Anyone got rid of the front number plate plinth?

[zed4]

Hi,

I've got a Cayman S (987) and I've got a short reg with a narrower front number plate. It's actually narrower than the plinth, so won't look great if I fit it.

Has anyone removed the front number plate plinth all together? Would the number plate mount to the bumper without a plinth, like the Aston Martin owners do with their V8Vs?

If not, I'll look st cutting down the plinth.

[Bennachie]

Problem is the original supplying dealer techs just bang self tappers into the bumper cover to hold the plinth on so removing it exposes some very nasty looking holes. Depends how 'short' is 'short'

[BubblesNW]

Bennachie said:

Problem is the original supplying dealer techs just bang self tappers into the bumper cover to hold the plinth on so removing it exposes some very nasty looking holes. Depends how 'short' is 'short'

I had this on my 981. Dealer had fitted the plinth but I wanted a stick-on front plate.

So I removed the plinth, trimmed the raised plastic around the 2 holes with a curved Stanley blade until it was all flat and then applied the sticker. You would need to run your finger over it to tell the holes are there.

Stick on number plates are available from dmb.uk.com

and no, I have no connection with them apart from being a happy customer.

[IknowJoseph]

Is the 987 the same as the 996 / 986? If so, there's not any dealer made holes for the plinth, just 2 holes in the bumper from the factory:



I couldn't find Caymen parts diagram, so couldn't check. I took the plinth off my 996 and the holes in the bumper have not been an issue. You'd just need to make two new holes for your number plate, or, a better idea I think, get a stick on jobbie.



I'd suggest that you just try to take it apart. It'll be the quickest way to find out, and if you don't like what you discover just put it back together again.

[zed4]

Thanks for the replies.

It's a six digit registration, so not that short, but with just six digits and no EU/GB flag it is a fair bit shorter than the usual. It's still legal size.

I'm currently working away, without my car, and I'm pondering how I'll fit the front plate, hence the post. If I was at home with the car, I'd take the plinth off to have a look! Currently bored in a hotel room, browsing PH!

Ps. I will be sticking the plate on with sticky pads, not screwing it on.

These are the plates, rear is shaped for the recess. Front is as small as I can go whilst being legal.

Edited by zed4 on Friday 15th January 22:16

[BubblesNW]

zed4 said:

Thanks for the replies.

It's a six digit registration, so not that short, but with just six digits and no EU/GB flag it is a fair bit shorter than the usual. It's still legal size.

I'm currently working away, without my car, and I'm pondering how I'll fit the front plate, hence the post. If I was at home with the car, I'd take the plinth off to have a look! Currently bored in a hotel room, browsing PH!

Ps. I will be sticking the plate on with sticky pads, not screwing it on.

These are the plates, rear is shaped for the recess. Front is as small as I can go whilst being legal.

Edited by zed4 on Friday 15th January 22:16

It depends on the curve of the front PU and the resistance to bend of the plate. It can probably be done but everything need to be degreased, warm and the plate held in place mechanically for a few hours after application.

Rear one will be no problem.

[BubblesNW]

zed4 said:

Thanks for the replies.

It's a six digit registration, so not that short, but with just six digits and no EU/GB flag it is a fair bit shorter than the usual. It's still legal size.

I'm currently working away, without my car, and I'm pondering how I'll fit the front plate, hence the post. If I was at home with the car, I'd take the plinth off to have a look! Currently bored in a hotel room, browsing PH!

Ps. I will be sticking the plate on with sticky pads, not screwing it on.

These are the plates, rear is shaped for the recess. Front is as small as I can go whilst being legal.

Edited by zed4 on Friday 15th January 22:16

It depends on the curve of the front PU and the resistance to bend of the plate. It can probably be done but everything need to be degreased, warm and the plate held in place mechanically for a few hours after application.

Rear one will be no problem.

[mikecassie]

If it's like the front plate on my Cayman S, the dealer managed to use self tapping screws long enough to go through the plate, plinth and into the bumper. I was fizzing as I'd asked them not to use screws, a pet OCD hate with me from my days of doing PDI's and fitting plates myself...

I wonder if the front plate will need to be held on for a reasonable period with tape or similar to allow the sticky pads to gain a full hold? We had to do this on some of the machines I worked on.

[Heaveho]

The plates I got from my OPC last month were metal, and I just bent the curvature into the front one carefully by hand. If you have a perspex plate, I find they can be shaped by judicious use of a hot air gun.

[Martian O]

Won't that rear plate cover up the towing eye cap?

[jkh112]

Look like fourdot plates.
You could have had the front plate made with the reflective part in the smallest uk size, but the 'spare' border in the same colour as the car. This keeps the look you want but hides the plinth. There is a photo on the fourdot website of a black gt3 with this fitted (plus the optional martini stripes).

[arcamalpha]

I've got a sticky-back plastic type plastic stuck straight onto the PU.

The picture isn't great, but you can see how it follows the contours of the PU. It's about 1mm thick and is reflective with the standard size letters etc.

Edited by arcamalpha on Sunday 17th January 09:31

[zed4]

jkh112 said:

Look like fourdot plates.
You could have had the front plate made with the reflective part in the smallest uk size, but the 'spare' border in the same colour as the car. This keeps the look you want but hides the plinth. There is a photo on the fourdot website of a black gt3 with this fitted (plus the optional martini stripes).

Yes, they're Fourdot plates. I didn't think about the plinth when I bought them, I just wanted a smaller plate so I bought their zero plate. In hindsight I probably should have gone for the larger front plate.

[Klippie]

I was in the same boat as you, my reg is five digits and I wanted to have a shorter plate but there were holes in the bumper at the outer edges of the plinth.

The only solution I could come up with apart from filling and repainting the bumper was to colour code the plinth and live with a full size plate, not ideal but its OK.

[jkh112]

zed4 said:

Yes, they're Fourdot plates. I didn't think about the plinth when I bought them, I just wanted a smaller plate so I bought their zero plate. In hindsight I probably should have gone for the larger front plate.

Here is the my new front plate from fourdot. I too wanted the zero plate but in order to cover the plinth I ordered a full size plate with a black background as it will go on a black car, the actual reflective part is the same size as a zero plate.

[Whitean3]

As others have said, it's worth taking the plate off and seeing what lurks underneath.
I believe that the Porsche bumpers will just have 2 holes in them, reasonably close together; plinths/supports/number plate holders of different sizes (for different country requirements) can then be attached neatly. Here's a pic of my old car (lovely small Swiss reg plates



Hopefully any previous dealers/owners haven't just gone gung ho on the bumper with self tappers and a cordless drill... you should be able to get hold/modify a smaller backing plate for your shorter number plates.

[zed4]

Got home late last night. Managed to fit the rear plate this morning before, but ran out of time to do the front, so it's sat in the windscreen at the moment. I did pull off the old plate which was screwed to the plinth, but didn't take the plinth off. Will continue tonight!

[Richard Hamilton]

There is an alternative plinth, which looks smaller. This is from the 987.1 section of PET.



The standard plinth fitted in the UK is I211. The I210 plinth is about £24.00+VAT.

[Slickhillsy]

Could always consider leaving the front plate off altogether. I've not had one on this or my previous GT3 for years and never been pulled. Even if you do it would only be a finger wag / producer to fit at worst. It's personal but I think cars can be ruined by a nasty front plate...

[zed4]

Richard Hamilton said:

There is an alternative plinth, which looks smaller. This is from the 987.1 section of PET.



The standard plinth fitted in the UK is I211. The I210 plinth is about £24.00+VAT.

Thanks, I wonder if it's any narrower, it looks like it might just be shorter.