Matt H's BX 14TGE

mnde · Post by **mnde** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 1:29 pm

Matt H wrote:Czech Wrecks Banger rally

I'm well intrigued.... what's this like - any pics?

Mark.

Matt H · Post by **Matt H** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:09 pm

Well, here is the official CzechWrecks website, and here is the aronline coverage...

In the spirit of the event, they have decided to go in a 1997 Skoda Felicia GLXi estate... Which is actually slower than my 14.

Post by **Tim Leech** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:29 pm

Matt H wrote:Small update:

Proper French front number plate fitted...

.

Regards,
Matt

Love the plates Matt

Matt H · Post by **Matt H** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 2:16 am

Cheers Tim, but the car is still sat in my garage looking a bit sad... Just waiting to get paid, then it's going to have all those little bits sorted, as well as the big thing.

Have been a bit quiet on here the last few weeks, but there should be some updates soon.

Post by **docchevron** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:58 pm

Isn't this number plate thing getting rather childish?

Whether you like them or not, they aint legal for use on the queens highway. END.
Personally I couldn't give two shits if you want to keep them or not, but it has been pointed out they aint legal, and this is a public forum which may be seen by the plod.

I think the initial advice should be taken as someone proffering helpful advice rather than some attack on your character.

And if either of you do get pulled by the plod and fined for it, I shant say "I told you so" as Tim suggested in t'other thread, since, er, well, you've been told!

Matt H · Post by **Matt H** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:55 pm

Well put Doc, can't really argue with that, and to be honest wouldn't want to, because I didn't join this forum for this.

If the police are reading this, the car is off the road at the minute, and hasn't actually been driven on the road with the plates on... there are no pictures of it on the road with these plates on... and for the more observant, you will actually have noticed the plates on the car last taken on the road had UK standard plates on it.

Do you think we can draw a line under all this number plate crap now... It's getting a bit tiresome.

Not aimed at anyone in particular.

I won't be saying any more on the subject, as it isn't really being constructive.

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:17 pm

I will say something constructive, if I may, then change the subject. The reason for the police being so strict on correct numberplates at the moment is to protect YOU. If your car gets stolen and you report it as such, how will the ANPR cameras recognise it? The crook could drive it straight past a police patrol and they wouldn't know it was a stolen car, as the OCR software on the cameras can only read UK-spec plates. If they're show plates, there's no problem... but why not make show plates with an actual French registration on? Or something like "BX14TGE" or "BXCLUB CO UK"?

mike st gilles · Post by **mike st gilles** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 7:49 pm

To add to the above as ex plod I can definitely tell you that even though most plod really couldn't give a toss about your reg nos. anything thats out of the ordinary is going to get 'pulled over'; the theory being 'if this is wrong there could well be other things'.........(much more serious) hence the interest. Same thing with the 'noisy'...racing exhaust or the blue washer lights as fitted by the nova/corsa boys et al........its alerting your presence to them.....ie. making your car stick out from the crowd of mediocrity........as long as evrything else is all right you're ok but then how many of our cars are 100%......

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:25 pm

I'm right in thinking that its the font & the spacing of the letters/numbers that makes them illegal, rather than the blue bit with F in it?

Got to agree with those who said they were illegal, i just wouldnt want to risk it, only takes a copper having a bad day & you'll get pulled & potentially get a hideous fine which is more than the car cost

Again, unfortunately what someone types can get misinterpreted, lets hope all parties who feel irritated by this, can just move on from this, afterall the facts have been established.

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:45 pm

MULLEY wrote:I'm right in thinking that its the font & the spacing of the letters/numbers that makes them illegal, rather than the blue bit with F in it?

Both aspects are illegal. The font is not an approved UK font, and if you REALLY want to have a little "F" on your car number plate, you need to go and buy a french registered car. A UK car must display a GB symbol if it's going to display anything.

