Modified number plates

bs2014

Just looking some feedback, bought a car I love but to be honest it would look way more slicker with some dress number plates, I've seen my exact car and spec in a particular number plate that looks nice. I can't stand the tacky blingy number plates that are barely legible, like a nice slick one that complements the car.

Now I know they are technically illegal but has anybody every heard of anyone getting points or close to the €5000 for not having the legal number plate
http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/format-vehicle-registration-plates.html

I'm from Monaghan originally and the amount of new cars around here driving around with them is unreal, modest people in their corollas and merivas with them:eek: even seen a gaurd in her ix35 with nice plates on; but I work in Dublin during the week and I imagine the gaurds could be a little more "prickish" about that sort of thing and not as lax as the country gaurds.

Would a gaurd pull ya over for just plates, obviously if you got pulled over for speeding that's probably when they could throw it at you.

Any experiences be much appreciated.

colm_mcm

you bought an A4 didn't you!

but seriously. if you have a German car you could get German style plaes but without the dots. they're legal as well as long as you have the irl and county name on top.

biko

Unless the characters on the plate are totally illegible I'd say it's very doubtful you'd get pulled over for this alone.

bs2014

colm_mcm wrote: »

you bought an A4 didn't you!

but seriously. if you have a German car you could get German style plaes but without the dots. they're legal as well as long as you have the irl and county name on top.

Bought a Leon so German cousin twice removed....I didn't think them German VAG plates were actual legal but they do look nice...people would be saying "what a looser in his SEAT wishes he had a VW or Audi:pac:"

Charles Babbage

You would hope the Gardai would enforce the law, but sadly in Ireland they often don't bother. Still it only takes one to do his job.

marketty

I know you might think guards are being unreasonably fussy coming after you for number plates, and I'd be inclined to agree, but when I see these plates I always wonder WHY do lads draw such unnecessary attention to themselves by having the bloody things?
I can't see how they add anything to the aesthetics of the car.
It's hard enough being a young driver without drawing the eye on yourself.

colm_mcm

bs2014 wrote: »

Bought a Leon so German cousin twice removed....I didn't think them German VAG plates were actual legal but they do look nice...people would be saying "what a looser in his SEAT wishes he had a VW or Audi:pac:"

the font isn't a problem as long as all the other requirements are met
size of characters
spacing
county name
irl logo.

tbh you'll just look silly no matter what you do. fancy plates belong in the late 90s.

shietpilot

marketty wrote: »

It's hard enough being a young driver without drawing the eye on yourself.

Exactly. I'm driving a completely stock Focus and have trouble with getting pulled over and questioned over things. If I had some illegal modifications like that I'd say they would do me instantly!

YbFocus

shietpilot wrote: »

Exactly. I'm driving a completely stock Focus and have trouble with getting pulled over and questioned over things. If I had some illegal modifications like that I'd say they would do me instantly!

Your big wild HID's might have something to do with it

Carson10

Fancy plates, front fog lights on, sunroof pop'd-up.. I know a girl recently who got a brand new 3dr R-line Golf and put fancy italic all white number plates on it with the word golf on the bottom. Totally ruined the car and made it Skanger, even though she is far from it. She'd be more likely to get pulled over for the car looking Skanger/dodgy than the plates.

shietpilot

YbFocus wrote: »

Your big wild HID's might have something to do with it

Here, out of all the times I had trouble the HIDs were on only once and they didn't mention them :pac:

vectra

German style plates.
Once it has
Flag
County
Dots or dashes between lettering
and
once there are no breaks in the digits
0 and 9
You SHOULD be ok.

bs2014

bs2014 wrote: »

Just looking some feedback, bought a car I love but to be honest it would look way more slicker with some dress number plates, I've seen my exact car and spec in a particular number plate that looks nice. I can't stand the tacky blingy number plates that are barely legible, like a nice slick one that complements the car.

Now I know they are technically illegal but has anybody every heard of anyone getting points or close to the €5000 for not having the legal number plate
http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/format-vehicle-registration-plates.html

I'm from Monaghan originally and the amount of new cars around here driving around with them is unreal, modest people in their corollas and merivas with them:eek: even seen a gaurd in her ix35 with nice plates on; but I work in Dublin during the week and I imagine the gaurds could be a little more "prickish" about that sort of thing and not as lax as the country gaurds.

