Sticking number plates on

[uk_dave&gill]

Is this technical enough for technical?!

I've had a personal plate on retention for a while now, and finally got round to sorting the paperwork to get it on the car today (that was fun..... not)

I've got some new plates on order, but for now am using old ones that came off my previous car. These were screwed on, but the Rover plates are stick on, so I decided to stick with stick ons! I've pulled the old plates off and stuck the personal ones on with double sided pads bought from Halfords. It's OK for now, but would like to make a better job with the new ones when they come.

So.... How do I clean the old sticky pad stuff off the car to make a nice clean surface to adhere to?

[T-Cut]

With a bit of elbow grease! Those double sided adhesive pads/tapes are extreamly tenaceous. Even if you manage to pull the outer layers away, they always seem to leave a bit of foam stuck fast. The residue really needs something to soften/dissolve the adhesive, without dissolving the paintwork. You could try warming the stuff with a hairdrier to soften it. Another way is to dollop some white spirit on and allow it to soak in for a few hours. You can also get those aerosol sticky stuff removers which are quite good. Eventually, you'll get the panel clear and this should be given a good going over with white spirit and/or isopropanol and allowed to dry thoroughly before applying the new plate. The important thing here is to ensure it's located exactly where you want it before putting it to the surface. There's no second chance with this stuff.

[uk_dave&gill]

Advice appreciated!

I needed to know if I could use white spirit or similar without dissolving the entire car....

Managed to get the "old" plates on perfectly, but what's the betting the new ones go on wonky!

[uk_dave&gill]

ps Rang up insurance to inform them of change

I was ready in case they asked me to clarify the number, with the Police style names for the letters, "Delta November Hotel" for DNH

Except I said "Delta Notel Hovember", so just hope the document comes through right! :-)

[baxlin]

Not being a trusting soul, I doubled up on the amount of sticky pads the blurb on the packet said I needed, what with the big smiley plate on the rear, and a bit of a "bend" in the front plate.

[uk_dave&gill]

Originally Posted by baxlin

Not being a trusting soul, I doubled up on the amount of sticky pads the blurb on the packet said I needed, what with the big smiley plate on the rear, and a bit of a "bend" in the front plate.

There was no blurb on the packs I got! There were four pads in each, which I assumed was two per plate, so I got two packs intending one pack for now (old plates) and one for new plates. When I saw how small they were, I used the lot!

[T-Cut]

In my opinion, 'Sticky Fixer Strip' by Sellotape is the best there is for these permanent attachments. It comes in a 3 metre roll 25mm wide and sticks like - well, it sticks!

[calibrax]

For removing the remains of the sticky pads, I find this stuff to be the best I've tried...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=290151370851

Been using it for a couple of years now... still amazes me how efficient it is!

[StevenWilliams]

If you have a Robert Dyas or something similar in your town you can get 'sticky stuff remover'. It's perfect for removing old gunk and does not damage the paint. I used it when I bought mu smily plate.

I went to a local auto factors and they gave me some number plate sticky pads that seem to have done the job.

[FROGGY]

Not allowed to use "stickies" over here.

The plate has to be permanently fixed with pop rivets to prevent theft. You can buy coloured covers for the rivets to disguise them, but it does spoil the looks a little.

Mick