Lotus Elan

Rear number plate fixing

PostPost by: 2tmike » Mon Feb 27, 2023 8:53 pm

Good evening , what was the original way that the plus 2 rear number plate was attached to the curved back panel ? spacers, curved plate, stick on plate or ? I'm thinking spacers made from vacuum hose and rubber on the back of the plate to stop scratching the paintwork for mine
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PostPost by: mbell » Mon Feb 27, 2023 10:28 pm

Mine had spacers, positioned at the very ends of the plate.

I was thinking a sandwich mount like used with exhausts but much smaller might be a good solution. A bit of rubber hose and a bolt would probably work well too.
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PostPost by: andywatts » Tue Feb 28, 2023 1:40 pm

A PO had replaced the car's original plate with a flexible stick-on type, but I returned it to original rigid plate (black/white). I used a piece of black plastic to shape for each end, wide enough that the fixing screws go through the spacer at each end. Plus a rubber strip top and bottom to space the plate out from the paintwork. Perhaps over-kill, but it looks OK. Picture attached.
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Rear number plate +2
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PostPost by: draenog » Tue Feb 28, 2023 2:00 pm

Following Robbie693 I used adjustable cistern levers! This acted as both a spacer and enabled me to use the existing mounting holes. The original plate was flat plastic, the new plate is aluminium with raised letters, and the mounting holes are at the edge of the plate. I used plastic number plate fixings with the nut hot glued into lever. Not particularly pretty but it works.

cistern-levers.jpg and

back-number-plate.jpg and
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PostPost by: alan.barker » Tue Feb 28, 2023 3:19 pm

I use rubber Tap Washers as spacers on fixing screws
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PostPost by: Bigbaldybloke » Wed Mar 01, 2023 11:18 pm

Mine originally had an aluminium plate with a stack of washers on the bolts to space it out.
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PostPost by: alan.barker » Thu Mar 02, 2023 5:14 am

Don't forget to drill the hole in the middle of the back panel in case the release cable snaps. As instuctions in workshop manuel.
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PostPost by: baileyman » Thu Mar 02, 2023 3:38 pm

For USA, where the plates are too tall, I made a bracket from 3/4" hardware store aluminum to tilt the plat out at the bottom. Works well. Then I made one for the front that secures in the lip of the intake and cantilevers the plate to the side. This also works well.
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PostPost by: jono » Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:28 pm

I'm going to make a false plate out of 3mm aluminium, stooled off on nylon spacers and then stick the plate to it with double side foam tape
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PostPost by: 2tmike » Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:37 pm

Some really interesting ideas coming through here....:)
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PostPost by: mbell » Thu Mar 02, 2023 7:45 pm

baileyman wrote:For USA, where the plates are too tall


I just used some double sided tape and foam blocks, to stand the plate of the rear panel.Simple and light.
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PostPost by: 2tmike » Thu Mar 02, 2023 8:04 pm

Seeing you're from Austin, I guess the foam/tape method stands the heat OK ?
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PostPost by: mbell » Thu Mar 02, 2023 9:04 pm

2tmike wrote:Seeing you're from Austin, I guess the foam/tape method stands the heat OK ?


No problems, so far plate has been on the car 5 years I think and hasn't come off. I did use good quality 3M double sides foam tape.The plates hear are a reflective white ali thou, so probably quite good at reflecting heat away. Which might not be the case for a black UK rear plate...

I have had problems with the heat softening the sticky on some velco tabs I used on the removable front plate setup I made.
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PostPost by: elan_fan » Sun Mar 05, 2023 6:50 pm

I used a stainless M5x35 slotted pan head and painted the head black. The spacer (as original) is a diff torque rod bush and i added a tap washer to the stack as the bevelled edge of the new plate was too close. On the other side is a form c washer and nut and spring washer.



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PostPost by: jono » Mon Mar 06, 2023 12:44 pm

What I've discovered on the early Plus 2 with the boot handle is there is very little room to install a full size (legal) plate without it being partially obscured by the number plate lamps and sitting too close to the bumper - an aesthetic point really but it doesn't look 'right'.

I propose to make a slightly smaller plate (yes, not strictly legal) from 3mm aluminium to overcome this and use 3-1/8" plastic digits. I doubt plod will notice or know it's not 'correct' on a classic car.

3/4 size (illegal) plates are available for moderns but non of the classic plates firms do them it seems...unless anyone knows otherwise?
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