Would a gaurd pull ya over for just plates, obviously if you got pulled over for speeding that's probably when they could throw it at you.

Any experiences be much appreciated.

Man go for it, nothing looks slicker than a pretty bog standard average car on Irish German style plates. If its diesel it will probably add 10 bhp aswell.
Yes they could/will pull you for it.

_Brian

I love the way op calls the guards "prickish" for enforcing the law, lust because he wants to break it.

I'm sure shoplifters say the same thing when their caught stealing small stuff.

I see modified plates on a car and think it looked dated.

Isn't there a problem with non stock plates being read via OCR on cameras etc ?

kurtainsider

I would put modified number plates in the same category as:

aftermarket spoilers, welded chain steering wheels, dice air fresheners, red velvet seat covers, silly sized small /wide rims, 6" diameter exhaust pipes, GTI/GXL badges superglued onto the boot lid, homemade lumps in the bonnet suggesting that the engine isn't the lame 1.2 liter engine that the car came with and, I almost forgot, go faster stripes, the one with the flames naturally.

But anyhow - you go right ahead.

LordSutch

colm_mcm wrote: »

.... if you have a German car you could get German style plaes but without the dots. they're legal as well as long as you have the irl and county name on top.

But it must be in Irish?

C4Kid

I have German plates on my car, no dots and they have the county and IRL on them, I have been through checkpoints and had guards behind me and not once yet have I had an issue with them. They are actually easier to read then the original plates as the font is slightly larger !

That said I keep the original ones in the boot in case all comes to all

armaghlad

I'm assuming the "metro" style plates popular in the north are also illegal in the south? Thousands of cars have them in the north, including lots of new cars. I have them and haven't had any trouble yet *touches wood*

Toyotafanboi

C4Kid wrote: »

I have German plates on my car, no dots and they have the county and IRL on them, I have been through checkpoints and had guards behind me and not once yet have I had an issue with them. They are actually easier to read then the original plates as the font is slightly larger !

That said I keep the original ones in the boot in case all comes to all

X2

I have sensible German plates on the Astra the last 2 years and there's been no hassle, even passed an NCT with them.

The have the IRL on the left and county name, they just use the thicker German font on a pressed plate and they smarten the car up an awful lot as opposed to the usual plastic plates.

DakarVert

Just the plain white with blank font? Definately not legal.

I may have a set of mine too.


It really all depends on the car, I know someone with an S-Class Merc that had plates on it for 4 years... No Blue Euro logo on the left, bolder font and went through countless checkpoints never a word said. (Never dipped for Diesel either)

vectra

kurtainsider wrote: »

I would put modified number plates in the same category as:

aftermarket spoilers, welded chain steering wheels, dice air fresheners, red velvet seat covers, silly sized small /wide rims, 6" diameter exhaust pipes, GTI/GXL badges superglued onto the boot lid, homemade lumps in the bonnet suggesting that the engine isn't the lame 1.2 liter engine that the car came with and, I almost forgot, go faster stripes, the one with the flames naturally.

But anyhow - you go right ahead.

I have been around a while but never in my life did I hear of "Modified Plates"
Then again,
Isn't this a scam used by criminals?
Using Black tape to MODIFY numbers,
Is it those you are comparing ?

colm_mcm

to be fair it was the OP that used the term first.

OldmanMondeo

Each to there own, I drive a german car, but I wouldn't have the german style plate on it. Nothing to do with legal or not, I would just feel like a knob.

bs2014

Okay these are the particular type of plates I'm looking for. My car is same model and colour. I see they have the EU flag and county in irish

vectra

bs2014 wrote: »

Okay these are the particular type of plates I'm looking for. My car is same model and colour. I see they have the EU flag and county in irish

Crap plates.
Get regular pressed steel plates instead.

Falcon L

bs2014 wrote: »

Okay these are the particular type of plates I'm looking for. My car is same model and colour. I see they have the EU flag and county in irish

So, to be different, you want to be exactly the same as somebody else?

armaghlad

Falcon L wrote: »

So, to be different, you want to be exactly the same as somebody else?

Each to their own. I think pressed German style plates look like fúck all but other fellas think they really set off their car.

