Sticker numberplates - those that had/have them...any problems?

[AussieRacer]

Just wondering if those that were getting or had sticker numberplates if they have encountered any issues in the time that has past? Do they still have them?

Just curious with how it has all gone, considering they weren't exactly legal.

[spdrcr]

No problems so far!

[bfi2906]

Originally Posted by spdrcr

No problems so far!

spdrcr, I'm in Sydney too - my car is due in the next 3 weeks or so, and I'd really love to have an alternative to the dealer using power tools on the front of my shiny, brand new car. Where in Sydney did you get it made? Did they do the artwork? (if you don't mind me asking) was it expensive? Is it obvoiusly a sticker if you glance at it, or do you have to look closely?

Thanks in advance.

[cozza]

No issues whatsoever, and I've been pulled over in NSW and VIC, not that I was doing much wrong...

I got mine printed at Signarama for $66 - they're Nation wide. It was printed on their reflective white vinyl. The file was designed in Photoshop, the font was done in Illustrator, and the sticker is an identical reproduction of the original plate.

Here are some pics. First one is the plate issued by Vic Roads, and the 2nd one is the sticker:

[bfi2906]

Originally Posted by cozza

No issues whatsoever, and I've been pulled over in NSW and VIC, not that I was doing much wrong...

I got mine printed at Signarama for $66 - they're Nation wide. It was printed on their reflective white vinyl. The file was designed in Photoshop, the font was done in Illustrator, and the sticker is an identical reproduction of the original plate.

Here are some pics. First one is the plate issued by Vic Roads, and the 2nd one is the sticker:

Cozza, That looks great. Thanks for the info. Who did the Photoshop & Illustrator "work" - was it Signarama? If not, do you know of a template that can be used?

Cheers and thanks again.

[cozza]

Originally Posted by bfi2906

Cozza, That looks great. Thanks for the info. Who did the Photoshop & Illustrator "work" - was it Signarama? If not, do you know of a template that can be used?

Cheers and thanks again.

Cheers. No, there's no template that I know of. I created the artwork from scratch and a got a mate to replicate the font.

[spdrcr]

Far out, that would have taken forever!

[bfi2906]

FWIW - I spoke with Sign-A-Rama. They will use the same adhesive vynal that's used for adds on the side of cars & vans. If you take your plate in, they'll do a "rubbing" of it to get the font, colour and dimensions exactly right.

They produce artwork, which you approve, and they make the "sticker". All up about 5 days, and about $100.

Sounds like it could be worth considering as an alternative to using carpentary tools on the front of a new car.

[ozzy]

better is the ezi-mount adapter plate , that way you dont have screw holes in the middle of the plate and its legal , sydney bmw dealers now have them available ,

www.ezi-mount.com.au

[bfi2906]

Ozzy - from the name alone, that sounds like an option worth looking at. Pity the web site doesn't have an pictures so we can see what it has for all those car brands. It could be a front blade for a CAT D9 bulldozer for all you can tell - althought, that might require some drilling to fit.

Can you give any more info - what is it, how does it work?

TIA

[DRMAT]

While the sticker plates seem like a good idea, and i know some people have never had trouble with them, you can and will get fined and points for not having a proper plate affixed to the car. This is straight from the pigs... err horses mouth. I also know people with very expensive exotics that have no factory provision for a front plate and try to do the right thing with a sticker and still get fined. Can't find the source but the excerpt is this:

Only plates made by an approved manufacturer comply with the requirements of the Motor Vehicles Act. The display of non-approved plates incurs the risk of a Traffic Infringement Notice and a fine.

The owners of many of those exotics just wear the fine rather than ruin the car by affixing a plate though after trying tapes etc and losing plates.

[ozzy]

Originally Posted by bfi2906

Ozzy - from the name alone, that sounds like an option worth looking at. Pity the web site doesn't have an pictures so we can see what it has for all those car brands. It could be a front blade for a CAT D9 bulldozer for all you can tell - althought, that might require some drilling to fit.

Can you give any more info - what is it, how does it work?

TIA

I Have one on the back , will take a pic , its a aluminium bracket which has slots to mount on the standard centre screws on the rear and has holes in the bracket that takes the number plate , hence with a cover you cant see any ugly screws and you havnt had to drill holes in the car, i know whorthingtons at the central coast have them as thats where i got mine

[TimMc]

Originally Posted by ozzy

I Have one on the back , will take a pic , its a aluminium bracket which has slots to mount on the standard centre screws on the rear and has holes in the bracket that takes the number plate , hence with a cover you cant see any ugly screws and you havnt had to drill holes in the car, i know whorthingtons at the central coast have them as thats where i got mine

This sounds like the bracket I gave the dealer to put on my new 1er, which they discarded, drilled my personal plates and put their "Brisbane BMW" labelled bracket on.

