Registration plates

vector

Such a variety of styles...
http://www.olavsplates.com/ireland.html

Some have hyphens ( 07-D-12345) others don't (07 D 12345)
some are pressed metal others are laminated

on the above two stylistic options what is the consensus of the readership of this fine forum?

drdre

Very interesting

colm_mcm

hyphens, how exciting

rebel.ranter

I think I prefer the plastic ones & the dashes have to be there. Having said that on an older car say pre 1987 I would have to put pressed metal, they just suit better.
I had an 1986 316 that the previous owner had put the modern style plates on, it looked totally wrong!! I immediately changed them for pressed metel, black plates with silver letters, looked really goog on the black car.

I also got numerous sets of "California" style plates made up for an old Beetle (about 10 years ago), got pulled for having small yellow digits on a black background & comments were made about the "California" on top. I reached a compromise with proper height letters/numbers , 3 1/4' IIRC, in silver with black background, with the California on top. They actually really made the car as it was a "Cal Look" VW I was after. If anyone has seen the car around recently I would like to hear, red, bumperless, sunken rear lights, RZM 287.

My obession with number plates is now restricted to having the "Autohaus Munchen" surrounds on the BMtroubleWs!

Wonder why Ireland didn't go for the yellow rear plates when France & the UK did? What's the concensous, white or yellow rear plate better? Or does it matter? I kinda like dthe yellow UK plates on my car but not obsessed enough to attempt to get a yellow Irish one.

EDIT: None were ever script or italics, I hate these witha passion!!!

Stephen

I prefer white ones. Yellow plates aren't legal on Irish cars.

Also:
I believe the law stipulates that the hyphens are required. It also states that the plate must be made of either metal or plastic.

(d) the index mark shall be separated from adjoining figures on each side of the index mark by a hyphen with a stroke width of 10 millimetres which shall extend horizontally for a distance of not less than 13 millimetres and not more than 22 millimetres; the distances between each hyphen and the nearest part of any adjoining letter or figure shall be uniform and shall be not less than 10 millimetres;

More than you ever wanted to know: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1999/en/si/0432.html

rebel.ranter

Stephen wrote:

I prefer white ones. Yellow plates aren't legal on Irish cars.

I was thinking why it wasn't ever brought into law here that yellow should be shown on the rear of the car. I bought the NCT book just before it kicked off and it had all the info about what was tested including all this detail about the plates, but it doesn't really seem to be enforced.
On pre '87 cars you are allowed to show black plates with silver letters, I'm even sure there are a few cars showing red plates with black letters.
The coolest plates of them all were the ones with the plastic letters on a metal plate, just thinking back to the old fella's '82 Granada with these style plates ZF 2345.

zilog_jones

I think I recall from reading the official regulations that number plates here (since '91 or whenever they introduced the EU style ones) are supposed to have the hyphens.

Having said that on an older car say pre 1987 I would have to put pressed metal, they just suit better.

I disagree. Pre-'87 plates either had laminated white/red or black plates, white/red or black metal ones with plastic lettering, or black plates with unpainted UK-style lettering. The stamped metal plates we get today just didn't exist before the EU standard stuff.

colm_mcm

I like the metal plates with plastic text stuck on, must've been a pain to make compared to the modern stuff.

rebel.ranter

zilog_jones wrote:

I disagree. Pre-'87 plates either had laminated white/red or black plates, white/red or black metal ones with plastic lettering, or black plates with unpainted UK-style lettering. The stamped metal plates we get today just didn't exist before the EU standard stuff.

I counter disagree:) I had a 1976 mini with red plates with pressed black letters, admittedly the stamped letter was a different font and the press used gave the characters a sharp edge as opposed to the more rounded edge of today's pressed plates.
I wonder how long we can keep this topic on the first page without boring people!!

Owen

rebel.ranter wrote:

I had a 1976 mini

You didn't look at old when you visited the Dealership the last time! :eek:

rebel.ranter

I had the 1976 Mini in 1993!!! i
It (I) went through 5 engines in my ownership, culminating in a Metro 1300cc. It was nothing special to look at either. My attention then turned to VWs.

G Luxel

I once had a 97 regd car and while in the Isle of Man I got a set of their Euro style plates. However the guy behind the counter made a white and yellow instead of two white plates..:rolleyes: but after a year on the road at all hours of a saturday night, 2 very angry guards said to get rid of the yellow one. I kept the other plate on and then another guard directing traffic two years later pulled me and said i need the correct IRL sticker :rolleyes: anyway i sold the car but i still have the plates.

Terrontress

I have seen a hell of a lot of cars in Dublin with IOM plates.

More than you might expect, given the population of the island.

Is there some tax dodge that allows people to register their car in IOM and drive it here?

drdre

Terrontress wrote:

I have seen a hell of a lot of cars in Dublin with IOM plates.

More than you might expect, given the population of the island.

Is there some tax dodge that allows people to register their car in IOM and drive it here?

I think their is some sort of tax dodging that can be done through the isle of man but i dont know how it works

G Luxel

From what i have seen, The Isle of Man plates have come in a variety of styles, similiar to our old pre 86 system. Plates such as e.g. MAN 4567, EMN 454V, C567 MAN may look like they are UK reg but none of the plates are age related like the UK so its possible to see a W235 MAN on a Morris Minor!
If you do see a plate such as GMN 456U, its unique as there is no U reg in the UK but many people travelling to the UK from there have been stopped and asked for their tax and insurance details. This new system eg. EMN-437-T started in 1994.

Stephen

I saw a really stupid plate this evening on a very nice A4 in a petrol station. Yellow UK style plate with reg OIK Kxxx - i.e. 01-KK-XXX.

FFS, WHY?