Front number plate

[zeteclotus]

Where can you put a standard front number plate so that it looks ok, passes the MOT does not get hit by every speed bump and does not affect cooling?


The MOT man failed one car for having grill letters so I just stuck a standard plateover the top for the retest.

But on a 1973 car I risk a fine if I am seen driving arround with pre 73 style plates and the grill letters are not actually leagal must be on a BLACK back ground not a grill apparently:(

[rgh0]

I thought the Lotus grill lettering was OK because the inside of the nose was painted black creating the necessary black background.

Rohan

[types26/36]

on a 1973 car I risk a fine if I am seen driving arround with pre 73 style plates and the grill letters are not actually leagal must be on a BLACK back ground not a grill apparently:(

Is that only applicable to a 73 and on car? my 72 Sprint passed the MOT yesterday with grill letters/numbers.
Does anyone know exactly what the law states?
I also read somewhere the reason the engine compartment was painted black was because the background to the numbers had to be black, also the reason the why the grill is black.
I think it was a bit of Chapman's creative thinking that painting the engine compartment black could pass off as a black background

[Robbie693]

If you can show the MOT man that the letters/numbers were stuck to the grill when it left the factory (period photos etc) he should pass it.

However, from '73 Lotus (or the dealers) started putting a front plate on below the grill surround. At least, that is how cars in road tests in '73 appeared...

But I doubt your MOT man would know this - mine didn't when I used to test my last car (reg, Oct 1973) which I had put grill letters on as the hanging plate looked crap

[Elanintheforest]

All cars REGISTERED on or after 01/01/73 have to have the reflective plates fitted...black on white at the front, black on yellow at the back.
However, I doubt very much if a copper is going to stop you for having the old style digits on grille on an Elan...just plead ignorance!!

Here are the other options...a bolted on plate under the grille, which is how my '74 came...doesn't it look a lot better without...and you can just see the brackets that hold the plate. Or a stick on plate just over the bumper, which doesn't look too bad on a white car, but looks pretty grim on others.
Mark

[Dag-Henning]

- would the "E-type" stick-on-bonnet number plate be a possibility ?

DH

[Elanintheforest]

Surely Dag, you mean as fitted to ex-works Escort Twincams?
Mark

[steveww]

Try a different MOT station. My local chap treats my S4 with the respect due for her age He has never questioned the front number plate letters or the slight play in the front wheels.

[Dag-Henning]

Surely Dag, you mean as fitted to ex-works Escort Twincams?
Mark

Mmmmmm ... Nice !! Yes for sure, forget abt. the E-type.....!!

Dag

[ppnelan]

I believe the stick-on digits need to be mounted on a 'flat vertical surface' (from memory), so sticking it on the sloping front is not legal either... Just look at the ugliness of front number plates on modern Mitsubishi Evos and Alfas.....

I don't see why the white-on-black grille should be questioned, unless the background doesn't look black enough e.g because of a non-black engine bay.

There is a 1973-registered (1972 manufactured) +2 with white grille digits at the front and a reflective black-on-yellow rear number plate around (ahem...) which was once commented on by the MoT man but he did not find any reason to fail it !

I second the 'go to another garage' comment....

Matthew

[types26/36]

I second the 'go to another garage' comment.... Matthew

I wonder if that would work now the MOT is computrized, they may have a record of the failure stored on a data base, another point if you were to fit a no plate for the test and then change it afterwards to loose letters would the car be "unroadworthy" in the eyes of an insurance company?.....an excuse to get out of paying a claim

[Rob_LaMoreaux]

What some folks have done over here in the US is to mount the number plate by just the top at the top of the opening so it can swing. THen when the car gets up to speed the plate pivots up out of the airflow. When they stop it pivots back down.

Of course I live in a state where they don't have a font plate so I just have the lovelly uncluttered front of my Elan, and I can't comment on if this method reduces the cooling or not.

Rob

[1964 S1]

Here in Ohio where a front plate is "required" the law states that it must be "displayed" .... in the old days I mounted mine below the front air intake, attached to the fiberglass and nearly parallel to the ground. Out of sight but displayed. Nowadays the police seem to not care if I have a front plate.

[blackandgold]

In NSW Australia we have numerous options as far as style goes for number plates including colors and formats as well as size including a small format front plate which would suit a +2 my favourate for my car if I imported it would black with gold writing check out the options here

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/ ... tyles.html

[type36lotus]

I am so pleased here int Florida, USA we don't have front plates! Although on my 66 Elan I did attached the numbers to the front grill for appearance.