I'm off abroad soon and thought I'd give as much advance warning as possible to the indigenous population that an idiot Brit was driving the car in front so I've got a GB plate. It's vinyl but not adhesive.
I seem to recall they should be fitted wet and squeegeed.
Anyone with experience?
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If it's not "sticky" ( and you have taken any backing paper off ;-) ) then maybe it's one of those "magnetic" ones ( which fall off ).
But if it is a stick on one, or you get one that is, yes, take the backer off and dunk it quickly in warm soapy water. It'll go on no bother without bubbling and for a few moments you'll be able to move it around to get it in the position you want.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Thu 6 Jul 17 at 12:06
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Tis probably static cling, should not need to be wet, nice smooth clean paintwork or glass, lay it on and rub it down to remove the air, rather like fitting a screen protector to a phone or camera.
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If it's not self adhesivee is it intended to be displayed in rear window like various tourist stickers etc.
Never heard of anything non-adhesive for external display. Agree magnetic are useless, We gave up with P plates for my daughter after third one was whipped off over roof at M way speeds.
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Tom our plates are already very distinctive in appearance and personally I don't go out of my way to further identify myself as a tourist. It is just as likely to encourage the wrong sort of driver behaviour or criminal attention as earning you more consideration. Also parked up it identifies you as a potential theft target.
If you do want to use a vinyl GB plate you can smear it with Vaseline (no sniggering) and it will stick to bodywork but remove aftewards without leaving a mark. I used to this when it was a requirement and but these were company cars which are famously impossible to damage ;-).
If its you own car you might want to do a bit more research as to any risk to paint or polish.
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>> Tom our plates are already very distinctive in appearance and personally I don't go out
>> of my way to further identify myself as a tourist. It is just as likely
>> to encourage the wrong sort of driver behaviour or criminal attention as earning you more
>> consideration. Also parked up it identifies you as a potential theft target.
Surely it does that anyway if our plates are very distinctive in appearance?
Post Brexit I suspect French Plod are going to be very anti UK cars
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Too late, the GB plate's on now.
My headlamp beam converters are a Fresnel lens jobby that come with a positional sticker to line up the lens when it's fitted. Thought I'd be clever and stick this dot on now to simplify the fitting of the beam converters at the departure port. I then had a moment of inspiration and thought I'd cover the front of the lights with cling film, like a tear-off, and avoid sticking the converters over dead flies. If the cling film stays on to the departure port, I may stick the converters on top of the cling-film.
Anyone tried something like this?
Last edited by: bathtub tom on Thu 6 Jul 17 at 20:00
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The light adjustment for this car, the last and the next is in a menu for driving on the right. Much easier.
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I so hope the clingfilm idea works, I love hacks like that. I doubt though it will stick firmly enough to cope with any sort of high speed.
And you wouldnt want to lose the converters while abroad if they flew off with the clingfilm. Certainly worth trying on the way to keep the lenses clean before applying the converters direct.
Let us know how it goes.
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>>My headlamp beam converters are a Fresnel lens jobby
Can you explain these? How do they differ from the Halfords etc 'Eurolites'?:
tinyurl.com/y8ao7u4c
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>> The Halfords Eurolites are Fresnel lenses (prisms).
Kind of suspected that.
Usually apply these in ferry assembly row or while travelling on shuttle. Clean headlight lens with screenwash, a lens tissue or meths/alcool a bruler depending on what's available.
On return remove in assembly area or on shuttle using meths/alcool a bruler to disolve adhesive.
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>> >>My headlamp beam converters are a Fresnel lens jobby
>> Can you explain these? How do they differ from the Halfords etc 'Eurolites'?:
They're ebay stuff and not from that place you referred to, (I refuse to go there).
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Never bother with them myself. Just adjust beam to its lowest adjustment.
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How did you attach the GB sticker in the end? Was it sticky after all?
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No adhesive, just vinyl. I put it in some warm, soapy water, removed the backing and carefully put it in place, trying not to trap any air under it.
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>> No adhesive, just vinyl. I put it in some warm, soapy water, removed the backing
>> and carefully put it in place, trying not to trap any air under it.
