand with our plates, with our name on, anyway, as part of the pre sales preparation.
& I ALWAYS remove eviidence of previous dealers advertising!!
VB
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The second set of plates on my 5 yo VW are in a right mess with delaminating and stains.
Replacements soon I think.
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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My L reg Audi 80 has the original dealer plates on. I think this because the area code is (4 digits) pre 94 area code change. They have the older larger font and have no major marks on them except the usual bugs
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Two thoughts;
New plates have ozone friendly solvent free tack?
Bumpers and other panels to which number plates attach now have curves causing the backing to come unstuck?
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