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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

Number Plate illegal? legal?


nuttynutz
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this mite be useful for other people like me.

 

Im soon to be Putting on a Private Plate. in the form of *11*** like S11PRA.

 

i've tried searching this and cant find relevant to what i need to know.

i like the idea about having no front plate as one thread stated, however, my bumper already has a frame drilled into it and securing my plate already, as you can see below, so i wont be taking that option unless i change to a new front end.

http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/9386/3497.jpg

 

what i want to know is, is it legal to have it halved in size horizontally? like so

http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/9494/3496.jpg

 

and for the back, still the same as before but characters in one line

http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/51/3498.jpg

as my car is White, whats the legal factor about having white plates on the back? i tried looking it up on the dvla site but nothing about it.

http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/5704/3499.jpg

(sorry havent got daytime clear pic of back, so will have to do with this for now)

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I have a similar size plate to the one you are showing on the front (second pic) and have been pulled by the law and made to change it to one that conforms to the legal requirement.

 

The fact that mine was the same size as the plate holder made no difference at all.

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Originally posted by leett

aren't imports allowed to have the smaller lettering like motorbike plates? im sure they are

 

Nope! Not according to Mr. Plod who produced a document from about his person and a measuring tool too!

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hey guys.

thats a mate's mates car lol, WELL spotted "leett" its an MR2 converted into a 355 berlinia or whatever its called. cost him £20k fully done up including the interior. i still dont get how ferrari can let that happen? surely they can prosecute them for that?

 

back to the number plate issue. dammit guess back plate will have to stay yellow then woulda looked well sweet otherwise(but kinda gathered that was going to be the case)

 

if you notice those square plates (j spec), the fonts are actually smaller than UK spec. so that already contradicts the british standard Spec right? no?. might give it a go with halving it but it still will be kept within the frame/plate holder. but still keeping the font same size. (as j spec font, unless its possible to fit UK fonts, but think it might be too small to do so)

 

CJ - so what happened when they pulled you over? have you changed it back to UK spec? get fined?

 

bet they pulled you over cos they just jealous of you and got nothing else better to do.

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as i said above, imports are allowed to have smaller font. i had motorbike plates on my old import. i had halfords make them as well.

when they do the mr2 conversion they should really replace the rear window as ferrari doesnt have vent in it.:D some kits do BTW

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Originally posted by nuttynutz

 

CJ - so what happened when they pulled you over? have you changed it back to UK spec? get fined?

 

They gave me a ticket thingy that said I had to get it changed to a legal sized plate. Once I had doen this, I had to get an MOT type station to stamp the ticket and I then had to send that back to the police.

 

In effect what I did was to get a new palte, velcro it to my old one, take the car to the garage, have them stamp the ticket and then returned it. But would you believe it, the bloody velcro must have come off 'cos the plate fell off about 10 yeards from the garage. Mind you, i keep ot safe in the back of the car just to prove to mr. plod that i can put it back onm should the need arise. :D

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Originally posted by leett

as i said above, imports are allowed to have smaller font. i had motorbike plates on my old import. i had halfords make them as well.

when they do the mr2 conversion they should really replace the rear window as ferrari doesnt have vent in it.:D some kits do BTW

 

ahhh so thats how you find out.

but yea, you say that import size is fine, but im trimming the actualy plate size down to like 12" x 3" now from 12" x 6" so that ok? should be in theory cos the font size not changing

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Originally posted by nuttynutz

ahhh so thats how you find out.

but yea, you say that import size is fine, but im trimming the actualy plate size down to like 12" x 3" now from 12" x 6" so that ok? should be in theory cos the font size not changing

 

if the font size isnt changing you should be ok as long there is minimum of 10mm border around each digit

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My mate told me a fantastic story about him being pulled over on his bike by plod. It went something akin to this:

 

Mate get's pulled over by copper. Mate whips off crash helmet and approaches copper before copper get's out of car. My mate said the copper was possibly the youngest member of the pork crew that he'd ever seen.....

 

Mate: What's the problem.

bill: it's your number plate sir.

Mate: yep that's right it's my number plate.

bill: I'm afraid it's wrong.

mate: What do you mean wrong?

bill: It's the wrong size sir.

Mate: how do you mean? I just bought the bike it's the plate that came with it?

bill: well it's suppossed to be like that (points to front of filth machine)

Mate:(with fake confussed look on his face) Well that'll be the wrong colour won't it?

bill: No it's suppossed to be like that but yellow.

Mate: (Looking at bills number plate) If it's like that won't it hide my indicators? It'll be too long.

Bill: No it's got to be like that but square.

Mate: And yellow?

bill: Yes. Square and yellow. Also the letters are wrong. (looks at teeny tiny lettering) you need to change them

Mate: Well if I change them it won't match the log book won't it?

bill: No like that, but with your numbers.

Mate: So like that but yellow, square and with my numbers right?

bill: Look just get it f*&%ing sorted. (Get's back into car and drives off)

 

Couple of days later, another mate of ours is pootling through town on his bike with just as ridiculously small number plate, and sure enough get's pulled over. Remembering what Mate 1 told us after his meeting he tries to pull the same stunt.

 

Mate 2: What's the problem constable?

bill: It's your number plate sir, it's wrong.

Mate 2: How do you mean wrong.

bill: Look I've had a f*&^ing 'nuff of you lot just get changed. Takes hat off storms back into car and drives off. Mate 2 was laughing so much he had trouble getting on his bike.

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I got pulled for speeding, they didn't have any recorded speed so I got away with that. At the same time they went around the car and said that the plates where illegal cos they were too small, I gave 'em the DVLA statement thing and then they turned it into "Those plates don't have a BS mark on them, so must be illegal". Was told that the plates I had would not pass an MOT, and that I had to get them changed and take it to an MOT station and have them stamp a sheet.

 

I drove to the MOT station with the same sized plates, spent over an hour with the guys there trying to prove the copper wrong - managed it :thumbs: and I drove off with a stamped form and a big smile.

 

The MOT test states that the number plate must be readable from 20 metres/yards (or summit) and that it can't be obstructed or badly damaged.

 

Ben..

 

P.S. I still have the same sized plates, and the copper that tugged me gives me lovely dirty looks everytime I drive past him now!! :D :p :D

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From my run-in with the law regarding number plates I was told by both the DVLA and the police that all number plates should be full sized ones unless there is no European type approval for the vehicle. This means that non-mass produced cars which have not had specific design for number plate holder but which pass the UK's SVA can get by without a full sized number plate. But all 4 wheeled vehicles have to have both a rear and front number plate to identify it. White at the fron and yellow at the back in ALL cases for UK vehicles.

 

Two wheeled vehicles do not require front number plates.

 

Most import vehicles (which includes the Supra) fit euro type approval (that's why they are easy to import and meet our SVA easily enough). Therefore they do require a full sized number plate, front and back.

 

I tried to argue the point by e-mailing the DVLA with a question regarding the hype about number plates and whether Japanese cars can use smaller plates. I got a definate NO and the police said the same. I got a full spec list of all the required dimensions etc. for plates. Glad to say I didn't get a fine or any points when I had a half sized plate on the front.

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