Posts Tagged ‘number plates’

How to Choose the Best Replacement Number Plates Business for You

Wednesday, November 28th, 2012

 

Car License Plate

Whether it is a motorcycle that we zip around town on to run random errands or a mighty SUV that we take on family trips into the country they all have one thing in common: they are registered in a national database by means of their vehicle number plates. These number plates uniquely identify your vehicle. But what happens when you need to get the license plates replaced? How do you choose the right business to handle the job for you?Before we go into the actual choosing of the replacement number plate makers, you need to be informed that in the case that your

plates have been stolen the first thing you might actually want to do is report it to the police. You shouldn’t drag your feet on this one,

considering the fact that the only reason someone would want to steal your number plates is to do some mischief using them as cover. The mischief may be something as relatively innocent as getting out of paying a parking ticket to a more sinister and serious crime which we will leave to your imagination. It would be pretty hard for you to explain how a car, that looks like yours (the thieves always make sure to nick the plates off of cars that look like theirs) and has your number plates on it, isn’t actually the real thing when faced with pictorial evidence

and/or witness testimony. So, go to the police – first and immediately.

To start choosing the best replacement number plates business for you:

  1. Start your online search of all the license plate makers in the UK. You can look for only those that are in your area, but why limit your choices? Besides, today there are businesses that can ship your plates to you wherever in the country you may be. Once you have a list of suitable businesses, search further for reviews that they have received from their clients. Just adding “review” or “reviews” in front or after the business’ names should give you a decent number of search results. Go through the results, and the more you do so, the better a feeling you will have about whether or not you want to deal with them.
  2. Once you have further narrowed down your choices find out their accreditations and affiliations. To begin with, any replacement number plates business in the country needs to be accredited by the DVLA. A professional business will take it further by being a member of organizations that represent their profession and will be proud to show it.
  3. Next, when you start dealing with the business of choice they should be more than happy to be transparent with the paperwork. Try to avoid any shady deals – it might cost you a lot.
  4. Finally, it is the price. It needs to be said, although you know it well: choose the lowest price.
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Getting Number Plates – to Keep Drivers Entertained

Tuesday, November 27th, 2012

 

Birmingham number plates

Birmingham number plates

One of the joys of driving on long trips is reading and interpreting the number plates on vehicles that are in front of you. Apart from being the source of hours of entertainment, reading number plates also helps keep you awake. The challenge of deciphering the various words that are implied on the plates works to keep the mind sharp and focused.

The Plates

The formats of the number plates in the UK follow a pre-defined structure that makes it easy to form words. For example, the format now in use and introduced on September 1st, 2001 consists of seven characters:

- The Local Memory Tag: consists of two alphabets (with the exception of the letters I, Q, and Z) that identify the localregistration office. For example, BD would imply that the vehicle was registered in Birmingham.- The Age: two digits follow next. They are used to identify the year that the vehicle was registered. If it is registered between March and August the last two digits of the year are taken and if it is registered between September and February of the following year 50 is added to the two digits. As an example, a car registered on March 1st, 2010 would have a 10, while another one that was registered on January 1st, 2011 would have a 60 as its age.

- Random Letters: finally, three random letters are appended to ensure the uniqueness of the vehicles. These three letters do not include the letters I and Q and also words that are offensive in English or any other major languages.

The AuthoritiesThe two administrative bodies that overlook the issuance of number plates are the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for Great Britain and the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) for Northern Ireland. But, if you want to get your hands on special number plates that spell out words or phrases you will have to look into the domain of the private number plate dealers.

A few cautions that you might need to consider before making a purchase are:

- That the age on the new number plate is not less than the one on the original one. For example, a “51” plate cannot be replaced with a “50” one.

- And that the number plate dealers are actually accredited by the DVLA – Register of Number Plate Suppliers (RNPS).

This being said, you can now go and look for number plates that will make other drivers read your plates and say “T5 HRT” – t-shirt! Or “OHY 3S” – Oh, yes! You can give yourself a pat on the back – you are doing your part in ensuring road safety by keeping the driver behind you entertained and awake.

