Black registration plates

griffo_001

griffo_001

griffo_001

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Solihull/Cardiff
I've got a 1971 car on a xxx 123 K plate which has always been the vehicles registration plate. Its currently got a set of white and yellow plates on it which are quite scruffy so I'm looking for some replacements.

Can someone please confirm that I can use the black background plates legally on the road in UK? The car definitely had them back in 1971.

Can you also point me to somewhere that can make them?

I assume anything printed by a legal above-board shop like Halfrauds will have to be white and yellow? Which I guess leaves shady online places doing "show plates". These places seem to do absolutely any sort of plate you want: pressed, plastic, silver letters, white letters etc etc so can someone tell me exactly what a 1970's era plate would have looked like? (I'm far too young :p )

Cheers Motors :)
 
You can indeed use them - they're legal on any car made before 31/12/72.

Original black and silver plates tended to be pressed steel, which some places can still produce. Others have metal or plastic backing with physical 3D letters and numbers stuck on top - but those tended to be on the modern white/yellow backgrounds (as many cars that were eligible for black plates actually ended up wearing white/yellow plates when first registered to keep their appearance fresh).

A plain black background, silver text, pressed steel plate would not be out of era for it. As for what it would have actually had on it, that's hard to tell - as it could have either been the black plate (like on Triumphs and Rovers below) or the more 'modern' white/yellow backed plate, like on the blue Triumph shown below.

http://www.pl8s.co.uk/

http://www.craigsplates.com/shopping/index.php?route=product/category&path=50_63

Mine on pressed steel plates:

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The equally period '3D' plates (http://www.pl8s.co.uk/Framptons-Pre-1963-Number-Plates.php, last few):

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The Rover's rear plate was also equally period but was strictly 2D and had some interesting reflective stuff in the characters. Hard to see in the pics but I've included them as an example. Framptons do this style, it's called 'Silverline' - near the bottom: http://www.pl8s.co.uk/Framptons-Number-Plates-1963-to-1973.php

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Last edited:
I'm actually ashamed.
The first thought that popped into my head when I skimmed the title in search was "That's a bit racist even for here!" and then realised it was in motors, and that's a new low even for me :eek:
 
Pressed steel it is, cheers Lashout :)

How are you on twin carb Rover V8's that have been sat in barns for 10 years? :D

Mr Gimp said:
I'm actually ashamed.
The first thought that popped into my head when I skimmed the title in search was "That's a bit racist even for here!" and then realised it was in motors, and that's a new low even for me :eek:
Click to expand...

:D I did try to word it as PC as I could, before releasing it was useless and giving up :p
 
Pretty good, first thing's first, don't start it - haha. Rover V8 oil pumps don't self prime so if it's been sat it'll either generate no pressure at all, or take long enough that in the meantime it spins all the bearings.

Easy answer? Fill it to the brim (yes, up to the rocker covers) with oil, then drain it out until the 'maximum' mark on the dip is reached.......Voila, oil pump primed :D
 
Lashout_UK said:
Pretty good, first thing's first, don't start it - haha. Rover V8 oil pumps don't self prime so if it's been sat it'll either generate no pressure at all, or take long enough that in the meantime it spins all the bearings.

Easy answer? Fill it to the brim (yes, up to the rocker covers) with oil, then drain it out until the 'maximum' mark on the dip is reached.......Voila, oil pump primed :D
Click to expand...

The extent of the work on the engine thus far has been: Checking it's got an engine :D Cheers for the tips :)
 
:D Anytime. You can do it by taking out the dizzy as well and putting a drive on the end of an electric drill to spin it but you have to make some kind of drive then, too, or borrow one.

Other than that clean the points, make sure it's got fresh fuel, make sure the floats are free in the carbs, as well as the dashpots, that everything moves freely, spin it over on the starter for a while to build up some pressure, then set the dogs loose!

If it's been sat for that long you can dribble a little oil down the bores as well, through the plug holes, just to help it along - and spin it over with the plugs out just in case there's anything that there shouldn't be in the cylinders. Makes it easier for the starter as well, if it's been sat for a decade.
 
What do you reckon about switching it to electronic ignition? (Once I've got it up and running) Its a Range Rover that's getting a restoration with an odd mix of obsessive attention to details (Hence the plates :p ) and a 2 inch lift and MT tyres so I can play in it :D

Shameless plug :D

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No, I don't own it any more (it's in Ireland now, haha) - didn't know there was one around here but doesn't suprise me! What colour was it? :D
 
IIRC, technically, any plate made after 2001 must be BSAU compliant, however, proving it was made after that date is impossible and therefore, despite any pressed metal plate being illegal, the law is simply unenforceable.
 
I often fancied getting old style black plates for my black e38, they look great.

Shame the law thought different, so I never bothered.

Lashout, I love that Triumph 2000 :cool: - brings back fond memories of my dads....

2.0 straight six iirc?
 
Live in Guernsey and you can have black plates on any car! Got black plates on my black 2005 Evo 9...... couldn't imagine having ugly yellow/white ones on! :D
 
I've got black pressed plates on my Golf. Sure, technically it's not old enough (it's an '85) but I've never been bothered by the law about them. I guess they just see that it's an old car and don't take any notice :shrugs:

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Nice Range Rover :)

You should have good fun restoring that! I've rebuilt several over the years and quite fancy doing another.
 
R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Lashout, I love that Triumph 2000 :cool: - brings back fond memories of my dads....

2.0 straight six iirc?
Click to expand...

Yea it was! Beautiful car to drive, extremely modern in a lot of respects - some people who were lucky enough to drive it found it just like driving a 'normal' car, barring the lack of PAS (which some did have).

May be buying another this weekend! :)

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And the old one:

 
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