Fancyplates.com is where I got mine.

kurtainsider

vectra wrote: »

I have been around a while but never in my life did I hear of "Modified Plates"
Then again,
Isn't this a scam used by criminals?
Using Black tape to MODIFY numbers,
Is it those you are comparing ?

Vectra. Quibbling over semantics rarely strengthens your argument.

OP; I have a black car, with black wheels, and dark tinted wintows. I love the blackness of it all. When it's clean (rarely) especially. I think it's an absolutely fantastic looking car. Really appeals to me and i get a little kick out of it, I will admit. Always have to give it a quick look at when I'm walking away from it and to it. I think it looks class


But I'm sure plenty of people see it coming and think it looks like a pile of shite.


Everyone's different. If you like it, go for it.

Personally my preference for plates is the regular, joe-soap everyday plates, but with no dealer markings on them. (My car has a dealer name on the plates, and ive been meaning to buy a new set to get rid of the dealer name).

LordSutch

LordSutch wrote: »

But it must be in Irish?

I've seen an odd one near where I live. I often see a car with reg plates that have no Irish county name on them. But for about a week per year, the plates are swapped with legal ones and changed back again, presumably to get it through the NCT. Someone really mustn't want the county name in Irish on their plate!

Esel

Bought a car once which had the owner's first name where the county should be! Didn't notice until NCT fail. An hour of my life wasted.

Esel

Karsini wrote: »

I've seen an odd one near where I live. I often see a car with reg plates that have no Irish county name on them. But for about a week per year, the plates are swapped with legal ones and changed back again, presumably to get it through the NCT. Someone really mustn't want the county name in Irish on their plate!

Probably a member of the lost tribe...

vectra

kurtainsider wrote: »

Vectra. Quibbling over semantics rarely strengthens your argument.

And This ^^ reply had no input to this thread.
So really does nothing to help.

millington

Most fancy plates aren't legal but you will very very rarely get stopped for them and 99% chance nothing more will come of it if you are apart from being told to change them.

Coming from someone whos had them for years The mothers Passat had them for 8 years and there was never a word said and I've had various types on different cars for about 6 years and never got hassle either.

Once they're legible, some are ridiculous :eek: I personally think different style plates suit different cars. The standard plates do nothing for me.

JoeA3

millington wrote: »

The standard plates do nothing for me.

But they're not really meant to "do anything for you"! It's just a means of identifying your car from the masses. Does the tax disc in your windscreen do nothing for you either?

millington

JoeA3 wrote: »

But they're not really meant to "do anything for you"! It's just a means of identifying your car from the masses. Does the tax disc in your windscreen do nothing for you either?

No it doesn't but I'm sure if I had the means to change it without any great repercussions then I would if I wanted to

I never said they were designed to be aesthetically appealing, I just prefer other ones.

*Kol*

What about having your number plate up on the dash? I have seen a few Audis that have grills without a number plate recess with their plates up on the dash. Is this legal?

millington

*Kol* wrote: »

What about having your number plate up on the dash? I have seen a few Audis that have grills without a number plate recess with their plates up on the dash. Is this legal?

As far as I am aware no it's not but I have heard of judges accepting the fact that it was visible from the front of the car. This is Ireland, the law isn't always the law:rolleyes:

JoeA3

*Kol* wrote: »

What about having your number plate up on the dash? I have seen a few Audis that have grills without a number plate recess with their plates up on the dash. Is this legal?

Definitely not - you may as well drive around with a Neon sign on your head to attract the Gardai's attention. And it absolutely screams felt-spec... IMO.

bs2014

Went into a motor factors on outskirts of dublin, wouldn't even entertain making anything other than the normal ones...went to a motor factors down home who have a small selection on display. Didn't inspire much confidence man told me he heard of a guy got a fine of 1600 which got dropped to 900...didn't even get a chance to put the plates back on the car...admittedly I was told this was prob a rare case dependent on the gaurd😮😯

12Phase

A German friend of mine finds it very weird but a bit flattering that you all appear to love his country so much that you pretend to be driving German registered cars.

...

I mean it's a bit like finding a car with Irish formatted plates in Germany. You'd assume they're a lover of all things Irish and the craic.

The stickers are the funniest bit though as its a little like putting up an fake tax disk, insurance and NCT in Berlin...