[adigup]

Hey folks,

I got my Volkswagen Taigun on 24th March. Since I got the car from a dealer in UP, and had to get it registered from Haryana RTO, I took the self-registration route and got the car from the showroom with a temporary registration plate (or number).

As the dealers are not allowed to deliver cars without a HSRP, they did not have any sort of number plate to write and fix the temporary registration number on my car. So they printed the number on a piece of paper, and stick it using a transparent tape on the cars front and rear bumpers.



As having a piece of paper as a number plate is illegal, we drove home, performed rituals and next day, I got the temporary number on a white cardboard 'plate' from a local shop. Since there were no arrangements to fix/screw the number plates on the front bumper, he used a double-sided tape to fix the front number plate, and fixed the rear one using screws (as there was arrangements to fix screws there).




To be clear, the temporary number that was allotted was the new series or the new way that has been implemented by the Indian RTOs. It's valid for 6 months. It costed me Rs. 2,100 for getting the car temporarily registered from Noida, UP.

How does the number look like?
T XX YY AA ZZZZ LL

T - Temporary Registration
XX - Month the car was registered (For January, it will be 01; For December, 12)
YY - Last two digits of the year the car was registered (22 for 2022; 21 for 2021)
AA - Standard state code (DL for Delhi, UP for Uttar Pradesh)
ZZZZ - any random number assigned, which is used at mall parkings or just like any 4 digit number
LL - Any letter combination that denotes the series of the temporary number plate

For instance, car was bought from Haryana in Feb. 2021, the number plate will look something like: T0221HR1234A

Police doesn't stop anyone with this number plate, as it's valid for 6 months and they are well aware.

I got my number last week, and got the number plates after 5 days. Since going to the dealer to get the plates fixed would've been a task, they got it delivered to my place.

I went to the same place from where I got my temporary number plates. They fixed the rear number plate without any issue. Now since, getting a number plate fixed from the dealer or some good workshop is different and convenient because you don't really have to see the process.

The Taigun has no arrangements to fix number plates using rivets / screws on the front bumper. This is how it got fixed:

1. Took out the temporary number plate that was fixed using double-sided tape. (kind of obvious )


This is how the bumper actually looks on the Taigun. Note that it doesn't have ANY place for screws.

This is how the bumper looks on any other car having a place for screws.

2. Number plate was held against the bumper, and points were marked to make holes. Drill machine was used to make holes through the bumper and number plate at the same time (I smiled in pain seeing that happen). After holes were made on both sides, the number plate was riveted.


Since, I could not find a post mentioning any of this, I thought I'd write about this here. Drilling holes on bumper seems pretty okay, but if someone hasn't really seen this happen or has to do it without a skilled mechanic, maybe they can get some help from the above post.

Thanks!

[gt3t0uring]

This is exactly how it was done on my Polo at the dealership.
A bit surprised that VW didn't provide proper holes for the license plates on either side (at least on the Polo).

[nathanjdias]

Had a similar issue with my Nissan Terrano. For the 1st 3 years the foam board registration plate installed by the dealership was held on by double sided tape. After my dogs belt got stuck between the numberplate and the plate broke off (tape still didn't budge, the plate fractured near the tape) I decided to go for the HSRP plates. This time too it was stuck on by double sided tape.

[ArijitGupte]

Originally Posted by adigup

[Since, I could not find a post mentioning any of this, I thought I'd write about this here. Drilling holes on bumper seems pretty okay, but if someone hasn't really seen this happen or has to do it without a skilled mechanic, maybe they can get some help from the above post.

Thanks!

Could be the car design is generic and most US states don't have front number plates so VW just choose to adapt and forgot that they sell cars in countries which use plates front and back

[akshye]

Originally Posted by adigup

This is how the bumper actually looks on the Taigun. Note that it doesn't have ANY place for screws.

Same is the case with my Polo. But the dealership has rivetted the number plate. I think riveting is better and more reliable than screws, and I like it.

[Kruz Nhux]

Same was done for our Seltos. I was surprised (or mildly shocked) when started drilling in the smooth front bumper but that is how they are designed

[adigup]

Yes, riveting is definitely the best and the neatest option.

Originally Posted by Kruz Nhux

Same was done for our Seltos. I was surprised (or mildly shocked) when started drilling in the smooth front bumper but that is how they are designed

We had a Seltos too for sometime, but since it wasn't done in front of me (Car was ready for delivery with the HSRPs fixed), I didn't notice!

In 2019, we got the new Amaze for some time, and since the dealership didn't receive the HSRP plates, the car was delivered to us with simple white plates. The dealer sent the HSRPs at home and it was then when we realised that at the dealership, they riveted the non-HSRPs on the car, and so later we had to use a drill machine and get rid of those to later rivet the HSRPs.

In the past years, I have seen our Innova, Corolla Altis, Amaze, City and Ciaz get the HSRPs fixed in front of me, and had an idea that the bumpers have some arrangements for the plates. We had an Ecosport too but not sure if the front bumper had arrangements for the same (again, it was done in my absence).

[Chhanda Das]

Originally Posted by adigup

As having a piece of paper as a number plate is illegal ...

Congratulations for your new car and wish you happy and safe drives ahead.

Having a piece of paper as/on the number plate is definitely illegal as you clearly mentioned but it is also illegal to have non-government-approved stickers/decals/writings/films on the safety glass areas of cars.

The honorable Supreme Court of India had mentioned clearly in the judgement of the Avishek Goenka Vs. Union of India & Anr. case writ petition (CIVIL ) NO : 265 OF 2011 specifically under the point number 23 and I quote "we have no hesitation in holding that use of black films or any other material upon safety glass, windscreen and side windows is impermissible". The keywords here are "... any other material ...". The link to a copy of the judgement is provided below. So clearly, the word "Ram" in the Devanagari script on your car's rear windshield is illegal too

http://jowaipolice.gov.in/Laws_and_R...ss_in_cars.pdf

[adigup]

Originally Posted by Chhanda Das

So clearly, the word "Ram" in the Devanagari script on your car's rear windshield is illegal too

http://jowaipolice.gov.in/Laws_and_R...ss_in_cars.pdf

Yes, I agree with you and thank you so much! We went to a mandir and they put it there. We have it on our other car too and we haven't ever been stopped or told anything like this by police or any authority. It's strange to see that this isn't encouraged as widely.

[dsuman]

The screws holes are anyway of no use since HSRPs are riveted to the plate holder. The drilling and riveting is done at random places. Those holes cannot hold rivets. So dont think too much about it. Enjoy your new possession.

[adigup]

Originally Posted by dsuman

The screws holes are anyway of no use since HSRPs are riveted to the plate holder. The drilling and riveting is done at random places. Those holes cannot hold rivets. So dont think too much about it. Enjoy your new possession.

Not in my case. As mentioned for all the other cars, I have never seen them 'drilling' just to rivet the number plates. I am sure specific models require it, but I did not experience it before.

[lapis_lazuli]

IIRC riveting is the only authorized way to affix the HSRP to the car chassis. That is how it is supposed to be mechanically tamperproof. Now, pre drilled bumpers might be such, that the final position of the rivets may overlap with the digits. That is why, even in cars with factory punched holes, I have noticed HSRP fitters drilling fresh on at least one side, so that there is no rivet overlap over the digits.

[adigup]

https://www.motortrend.com/features/...e-wrap-sticker

This looks interesting. I hope the Indian RTOs come up with something like this soon! My car was just a Taigun, but for other luxury / super-car owners, it must be a pain to see the bumpers getting drilled.