>>
As I say it's probably a static cling sticker, shouldn't need to be wet, lay it on and rub it down to remove the air, rather like fitting a screen protector to a phone or camera. You can breathe on the glass if it helps.
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>> Never bother with them myself. Just adjust beam to its lowest adjustment.
My car goes acros the channel 3 or 4 times a year and in truth I used to do that too. Not ideal mind you in the winter particularly, as it does restrict your forward vision in hours of darkness.
Fortunately, the last three cars I've had have had the facility to adjust the beam for right side driving from the dash menus.
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>>Never bother with them myself. Just adjust beam to its lowest adjustment.
I was told Les Flics could become quite shirty if they're not fitted, but I suppose they can't know which cars are equipped with switchable dip.
Last edited by: bathtub tom on Fri 7 Jul 17 at 09:31
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Probably best to comply anyway. Having said that, I've never ever been stopped by French police in 35 years of regular trips. Customs yes, but that was not to do with car compliance but simply security checks.
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>> Having said that, I've never ever been stopped by French
>> police in 35 years of regular trips.
Similarly I've been over there at least once a year since 1999 so something approaching 50k miles in France and never had any vehicle related encounter with police. Indeed I've been waved away from roadside spot checks when they spot the UK plate.
Was spoken too once while wandering round a near derelict French railway station. Turned out the train touristique ran from another site in an adjacent street.
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I was once the last car off a ferry (I suppose someone has to be) and then stopped by douane for a full document check. Reckon it delayed me about an hour.
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That Douane can be a really miserable bloke. His mate Sortie is much friendlier, but his girlfriend Peage is a right gold digger.
;-)
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I've used a magnetic one without bother for several years for my weekend shopping trips.
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My only encounter with plod Francais was tre positive.
Late off the Roscoff ferry after a very long crossing, no gas stations open, ended up in Quimper with 10 miles range left on the V6 Vectra computer, lot of gas stations would take credit cards though not Brit credit cards, asked a gendarme, he took me to a gas station, put 100 francs IIRC (it was 2001, Euro intro in France 2002) of quatre vingt dix huit sans plomb into the Vectra, I gave him a note of equivalent value plus tre mercis and we hit the rue ...
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Didnt know your Vectra ran on gas????? :)
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Maybe it was the cooking model?
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>> Maybe it was the cooking model?
>>
Haha, where does that expression come from I wonder?
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>> Didnt know your Vectra ran on gas????? :)
>>
Easier than writing "filling station", and "petrol station" doesn't do the job these days ...
Last edited by: Hard Cheese on Fri 7 Jul 17 at 12:28
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>>Anyone tried something like this?
I remember years ago, maybe even this forum, suggesting something similar for the front of my car driving to the south of France. Make it easier to get rid of the millions of dead beasties from the bumper and bonnet.
Never did try my theory though ......
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i reckon my GB plate magnetic townsend thorenson must be 48 years old . just take it off and stick on the side of fridge, its going to outlast me
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A bit late now, but another solution to the GB sticker issue (assuming you don't have the europlates) are these...
tinyurl.com/y7lm8nth
Just ordered some for my dad. Look like they will do the job..
Last edited by: PR on Thu 13 Jul 17 at 15:56
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The GB plate was fine, unfortunately the Fresnel lens beam deflectors weren't.
I tried to fit these as I waited for the ferry at Portsmouth.
The first one failed as the paper backing separated on the lens part, leaving a thin coat of paper on the lens. Took some time with a fingernail to remove.
The second left its adhesive on the backing paper not the lens. I tried to replace the adhesive on the lens, but the lens promptly tried to fall off the first time I used the headlamps.
I'll leave appropriate feedback!
The outgoing ferry was no great success either. The broom cupboard cabin we were allocated had the lavatory flushing, loudly and intermittently at random (they're an airline type jobby that noisily suck the contents before giving a splash of water). I found a crew member who admitted they couldn't sleep with that noise either and found us another cabin - around midnight!
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Fixing a vinyl GB plate - Runfer D'Hills
