elamessa Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I noticed this morning that the front number plate on my car has fallen off.Can I drive the car to get another one made up or do I need to put some kind of temporary plate on to drive it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericd Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 The real answer is take your car to the plate maker and if stopped by the gendarmes be "extremely surprised" as it must have fallen since you have left home 30mn ago...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Make sure that you have your carte grise with you when you go, I know that you are always supposed to have it with you,but make sure that you do. They will ask for it when you get the plate, or at least that is what happened to us when we changed plates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elamessa Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 Yes, I have to risk it and i'm off to get another one made up in a couple of minutes. Lets hope the rivets hold this one on........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elamessa Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 [quote user="idun"]Make sure that you have your carte grise with you when you go, I know that you are always supposed to have it with you,but make sure that you do. They will ask for it when you get the plate, or at least that is what happened to us when we changed plates.[/quote]Carte Grise is always in the car so will have it when we get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 You could phone ahead to your garage and say you're on your way to get a plate made up. That way, in the unlikely event that you did encounter an officer of the law, you would have some recourse it they decided to fine you.I'm sure a temporary plate wouldn't hurt but I doubt it's much better than none at all, except to advertise the fact that you were aware it had fallen off.Sorry, I see that everybody is posting at the same time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Currently a plate has to be installed on your vehicle professionally/agrées by rivets; the days of plastic screws are over; a difficult exercise to achieve if you leave the vehicle at home. The carte grise etc will already be in your vehicle before you put the keys in the ignition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex H Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 [quote user="pachapapa"]Currently a plate has to be installed on your vehicle professionally/agrées by rivets; [/quote]Not sure that's quite right. Our local Carrefour supplied the plates and the rivets for me to fit at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 There is no requirement for plates to be installed professionally/agrées - that's why the keycutter kiosks sell them so people can fit them themselves......[8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Now not sure about the "tiges cylindrique".http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000020237128&dateTexte= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman II Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Just a thought - I think I would report the loss / possible theft of the plate to the Gendarmes as it may possibly have been taken by somebody with a similar car to fool radar traps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elamessa Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 Went to the garage and 10 minutes and €18 later new number plate fitted. it appears that the old rivet had snapped. Job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 [quote user="Tandem_Pilot"][quote user="pachapapa"]Currently a plate has to be installed on your vehicle professionally/agrées by rivets; [/quote]Not sure that's quite right. Our local Carrefour supplied the plates and the rivets for me to fit at home.[/quote]Carrefour presumably authorised to make up plates; Leclerc dont do it in Parthenay but there is a boutique next to the east entrance. Set of rivets four of them cost around € 4,50; you are fortunate to have a proper rivetter at home. The use of a rivet is not mentioned in the Government Regulations;http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexteArticle.do;jsessionid=9380235EF9DB6FB0315BE99C6DEEC191.tpdjo05v_3?idArticle=LEGIARTI000020243065&cidTexte=LEGITEXT000020243054&dateTexte=20110308the relevant Article only specifies the requirement to be fixed "inamovible"; ie permanently fixed. The rivet is reputed to be a permanent fixture but this is of course a subjective evaluation and would depend on the quality of the rivet and he expertise and equipment used in the installation. The professional installation of the plate would remove any direct liability regarding the permanence of the fitting. Indeed most punters will not have a rivetter on hand, so the modest charge of € 5/6 for professional fitting will ease any potential anxieties. As plates now remain with the car for life and are not now changed when moving to another department the long term permanency of the installation is advantageous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 We're now into the realms of subjective evaluation of the simple fitting of a number plate.....[blink]I have plated up five vehicles since I came to France and none of my plates has ever fallen off because of failure of the rivets or though lack of expertise in using the equipment.I buy cheap plates from a keycutter kiosk and the guy throws in the rivets for free. I have a rivet gun which I bought from my local SuperU for 8€. The rivets are colour coded to match the plates and are likely to be exactly the same quality as those used by the 'professionals'. The rivet gun is a simple device, of good quality, and its use requires no particular technical skill.Five minute job followed by a nice cuppa.....[;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 [8-|] Hear, hear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 [quote user="Sunday Driver"] We're now into the realms of subjective evaluation of the simple fitting of a number plate.....[blink]I have plated up five vehicles since I came to France and none of my plates has ever fallen off because of failure of the rivets or though lack of expertise in using the equipment.I buy cheap plates from a keycutter kiosk and the guy throws in the rivets for free. I have a rivet gun which I bought from my local SuperU for 8€. The rivets are colour coded to match the plates and are likely to be exactly the same quality as those used by the 'professionals'. The rivet gun is a simple device, of good quality, and its use requires no particular technical skill.Five minute job followed by a nice cuppa.....[;-)] [/quote]All sounds very plausible SD.[I]But personally I wouldn't trust unqualified 'Barrack Room Lawyer' types with a soldering iron @ € 2.50 let alone a precision rivet gun @ € 8.Does it use compressed air or explosive caps? Sounds dangerous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Where can I buy one of these €2.50 soldering irons?A few of my rivets have already failed so soldering sounds a much better idea [6]Was it ever a legal requirement for plates to be rivetted or is it just another of these myths perpetuated by well meaning but indoctrinated Frenchmen and people on forums?My neighbour is convinced that the gendarmes are going to kick my door down in the dead of the night to verbalise me because some of my plates are not rivetted on, some of them have the wrong colour rivets (I kid you not!) and horror of horrors I have different makes of tyres on the same (non) axles of my vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 [quote user="sid"][8-|] Hear, hear! [/quote]Class rivets on the V-Rod.http://www.programme.tv/les-constructeurs-de-l-extreme-3360036.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I'm surprised that an internationally renowned engineering expert like you is not familiar with simple pop rivet guns that are used to attach number plates with pop rivets.After all, us unqualified 'Barrack Room Lawyer' types seem to know all about them.....[8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salty Sam Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Obviously while a BSc qualifies one to provide expert guidance on a wide range of issues, simple rivet fixing of number plates requires a Doctorate at the very least.This has been confirmed by my daughter, also the proud holder of a BSc, who confirms she hasn't a clue regarding the fixation of number plates via the rivet method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericd Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 [quote user="Chancer"]My neighbour is convinced that the gendarmes are going to kick my door down in the dead of the night to verbalise me because some of my plates are not rivetted on, some of them have the wrong colour rivets (I kid you not!) and horror of horrors I have different makes of tyres on the same (non) axles of my vehicle.[/quote] That's a fully paid expenses trip to devil's Island......Ooopsss it's been shut down ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 [quote user="elamessa"]Went to the garage and 10 minutes and €18 later new number plate fitted. it appears that the old rivet had snapped. Job done.[/quote]Sounds like a nasty case of martensitic cracking.[I] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceni Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 [quote user="Chancer"]Was it ever a legal requirement for plates to be rivetted or is it just another of these myths perpetuated by well meaning but indoctrinated Frenchmen and people on forums?[/quote]My UK reg Mist Wagen failed a CT because the plates were held on with double sided tape but "no prob" said the man, "you're going to re-reg it anyway". When I purchased my latest set of plates the rivets were provided for the job to be done at home - lest I use UK RHD rivets?John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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