Front Number Plate Placement

[Baronet]

Hi there, new member here with 2000 MGF and I love it. It wasn't a question of "why buy it" more a question of "why the heck not"? I am disabled so can only manage around 1,000 miles a year or less and will certainly not be driving it in the winter months say from November to March. I have a quick question on front number plate. Knowing these cars are a bit sensitive on cooling, I was suprised to see the front number plate almost obscuring the lower raditor intake. Does anyone know or have experience of MOT or Plod's reaction to stick on plates, on the bonnet (hood, call it what you will, the front bit).? Thank you in advance for your consideration..

[Geoff.F]

No chance. It would not meet todays requirements for ANPR (Automatic Numberplate Recognition)
Geoff.F

[Baronet]

Well I suppose being frivolous, then that is a darned good reason! I see quite a few early MX5's with stick on plates so I suppose you do it at your own risk of a slap on the wrist. But would it fail an MOT? (By the way, thank you for your response).

[Barbour]

That slap on the wrist is €140,- these days.

I'm not taking that risk really...

[Keith Williams]

Wont be to the BS standard for plates. In the UK, it could be a £1000 fine & MOT fail if they want to make an example of you.

https://www.motoringdeals.co.uk/stick-r ... ates-legal

Remember the MGF/TF went through all the high country temperature testing so the design does work where the plate is.

[Baronet]

OK that's fine thank you. Not worth the risk is it and knowing my luck! I think it does mar the appearence of the front end though, almost as if the original designers had completely fortgotten about such things. Surely not!

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I guess that's a no then..

[Baronet]

Hi Keith, while you're on, what is the official name of the colour of your car? Yes I know I could get the paint code from the car but for reasons that are complex I can't just pop outside and read the plate, but yours looks the exact same red as mine. It's simply listed as "Red" on the V5 obviously. Among all the seemingly available reds for the year, I chose "Flame Red" as being the colour but it was just a guess. So, what is your colour? PS I like the wheels,. Where do you live? Haha

[Keith Williams]

Hi Keith, while you're on, what is the official name of the colour of your car? Yes I know I could get the paint code from the car but for reasons that are complex I can't just pop outside and read the plate, but yours looks the exact same red as mine. It's simply listed as "Red" on the V5 obviously. Among all the seemingly available reds for the year, I chose "Flame Red" as being the colour but it was just a guess. So, what is your colour? PS I like the wheels,. Where do you live? Haha

Mine is solar red as it is a Trophy. The age of car depends upon what red you have.

[Baronet]

Hi it's year 2000 (sorry for thread drift). Next time I get to the car I will try and read the codes but I'll probably have to get someone to do it for me, hence the reason I haven't been able to do it so far. I'm a bit physically compromised unfortunately.

[Rob Bell]

Hi there, new member here with 2000 MGF and I love it. It wasn't a question of "why buy it" more a question of "why the heck not"? I am disabled so can only manage around 1,000 miles a year or less and will certainly not be driving it in the winter months say from November to March. I have a quick question on front number plate. Knowing these cars are a bit sensitive on cooling, I was suprised to see the front number plate almost obscuring the lower raditor intake. Does anyone know or have experience of MOT or Plod's reaction to stick on plates, on the bonnet (hood, call it what you will, the front bit).? Thank you in advance for your consideration..

The MGF (and TF) are NOT sensitive to cooling. The cooling system on our cars are perfectly adequate for full-throttle driving with ambient conditions of up to 50C.

The "cooling" issue I think you refer to is the problems of head gasket failures. This has nothing to do with radiator function, but rather to the design of the cooling system and the thermostat location. Much has been written about this in the past

To the subject of the number plate position. Many think the car looks better with a smaller (or less tall) number plate format - or the plate transferred to the bonnet. Only cars from the 1960s have special dispensation for this location (e.g. E-type Jag). As Geoff mentions, this would not be acceptable on a car made in the late 1990s/early 2000s.

I really need to write the article I've been meaning to write for over 5 years, but actually - and surprisingly - the car is more aerodynamically efficient with the standard sized number plate in the standard position. Aerodynamic data from wind tunnel testing reveals that the MGF has a lower drag co-efficient with the number plate fitted compared to it removed, as it reduces the open area of the main radiator intake. (Any open orifice on the front of the car causes aerodynamic drag: it is for similar reasons that MIRA and MG engineers blanked off the upper radiator intakes on the MGTF 200HPD concept.)

Therefore, I'd leave the number plate standard. But I have a sneaking preference to a less tall number plate (as found on the original MGF Cup cars) - but that's purely on aesthetic grounds!

[Baronet]

Thanks Rob...

[David Dixon]

Very interesting Rob, thanx for posting the about the effect of number plates in place or otherwise.

I just wish I could have black and silver plates on my TF, they set it off perfectly. Showtime plates only, sadly.

[Baronet]

You're quite right, the black & silver really works. Tell you what, I'll go stick-on front plates and you fit black & silver and we'll see who gets done first! No? Ok, it was a rather silly suggestion but these niggly rules are very frustrating. Big Brother apparently has to know where you are all the time.

[Rob Bell]

Yes. Just in case you’re a visiting Russian tourist visiting the west country

[Charless]

If memory serves, somebody relatively new on here a few years back moved the number plate away (up?) and modified the front bumper to allow the undisturbed oval aperture. It looked really good but I am sure it had no effect on the already more than adequate cooling.

[MrNatural]

Judging by the number of registrations out there with misleading screw caps to alter the look of the actual registration; the number of plates with the spacing altered; and the lack of policing on the roads, I am sure it would be fine to have a registration on the bonnet or have black and silver plates

[talkingcars]

…...…..I am sure it would be fine to have a registration on the bonnet or have black and silver plates

Would be fine or could attract a fine?

[Baronet]

My goodness! If I am still on God's earth next year, I think I might give it a go! Yes, why the heck not? I'll let members here know how I get on from deep inside my prison cell...

[Geoff.F]

The basic requirement is that your plate must be read by an ANPR camera viz. it is in the right place, right colour and right spacing. If not, then you may have ot take your car to the local police within X days, park up until you fit the right plates or go to court. Multiple offences with a Persoal Plate that is wrong, then DVLA may cancel it.
ANPR is becoming an invasion of our privacy.
Our local Recycling centre which is for domestic waste displays your Reg No. Too many visits and you will be considered commercial.
At a local pub, we paid an expensive parking fee refunded against an order Now anybody parking but not using the pub must buy a ticket however Now your Reg No. is ANPR read and customers enter their Reg. into an I.Pad on the bar.
Geoff.F

[Baronet]

Well you see that's why I don't get the thing about ANPR cameras. They (the cameras) are all mounted fairly high up yes? Well a bonnet mounted plate would be easier to read than one that is in the 'legal' position, yes?