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How to stop your car failing an MOT due to number plate issues

Saturday, October 6th, 2012

MOTs can sometimes throw up issues we didn’t know cars had, most commonly problems with brakes and exhausts. But there are some common reasons for failure that can be very easily avoided if you know how. A surprising number of vehicles fail their annual MOT because of problems with their registration plates, but if you check them and follow a few simple rules, you can make sure that this is one area where your vehicle is guaranteed to pass.

The most important thing with your number plates is that they must conform to legal requirements. These changed in 2001, with legal font sizes changing but the basics are the same. To ensure your number plates meet the legal requirements, make sure you get them from a registered registration plate supplier. All suppliers need to register with the DVLA and should display their registration details. These suppliers can only supply plates that conform to legal standards which cover materials, colour, font, font size, and logos and pictures. Many people don’t actually know that it is illegal to display any picture on a licence plate other than the European sign (the yellow stars on a blue background), the Union flag, the St George’s Cross, the St Andrew’s Cross or the Welsh Dragon. It is not permitted to display any other flag, football club emblem or any other picture on a UK registered number plate. It is also illegal to have differently spaced letters and numbers, other than the standard spacing.

Even if you get your number plate from a registered supplier, it is still possible to fall foul of the law if you don’t know the requirements. Any visible fixings must be in the regulated places, and not placed to change the appearance of the letters or numbers, for example to make “11″ look like an “H”. If you want the licence plate to resemble a name, then there are a lot of places that sell registration numbers.

Assuming you have bought your plates from a reputable registered dealer and had them fitted correctly, then they can still cause your car to fail its MOT. Make sure they are not broken, as if the number plate is incomplete then the car will automatically fail. Also check any light bulbs around the plates, as these can also cause a failure in some cases.

Most people are used to checking their tyres and oil, even their brakes, lights and exhaust, but they often forget to check their number plates. Include them in your regular checks, as just a few simple checks can drastically reduce the likelihood of your car failing its MOT due to faulty number plates.

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40 years later, policeman reunited with former squad car

Monday, October 1st, 2012

Imagine being devastated when you can no longer drive your beautiful, specially commissioned car, and seeing it being sold at an auction for just £300. That’s how Tony Peters, an ex traffic-cop from the Mid Anglia police must have felt when his beautiful Ford Lotus Cortina Mark II police car was no longer to be used by the force.

The car, one of only two of its kind commissioned in the early 1970s for the Police, was special because of the Lotus Engine under the bonnet, which allowed it to reach speeds of an unprecedented more than 20 mph more than the other vehicles in the police car fleet at the time. It could do 0-60mph in a staggeringly fast 9 seconds. PC Peters last drove it in 1974 and thought he’d never see it again but was shocked to see an old photograph of it, with him standing beside it, in a classic car magazine recently. The photograph had been taken in 1972 and also featured PC John Cooper, and the car’s current owner hopes to recreate the picture with both men, in the same place.

The car had been bought by a classic car enthusiast, who intended to use the engine and sell the rest for spare parts and scrap, but fortunately for other enthusiasts he decided to restore it, and the magazine featured an article about the car because it was so unusual. And shortly after seeing the photo he was able to be reunited with “Tango 8″ for a new photograph with it.

The car is now worth an estimated £16,000 but even the number plate on it could be worth something. OEB580H isn’t one of the most desirable vintage number plates, but it is still worth something to a collector of classic vehicle registration numbers. And with the format of registration plates having changed, the old 1963-1983 format of 3 letters, 3 numbers and a date-identifying letter is highly sought after.  So even if the car isn’t worth much as a roadworthy vehicle the number plate may be worth more than you think. Platinum Plates can give you a free no-obligation quotation if you are thinking of selling a registration number, so give them a call to discuss your options.

To finish this story, the other car of the pair that were originally commissioned, has also been found and is being restored in Kent by an experienced Ford mechanic. Wouldn’t it be great if the two of them could be pictured again? That would be a great picture in car and police history.

 

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BB King honoured on number plates

Wednesday, September 26th, 2012

The US State of Mississippi will soon be changing the image on its vehicle registration plates.

