Having your number plate correctly installed could save you a lot of money – especially if you are stopped by the police.
Failure to display a number plate correctly could lead to a large fine and also lead to the car failing its car road worthiness test.
There are many reasons why someone would want to fix their own number plate, the original may have been damaged or perhaps a spare plate might be needed for a caravan or trailer, for instance.
The easiest way to replace a number plate is to search Google for number plates makers to find a number plate supplier. One such site is Show Plates Factory. You will need various documents to prove you own the vehicle and are not having fake plates made up instead.
For those who want to, fixing number plates is straight forward. There are two ways of installing a number plate – the first is to use one of the number of plate fixing kits available and drivers could reuse the screws in their existing plate.
Step 1 – Remove the number plate’s caps
Firstly, remove the caps that cover the screws on the existing number plate and then unscrew the screws that attach the plate to the vehicle
Step 2 – Drill holes into the new number plate
Once the number plate has been removed, place it on top of the new version to use it as a template to measure where the holes for the screws need to be drilled into the plate. Once the holes have been marked, drill through into the new plate
Step 3 – Screw the number plate onto the vehicle
Fix the new number plate to the vehicle by using the screws and ensure they are tightened enough to secure the plate securely
Step 4 – Use the correct screw caps!
Remember to replace the caps onto the screws – if the area that has been drilled is yellow, then opt to use yellow caps. If you have drilled through a number, then use black caps. This will help the look of the number plate and make it appear untouched.
Use very strong double-sided adhesive strips instead
For those who are not confident to drill through into a new number plate, there are fixing kits that use very strong double-sided adhesive strips instead. This adhesive pad will cover most of the rear of the plate to ensure that it remains in place on the car.
Lots of modern cars use these fixing pads which are durable and long lasting.
They are easy to use – though care must be taken when applying the fixing pad to the rear of the plate since a mistake will, probably, mean having to start over again.
Once the pad has been affixed to the rear of the plate, the kit will have a cleaning sheet for the car’s surface where the plate will be fixed.
These cleaning sheets are more effective than turps and white spirits which tend to remain on the surface and affect the effectiveness of the adhesive pad. The chemicals used will evaporate within 30 seconds so this part of the process needs to be undertaken quickly.
The number plate is fixed in place
The backing tape is removed from the back of the adhesive pad and the plate is attached to the vehicle in the correct position. After applying some slight pressure, the number plate is fixed in place. These pads are effective in all elements as well as high and low temperatures.
Within 10 minutes or so the plate will be securely fixed though the bonding process will take 24 hours to be absolutely secure.
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Great article – I would definitely recommend buying sone very strong double sided sticky tape. Don’t opt for the cheaper types as they just won’t last. We had a customer in the other week who had this exact problem. If you want them to last it’s always worth investing.