Private number plate

dipsomaniac

onlyfoolsandparking said:

@dipsomaniac

You seem quite obsessed by these so called vanity plates, If you really want one, nobodies stopping you, just get one.

Just curious. I wouldn't have a vanity plate if you paid me to drive around with one. What next, house names instead of numbers? That would really pee the postman off

motorguy

dipsomaniac said:

motorguy said:

dipsomaniac said:

The more I think about vanity plates the more I think about it being about exclusivity. You can have your name on your windscreen for a fraction of the cost

There you go, you can save yourself £250 and just put your name across your windscreen.

And you were concerned about this thread not meeting your standards for money saving.

Result

Is 250 the average cost of a vanity plate when 160 is the cheapest and MB1 or f1 probably the most expensive? A mate of mine paid 600+ for a mash up of his name where he tried to convince people a 1 was a I and a 5 was a s

I can get a prefix style reg today with my initials for £250 from DVLA.

The two i bought in the last 5 years were £399 each.  My wife has had hers around 20 years but i dont think she paid much at the time.

The point being, you can have something "personal" for £250, so its not like someone has to be on film star wages to have one.

Yes, your mate RE: the mash up of his name - I'm not in to that personally.  Its trying too hard.  I prefer something simple.

Grumpy_chap

dipsomaniac said:

Is 250 the average cost of a vanity plate when 160 is the cheapest and MB1 or f1 probably the most expensive? A mate of mine paid 600+ for a mash up of his name where he tried to convince people a 1 was a I and a 5 was a s

There is nothing inherently wrong with a "mash up" - in fact I could at present acquire the number plate that equates quite well to the name of my company yet would look like a random number to any random stranger.  I actually quite like that as those that know me would "know" while not attracting any undesirable attention from ne'er-do-wells.  This is also available at the bargain price of under £300.

sevenhills

dipsomaniac said:

The more I think about vanity plates the more I think about it being about exclusivity. You can have your name on your windscreen for a fraction of the cost

If you really want to save money, buy yourself a good marker pen, write exactly what you want.

Biggus_Dickus

sevenhills said:

dipsomaniac said:

The more I think about vanity plates the more I think about it being about exclusivity. You can have your name on your windscreen for a fraction of the cost

If you really want to save money, buy yourself a good marker pen, write exactly what you want.

Brilliant!;...this is what MSE is all about.

motorguy

Heres another money saving tip.  Why spend ££££ on alloy wheels?

Impress your friends and neighbours....

AdrianC

motorguy said:

Heres another money saving tip.  Why spend ££££ on alloy wheels?

Impress your friends and neighbours....

Opel came up with a VERY good idea about that a little while back...

Remember the ubiquitous five-spokers from about 10-15years ago, various styles...?



They're not alloy. They're steel with a plastic cover.



Lighter than most alloys, cheap to replace the plastic if you touch-park next to kerbs,  bend straightenably if you hit something big rather than crack, cheap to replace the rim if you properly knackered it...

What's not to prefer...?

Biggus_Dickus

motorguy said:

Heres another money saving tip.  Why spend ££££ on alloy wheels?

Impress your friends and neighbours....

Clever,...very clever,...so simple yet so effective;

...the money saving tips are coming thick and fast now, which is just how it should be.

Grumpy_chap

motorguy said:

Why spend ££££ on alloy wheels?

Love the post, but now you've really got me going. 

Alloy wheels are possibly worse than having a "selected" number plate:

1. The chosen number plate is a choice made in, presumably, free will.
2. The chosen number plate does nothing to reduce the use of the vehicle (except for at the extreme margins where it may attract the wrong type of attention).
3. The alloy wheels, large diameter and low-profile tyres are often not a choice but standard feature of a car model / equipment / trim level.
4. I will concede that alloy wheels often look better than steel wheels with hub cabs.
5. In other ways, the steel wheels are actually better
6. Alloy wheels are easily damaged by kerbing, road salt, uneven surfaces etc.
7. Alloy wheels often result in poorer fuel consumption and harsher ride (actually to do with the wheel diameter) and the lower the tyre profile, the bigger this impact
8. Alloy wheels can be targetted for theft, so you need a special locking wheel nut (which is invariably misplaced when actually required)
9. Replacement tyres for alloy wheel is more expensive

I am also worried that I may be suffering from the slippery vanity path.  I went shopping and purchased some clothes that are, like, actually shaped to the human form and in different sizes.  Normally, I only have sack-cloths to meet the necessary functions of maintaining a level of dignity as befitting the demands of modern society plus the need to provide for body warmth and protection from the elements of nature.  I am concerned that this increased vanity will lead to a private number plate, alloy wheels, German branded car and then, inevitably, to botox, plastic surgery, hair replacement and eventually appearing on Naked Attraction.  
How can I stop this path of degradation?  
Is there such a group as "vanity-anonymous"? 

AdrianC

Grumpy_chap said:

Replacement tyres for alloy wheel is more expensive

Tyres are no different for steel or alloy wheels.

Larger tyres may be priced differently, but alloys do not automatically mean larger. There are many cars where the tyre size is the same between steels and alloys.

In addition, larger tyres aren't always more expensive. Common sizes tend to be cheaper than unusual ones - and sometimes a larger size is more common.