Is a US number plate size ok?

Robotsan

Robotsan

Club Member
Finally got the reg for my 76 280z, so now going to order some nice black & silver plates for it.

I've read a lot of threads on the site, and have seen a lot of variation in plate styles and sizes! It seems the general consensus is you can get away with a bit of rule bending on an old car, but the main thing that pisses off the plod is the lettering being too small, close together or spaced to look like a word?

As I've got a US import, the rear plate holder is for 300mm x 150mm / 12" X 6" plates. It seems that this size isn't technically legal in the UK, but will I get away with it? It's not on a private plate, just regular 7 number so will be split over 2 lines. The only thing I'm thinking is whether the font will be ok? This website doesn't state the size of the lettering but the font is pretty bloody clear I reckon?

Screenshot_20221208-184006.png
 

Build thread of a novice.

Here lies the small beginnings of one novice restorer's dream to restore his car and have fun in the process. I will admit early that this whole project entirely is a brand new venture for myself having no experience whatsoever apart from upgrading the horn and changing the head unit for a 6 CD...
zclub.net zclub.net

Don't know if the link in my post is dead or not bud, but that's the plates I've got and never been pulled.

Course you have to actually have your car on the road to be pulled but still...
 
MCBladeRun said:

Build thread of a novice.

Here lies the small beginnings of one novice restorer's dream to restore his car and have fun in the process. I will admit early that this whole project entirely is a brand new venture for myself having no experience whatsoever apart from upgrading the horn and changing the head unit for a 6 CD...
zclub.net zclub.net

Don't know if the link in my post is dead or not bud, but that's the plates I've got and never been pulled.

Course you have to actually have your car on the road to be pulled but still...
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Cheers Martin! Haha yeah has your plate seen a road yet? 😂

Ok that's interesting.. the 4th plate down on that website you linked to in your thread has a weird thin font, which is different to the one on your plate? Whereas your plate looks like it has the right UK font?

Screenshot_20221208-192351~2.png
 
@MCBladeRun your plate's font definitely looks like the UK legal 'Charles Wright' font which looks totally different to the font in that pic on their website. I'm confused!

Screenshot_20221208-193631.png
Robotsan said:
Cheers Martin! Haha yeah has your plate seen a road yet? 😂

Ok that's interesting.. the 4th plate down on that website you linked to in your thread has a weird thin font, which is different to the one on your plate? Whereas your plate looks like it has the right UK font?

View attachment 54896
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I don't recall anyone ever moaning about their non standard plates being questioned by Police, or the MOT station for that matter.

If the font is correct, the sizing is kind of a non issue it would seem for old Z's
 
toopy said:
I don't recall anyone ever moaning about their non standard plates being questioned by Police, or the MOT station for that matter.

If the font is correct, the sizing is kind of a non issue it would seem for old Z's
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Yeah agreed, that's why I'm getting hung up on the difference between the font on the website and on Martin's plate.

I have found out that you can't physically fit 2 rows of the UK legal sized font on a 12x6 plate. Would need to be 8" high to fit that.

But it seems if you have a US or JDM import, you can use a smaller font size. But I don't know if it has to be the UK font style or not..

I've emailed that Chestnut Plates, hopefully they can clear it up.
 
jonbills said:
Just get what you fancy. You won't get pulled. And even if you do, they will only tell you to change it.
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AD240Z said:
Agree with Jon

This is the chestnut American on my car - alongside the pressed aluminium larger size I took off .

View attachment 54899
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Thanks both! Yeah I'm pretty set on the 12x6 plate and probably from Chestnut. Just confused cos the font looks weird on their website.

Thanks @AD240Z good to see the difference. Does it have the little bit of text saying who the plate supplier is etc?
 
Robotsan said:
Thanks both! Yeah I'm pretty set on the 12x6 plate and probably from Chestnut. Just confused cos the font looks weird on their website.

Thanks @AD240Z good to see the difference. Does it have the little bit of text saying who the plate supplier is etc?
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No worries . The chap at Chestnut was quite helpful i recall.

No text re supplier . Just as you see .
 
@MCBladeRun & @AD240Z - which plate did you go for on the front? I can't immediately spot one on Chestnut that's a match for the 12x6 plate in terms of font.

I would ask Chestnut but they no longer take phone calls!
 
Email them I guess? Send them a pic of mine and ask which one looks like that?

Both my front and rear are the same
 
Ended up speaking to https://www.classicplatesonline.co.uk/ instead and they were really helpful. He's doing me custom sizes - a 12" x 6.5" silver on black with silver outline for the rear, and a 17" x 4" for the front. So smaller than usual for both ends, and 2.5" high letters instead of UK standard of 3.1". But matching font which is what I wanted. £70 all in.

So the rear is legal as it's a US import, but he said the front will be a grey area, although he said it'll be fine on an old car like you guys have said.
 
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