[ozzy]

Originally Posted by TimMc

This sounds like the bracket I gave the dealer to put on my new 1er, which they discarded, drilled my personal plates and put their "Brisbane BMW" labelled bracket on.

Mine still has the worthingtons plastic cover fitted , which i took off , the bracket allows them to still mount their advertising on your car , i would have fumed and made them pay for a new set of plates ?

[cozza]

^ Hmm, sounds similar to the issue with my dealership. They drilled additional holes in my rear euro plate just so they could attach their dealer-branded number plate frame. I didn't want the frame, and now my rear plates have holes where they shouldn't. They might be "just number plates", but I paid a fortune for the plates I wanted. Less than impressed.

[RadiuM]

Originally Posted by DRMAT

I also know people with very expensive exotics that have no factory provision for a front plate and try to do the right thing with a sticker and still get fined. Can't find the source but the excerpt is this:

I never understood this, I thought all cars would have to have a place to put a front number plate to be able to pass compliance/adrs/licencing/whatever.

Is there some loophole out there I don't know about?

[DRMAT]

Originally Posted by RadiuM

I never understood this, I thought all cars would have to have a place to put a front number plate to be able to pass compliance/adrs/licencing/whatever.

Is there some loophole out there I don't know about?

No loophole. The only cars that don't come from factory with a provision for the front plate are certain exotics like Ferrari, Lambo... even then to be sold here they SHOULD comply with ADRs and the dealer shouldn't sell the car without the front plate... but if you were the dealer and someone buying a $300-500k car said leave the front plate off, i reckon you would.

[bfi2906]

I think I may have missed something here.

I've been working on the assumption that the 1er doesn't have any pre-drilled holes in the front to fit the plate. That's the way it's been on all my previous BMW's. The back's always been OK, because they had pre-drilled holes, with little "plugs" to screw into.

Does the 1er have similar setup already in place on the front? Or is it just a nice clean painted surface that needs to be drilled to fit a plate?

[Guran]

I was talking with the owner of a Birkin Clubman (Lotus 7 replica) down at Wakefield Park on Monday. He has a sticker plate on the front because there's physically nowhere that you can mount a license plate. The cops are always more interested in the sticker plate than the fact that his car:

1) is too low (less than 100mm from the ground)
2) doesn't have a windscreen
3) has side-exiting exhausts
4) has non-ADR compliant harness

Then again, his sticker plate looks nothing like a proper license plate. So far he's managed to argue his way out of any fines.

Question for you Cozza ... why didn't you just photograph your plate and get a print of that. Sounds like it'd be a lot easier than making it up from scratch!

[Caduceus]

Originally Posted by Guran

I was talking with the owner of a Birkin Clubman (Lotus 7 replica) down at Wakefield Park on Monday. He has a sticker plate on the front because there's physically nowhere that you can mount a license plate. The cops are always more interested in the sticker plate than the fact that his car:

1) is too low (less than 100mm from the ground)
2) doesn't have a windscreen
3) has side-exiting exhausts
4) has non-ADR compliant harness

Then again, his sticker plate looks nothing like a proper license plate. So far he's managed to argue his way out of any fines.

Question for you Cozza ... why didn't you just photograph your plate and get a print of that. Sounds like it'd be a lot easier than making it up from scratch!

That's because the sole purpose of a front mounted number plate is to increase successful identification of vehicles by speed cameras (and therefore revenue).

There's absolutely no other justification when the vehicle is already identified by a rear plate.

Just ask any motorcyclist

[cozza]

Originally Posted by bfi2906

Does the 1er have similar setup already in place on the front? Or is it just a nice clean painted surface that needs to be drilled to fit a plate?

Nice clean surface that requires drilling, which is why I wanted the stick on plate.

Originally Posted by Guran

Question for you Cozza ... why didn't you just photograph your plate and get a print of that. Sounds like it'd be a lot easier than making it up from scratch!

Easier - yes, but it wouldn't look anywhere near as good, and I'm a perfectionist! Even the Victorian Coat of Arms on my sticker plate is much higher resolution than any plates Vic Roads produce.

Originally Posted by Caduceus

There's absolutely no other justification when the vehicle is already identified by a rear plate.

Just ask any motorcyclist

Totally agree. No point whatsoever.