Hi guys and girls,
I’m planning on replacing my front plate with a stick on one. At Halfords they only make plastic plates , no stick ons. Has anybody had one made up for their car? I’m in West London.
Cheers, Paul
Have you considered removing the plinth and mounting the plastic plate directly to the bumper?
Looks tidy.
I’d not thought of that, not sure if I’ve seen an MX-5 with that set up.I’ll see how it looks.
Cheers, Paul
I bought my NA with the number plate fixed directly to the bumper and I thought it looked cack so I bought a plinth and I am much happier with it like that. Mounting number plates is a very personal thing. If you scan in your reg docs and send them to MX5 City with £16 they will send you a stick on one.
Here,s my car,s plate and quite happy with it, cheers Rob.
Whilst on the subject of number plates I saw some very neat small front number plates on 5’s at the recent Spring rally and from conversation with owners I understand that with a Eunos you are allowed to put a small front plate on with motorcycle size numbers/letters,
Since then I’ve trawled the forums looking for a definitive answer to keep things legal so my question where do I find that definitive answer or is anyone on here able to tell me please?
If that is the answer who have members used to make up these small plates?
Could it be that some owners install these small plates for ‘show’ purposes? I’m pretty sure you’ll find that these days motorcycles have almost the same number plate size as cars - characters are 64mm tall as opposed to 79mm. There’s no such thing as a ‘really small’ legal motorcycle plate. In fact, whilst waiting for an MOT on my own motorbike (now gone) I’ve seen a motorbike failed for a ‘small’ number plate which was using much smaller letters than the legal size. The rules are in this:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/533255/inf104-vehicle-registration-numbers-and-number-plates.pdf document. This covers all vehicles.
JS
Stick-on plates are easily removable by criminals who wish to use them to clone an identity for ANPR cameras.
It does depend on space some imports won’t have space for a Full UK size number plate so are allowed the reduced size.
Regarding size of the standard UK number plate the characters are of specific size and the border needs to be a minimum of 11mm.
Width is critically only “regulated” by the number and width of the characters (for example number 1 need not meet the full width) so a number plate with 1 in can be shorter than without and less characters mean a short number plate is legal.
Problem is usually focused around the BSaU on the end though, so you need to have one made to the shorter size to be completely legal and have the makers details as well as BSaU. Once you get down to the specifics there are very few suppliers doing that.
Height can be slightly reduced and still be legal but it is not that much to comply with the require normal character height and the 11mm border either side of said character.
This is the reason fourdot for example can get away with “zero number plates” and be completely legal. Just do not look at the costs of fourdot.
Craigsplates website has an explanation re: import front plate
Food for thought - thanks for your answers.
I fit the number plate direct on the front but below the swage line
Well below the swage line
Well below the swage line
As already said, what looks right is a personal thing - personally I don’t like stick-ons on MX-5s.
The regulations on registration plate sizes are confusing - including provisos regarding the size of the area for fixing the plate - but the bottom line seems to be that - for Eunoses - the font should be minimum 64mm as opposed to 79mm for UK cars.
Personally, I’m of the opinion that many cars - MX-5s and most Alfa Romeos in particular, have the beautiful styling of their ‘faces’ completely ruined by our ludicrously large UK plates nailed to the front. Which is why all my '5s have run with very small - and completely illegal - front plates, as shown. In fact, mine may have been one of the cars spotted at the Spring rally. I’m aware of the penalties, and if nicked, will happily pay up. Fixed in place with heavy-duty Velcro tape, I also have an entirely legal plate, with matching Velcro, which I can substitute for MoT day. Officer.
Love a ‘stick on’ on a Mk1 … this one passed MOT today ., no advisories . In fact dealers put quite a few of these editions on the road c. 26 years ago with stick on plates . 
Gorgeous! I had 001 back in '91