Even sticking a separate "GB" sticker on the car doesn't mean you can "get away" with having the "F" on your number plate. Any EU identification on the car should match where it was registered.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:16 pm

Just had a look on the DVLA website:

Number plates fitted before 1.9.2001 (this covers all BX's) must display characters that meet the dimensions shown in one of the two groups below:

Group 1 Group 2
Character height 89 mm 79 mm
Character width (except the figure 1 or letter I) 64 mm 57 mm
Character stroke 16 mm 14 mm
Space between characters 13 mm 11 mm
Space between groups 38 mm 33 mm
Side margins (minimum) 13 mm 11 mm
Top and bottom margins (minimum) 13 mm 11 mm
Space between vertical lines 19 mm 19 mm

The Euro-symbol

Motorists may, if they wish, display the Euro symbol and GB national identifier on the number plate. This will dispense with the need for a separate GB sticker when travelling within the EU.

The symbol must conform to the EC Council Regulation 2411/98 which states the height must be a minimum of 98mm the width must be a minimum of 40mm, maximum of 50mm. The background must be of retro-reflecting blue with 12 retro-reflecting yellow stars at the top and the distinguishing sign of the Member State (GB) in retro-reflecting white
or yellow.

So David is spot on with his observations.

No mention of what borders if any you can use & whether any subtle msgs or logo's can be used? I presume that if all of the above regulations are in place on your plate, then as long as anything else on the plate doesnt interfere, then its legal?

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:23 pm

DavidRutherford wrote: Both aspects are illegal.

It seems that all accept this David but for some strange reason some desire to break the law knowingly.

To put an F badge on it is facile. We like the cars because they are Citroens not because they are French. It wouldn't matter where they are made, it was the BX itself that appealed and as one who twice bought new BX's I know that to be a fact!.

Where will this spoof rebadging end? ........Ripping the Citroen badges off and replacing them with Pug badges..

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:06 pm

MULLEY wrote:No mention of what borders if any you can use & whether any subtle msgs or logo's can be used? I presume that if all of the above regulations are in place on your plate, then as long as anything else on the plate doesnt interfere, then its legal?

The current ruling as far as I know is that all number plates must show (in the little bit of text at the bottom) the originating supplier of the plate. Thus, on new cars it will be the original supplying dealer and on plates you have made up later, it will be the name of the garage or motor factor who made the plate up. A border around the plate is optional.

Again, there are a plethora of companies who will make you up any plate you like with any old rubbish in the text at the bottom, but these are sold for off-road use only and are not strictly legal. Same is true of the little stickers that some motor dealers used to (and in some cases still do) stick over the name at the bottom of the plate, with their own name on it. Not sure if these were ever legal, but they're definitely not now.

Post by **docchevron** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:51 am

DavidRutherford wrote:The current ruling as far as I know is that all number plates must show (in the little bit of text at the bottom) the originating supplier of the plate.

And their post code.

Matt H · Post by **Matt H** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:46 am

Okay. Sorry to everyone out there who I might have offended.

Way2go wrote:
DavidRutherford wrote: Both aspects are illegal.
It seems that all accept this David but for some strange reason some desire to break the law knowingly.

To put an F badge on it is facile. We like the cars because they are Citroens not because they are French. It wouldn't matter where they are made, it was the BX itself that appealed and as one who twice bought new BX's I know that to be a fact!.

Where will this spoof rebadging end? ........Ripping the Citroen badges off and replacing them with Pug badges..

People seem to be making a lot of assumptions here.

I guess this is aimed at me, seeing as this is the thread named Matt H's BX 14.

The plates were given to me by my dad, who had them made when he was in France a few months ago. I was still undecided on them when I posted the pic up here all those months back.

You say I have knowingly broken the law... well that would be the case if I had driven the car on the road with these plates on. The first time I drove the car since the plates were fitted was on that wet Sunday morning, on my way to the Stratford show, when the head gasket went.

If you had actually read what I posted earlier, you would have seen that on this day, the BX had the original UK number plates fitted. These are the plates fitted to the car by a Citroen dealer in the early 90s, not the French ones.

Also note the Citroen, not Peugeot badges.

Please get your facts straight before you accuse me of breaking the law.