View Full Version : License Plate Mount Not Centered on Trunk
Can't believe I'm just noticing this now, but for more most of my build, my trunk lid was stored away while I built the car. Went to mount my license plate today, and I noticed that the mount is not centered with the keylock hole that FFR had pre-drilled into the trunk lid.
181361
With a tape measure, the keylock hole is centered to the quick jacks. The license plate mount itself appears to be off. And I didn't trim wildly different amounts from either side of the trunk lid to set the gaps.
Obviously, I don't think this is normal. Has anyone else encountered this?
32J
egchewy79
03-09-2023, 06:49 PM
I think it’s normal. I think Kleiner will offset the stripe behind the plate to trick the eye into believing that everything is centered.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?45454-Paint-Question-(typical)
See post #16
phileas_fogg
03-09-2023, 07:24 PM
Completely normal. In fact, all the reproductions have the license plate pad slightly off center. It's like the original everyone copied was asymmetrical too.
John
Jeff Kleiner
03-09-2023, 07:37 PM
The light pad and handle don’t align. Never have. If you just “connect the dots” center to center you can end up with stripes that lean to one side on the vertical surface of the lid like this:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181365&d=1627132917
You can fill the handle hole and redrill it so that it’s off center as well but I deal with it by jumping the center so that it runs straight up from the handle as shown here:
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181364&d=1678408911
It gets hidden by the license plate and lamp and our eye doesn’t realize that the vertical portion of one stripe is maybe 3/16-1/4” wider than the other. Everyone but Ray Charles will notice if it looks like this from behind // :p
Hope that helps!
Jeff
Whew! Thanks everyone. Glad that the offset is 'authentic.'
GoDadGo
03-10-2023, 09:02 AM
I have a Great Solution for that issue, but you end up ditching the stock license plate mount.
I purchased a lighted frame from Billet Specialties and then made offsetting mounting plates.
You can see what I did between 23-32 seconds in my graduation video shown below:
https://youtu.be/9WEe6-wdNtA
I simply scooted the entire plate assembly up and centered it to hide the Boo-Boo-Bump issue.
It also allowed the license plate to clear the trunk latch without having to booger up the plate.
While this isn't a proper period correct look, it doesn't appear to be out of place either.
Good Luck!
JohnK
03-10-2023, 11:41 AM
I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation to this, but can someone explain to me why FFR doesn't drill the hole centered on the license plate pad?
Jeff Kleiner
03-10-2023, 01:13 PM
I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation to this, but can someone explain to me why FFR doesn't drill the hole centered on the license plate pad?
It’s the pad that’s off center, not the latch handle. A better question might be why the lamp pad wasn’t centered when it was raised up to allow the license plate to fit between the lamp and handle ;)
Jeff
egchewy79
03-10-2023, 01:21 PM
how did these kit bodies come about? did they take a casting of an original body? were the originals known to have an offset lamp pad? maybe this is a characteristic way to tell that you're driving a FFR from the asymmetric body :)
NOTHING on the bodies of these cars is symmetrical. If you can't reconcile that in your mind, you should stop now and never look back! :p
how did these kit bodies come about? did they take a casting of an original body? were the originals known to have an offset lamp pad? maybe this is a characteristic way to tell that you're driving a FFR from the asymmetric body :)
Dave Smith talks about this in a video someplace. It's actual a laser scan of two different original cars with a bunch of other tweaks over time (MK1 - MK4).
JohnK
03-10-2023, 01:35 PM
It’s the pad that’s off center, not the latch handle. A better question might be why the lamp pad wasn’t centered when it was raised up to allow the license plate to fit between the lamp and handle ;)
Jeff
That's the correct long-term answer, for sure. But I'm guessing they're not going to change the tooling at this point to center the pad. Given that, is it too much to ask to just drill the hole centered on the pad?!
Just curious Jeff, since you know the folks at FFR so well... are they even aware of little things like this and choose to ignore them, or has it just never been communicated back to them? It seems like there are a handful of little things like this that would cost FFR literally nothing to fix, and yet keep appearing year after year, much to the annoyance of everyone.
BrewCityCobra
03-10-2023, 08:08 PM
Can't believe I'm just noticing this now, but for more most of my build, my trunk lid was stored away while I built the car. Went to mount my license plate today, and I noticed that the mount is not centered with the keylock hole that FFR had pre-drilled into the trunk lid.
181361
With a tape measure, the keylock hole is centered to the quick jacks. The license plate mount itself appears to be off. And I didn't trim wildly different amounts from either side of the trunk lid to set the gaps.
Obviously, I don't think this is normal. Has anyone else encountered this?
32J
Jeeze, I always knew that pad was off-center but holy crap does that picture really bring it to light. I mean not only is it off center it isn't even "level."
Jeff Kleiner
03-10-2023, 09:37 PM
Just curious Jeff, since you know the folks at FFR so well... are they even aware of little things like this and choose to ignore them, or has it just never been communicated back to them? It seems like there are a handful of little things like this that would cost FFR literally nothing to fix, and yet keep appearing year after year, much to the annoyance of everyone.
Believe me, I’ve had many conversations about concerns that are much more significant than this which to me falls more into the category of a quirk rather than an issue (much the same as the crooked off center hood opening or the cross eyed headlights ;)).
Jeff
AROCK
03-11-2023, 08:18 AM
We should not get to annul about small things. These cars are kit cars!!. If you want perfection, spend a million and get an original!!.
JCB52
03-11-2023, 08:54 AM
Thought I was the only one with this issue....
j.miller
03-11-2023, 09:08 AM
For the past three years I gave up offsetting the stripes. Now, before we start bodywork we just fill the hole and I drill a new one in the center of the stripe after I'm done painting...da Bat
JohnK
03-11-2023, 10:41 AM
We should not get to annul about small things. These cars are kit cars!!. If you want perfection, spend a million and get an original!!.
By that logic, FFR should have just stopped at the Mk1. Yes they're great kits, but they can be even better.
Eventually I'll get around to paying a professional paint shop to paint the car and fine-tune the gaps. I suppose I could also ask them to perhaps cut and reposition the mount on the trunk lid, so it's actually centered. For how much paint jobs cost these days, I'm guessing the fiberglass customization will be small (?) adder.
JohnK
03-12-2023, 12:56 PM
IMO, there's no need to cut and reposition the license plate pad. Just reposition the hole for the handle and everything will look as it should. My kit was a pre-25th anniversary kit. When I heard that FFR redesigned the trunk lid for the 25th anniversary cars to be able to fit a license plate, I ordered a new trunk lid. I had heard about the handle hole "issue" so I asked them to not drill the hole for the handle. My painter drilled the hole for the handle after the stripes were laid out, and everything now lines up properly without any wonky stripe "funny business" behind the license plate.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=181470&d=1678643611