From 2007 the state’s number plates have included an image of the Biloxi Lighthouse which was a symbol of the region’s survival of the horrific Hurricane Katrina. The lighthouse stood through the storm and became a powerful symbol. The change isn’t because the state now wants to forget this though. The registration plates in Mississippi are changed every 5 years. Every time they change, there are some who welcome the change, and some who dislike it. This one is proving to be a little controversial as many people think that Hurricane Katrina should be remembered in this way for longer.

However Mississippi is looking to increase tourism and one of the many draws it has its musical legacy. It is one of the traditional centres of Blues music, and BB King is one of the Blues’ biggest legends. To commemorate this, the state will from 1st October be including an image of BB King’s guitar, known as Lucille, on all new registration plates. The words “Birthplace of America’s music” will also be included, surrounding the guitar. The hope is that it will draw tourists into the state, which will further aid recovery from the ravages of the hurricane that caused so much damage. Who knows what images the licence plates may have in the future? Mississippi Mud Pie perhaps?!

Because some US states change their plates’ design, they can become collectors’ items. Unlike in the UK where all legal number plates have to conform to a strict design, and unauthorised images are not allowed, US plates can be more attractive and therefore collectable. Whilst they aren’t legal plates to use on UK registered cars, some collectors simply like displaying them. It isn’t illegal to own a US plate in the UK, but it is illegal to display it on an unauthorised vehicle. Full details of UK legal number plates can be found on the platesbypost website, and any registered number plate maker should only make plates to the legal specification.

 

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Hot Leathers Motors into Pawtucket, RI for the McCoy Motorcycle & Classic Car …

Monday, May 14th, 2012

On May 12, the industry leader in motorcycle clothing Hot Leathers will be in Pawtucket, Rhode Island for a special event, The McCoy Motorcycle & Classic Car with custom plates Show. Hot Leathers is proud to be sponsoring this event. Plenty of merchandise will be showcased this year, and the event is expected to draw a nice crowd.

Read the full article here:

Hot Leathers Motors into Pawtucket, RI for the McCoy Motorcycle & Classic Car …

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Best bets in Marin County, May 10 through 17, 2012

Monday, May 14th, 2012

Americans love classic cars, but they’re not the only vehicles you can see during San Rafael’s May Madness Classic Car Parade and Rockin’ Street Dance. College of Marin students will also be showing their electric-converted Volkswagen, while Mayor Gary Phillips will dedicate the city’s next generation of electric vehicle charging stations. There will also be food, beer, and kids’ activities to make a full family evening.

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Best bets in Marin County, May 10 through 17, 2012

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VintageAntique Ontario License PlatesVarious Years Oakville Halton …

Friday, May 11th, 2012

This is NOT a link to an article. This is a link to a vintage number plates auction listing. I have no interest at all in vintage license plates. another shameless excuse to use Mturk as a platform for advertising. This is inappropriate. Didn’t you know I would have no interest in Vintage License Plates whatsoever? Why waste people’s time, when you could post your ad elsewhere and find people who were actually interested in vintage license plates? You had better pay me, or you will be in trouble… Hope you enjoyed my critique! Next time, show me a real article, ok? Thanks. Bye.

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VintageAntique Ontario License PlatesVarious Years Oakville Halton …

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Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster is a sure classic

Friday, May 11th, 2012

The new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG could be seen as the modern form of the 300SL. Beautiful and high performance, these cars pay homage to those earlier classics. They have a motor that is mid-mount, power monitored to the rear wheels. They have the long front hood and short body overhangs of the old cars and other classic design parts with a custom plate. They just might become classics of their own.

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Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster is a sure classic

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Red 1936 Chevy Coupe shines at show

Thursday, May 10th, 2012

The highlight of a car show is a Red 11936 Coup Chevy. It looks similar to a Volks Bug, but longer and bright red. They estimate that the car is worth more than 50,000, almost the price of some small houses. The car only has 12 miles on it to be so old with a custom plate. He mostly tows it to the shows and competition locations.

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Red 1936 Chevy Coupe shines at show

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