Decal Placement Violation

First, it's clear the officer is unhappy with the mileage of his privately-owned Crown Vic, and he's gonna get payback one way or another...

Second, this is bad news for those of us who have placed them at OTHER than DMV locations. I have my side stickers on the rear quarter windows. Front is on the windshield (bra would cover the bumper sticker), and the rear on the small lower rear window. They are at least all on the outside where they can be seen easily. But by the letter of the law, they are not where they are supposed to be.

Did you have any visible from the front or rear? Your post only mentions the side windows. Or were front/rear in the DMV locations?

Damn.

 

I finaly just got my stickers today. I will be putting them where they should go. Luckily I have 3M film on my front bumper so that's no problem at all. I suppose I could slap a small peice of film on the rear bumper and stick the sticker over it. Hmmm <_<

 

I haven't been on PriusChat in a while, and it's changed a lot. I don't know if I'm doing this correctly, but in any case ... I just got my stickers today, but they didn't come with any directions whatsoever. I went on the DMV website, but couldn't find directions there, either. Can someone please tell me exactly where the stickers have to be placed? I don't want to take the chance of doing it incorrectly. Do I have to use all 4 of them?

I live in Los Angeles, if that makes any difference.

Thanks for your help!

 

I hear an echo.

 

Go to a local sign shop and pick up some scrap pieces of vinyl sticker big enough so that your HOV sticker will fit on top of it. There should be plenty lying around in the trash that they would be happy to give you. Then stick your HOV decal directly on the vinyl... then just trace over the HOV sticker with an exacto.. PRESTO... a sticker that will NOT damage your paint if you ever decide to remove it.

Any motivation that you guys can think of for thieves nabbing these things, and what is the policy if that happens.. hmmm??

Thecan.

 

The instructions are on the back of a return envolope. You must stick the 2 large ones on both sides at the rear quarter panel. You must also stick one of the small stickers on the right of the front bumber and the other on the right of the rear bumper. In the end you should be able to see a large sticker from either side of the car and a small sticker from the front or rear.

 

Has someone shown that these stickers will actually damage the paint? I can't see these as being any worse than the stick on badge emblems the factory or some dealers apply. Worst case you have to use a heat gun when you eventually take them off, but it shouldn't damage the paint I would think.

Put on a good coat of wax prior to sticking them on to make you feel better I guess.

Or am I missing something?

I'm certainly willing to pay the price to get in the car pool lane. They may not look pretty, I could have designed something better, but this is what we have, if you want the privledge then go with it.

Ken

 

When I was in college, we had to buy a bumper sticker for the parking lot. I went out to the shop and built a 3 inch by 3 inch metal flag that bolted on to a bracket on the inside of the bumper and hung down just below. In my mind, that is part of my bumper now. Sticker is on the driver side rear bumper...

I got a ticket once, but the university basically said.. "Oh-OK" when I got all adiment about that thing being part of my bumper.

No laws against a custom bumper...

 

Try a "3M bra sandwich".

I got some 3M film and cut two squares, one just big enough for the stickers and the other slightly bigger around. The small square went on the fender behind the wheel, then the decal went on, then the larger square over it to prevent the decal from being easily peeled off.

I've got 3M on the front so only needed the larger square over it.

I put the remaining film across the back bumper, put on the decal and then the square over it. Having the 3M across the back bumper let me put on some regular bumper stickers too.

I think I can peel the 3M off easier than the decal and the decals peel off the 3M easier than the paint.

I put mine exactly where the DMV said. I don't think they look all that bad.

 

Where do you get this 3M film? Do you have a link to an online site that sells it? Would it be easy for somebody to steal your stickers, though?


mike

 

Our friends were in the same quandy and so we suggested they buy some magnetic sheets and affix them that way. For the bumpers we suggested they buy some nice rare-earth or other strong magnets and place them on the inside of the cover. This of course might require removal of the bumper.

--GD

 

I was thinking this may be the damage concern people are having, but you don't fix that problem by putting it on a magnet, unless you plan on moving it a little month to month.

I'm still not sure what the concern is, hopefully someone knows and can post it before I get my stickers. At this point, I'm planning on just sticking them on the car unless someone has some reason why these would actually do damage to the paint.

 

Our stickers are due in pretty soon, and I would agree with Tony above. You would be avoiding the sun damage, and that will still happen with the other ways mentioned above.

Here's my thought: we're all Californians (other states don't have these stickers), IF we sell it it will probably be to other Californians. The stickers stay with the car so they won't be pulling them. In other words: no harm, no foul.

On the other hand, if you moved out of state, your car would effectively be "branded"

What do you all think?

 

I'm not sure if it's all about resale either. The carpool stickers are only good for the length of the legistlation, so when the program expires ( I think it is in 2008 if I recall, unless it is renewed for some strange reason) we'll all be back to the regular lanes. So at that time, we'll be wanting to remove the stickers.

So if there will be damage to the paint, could be an issue. I think though if you lay down a good coat of wax, place the stickers on, you'll be OK. You may need a heat gun, but shouldn't be a problem.

I'm not sure I want to go the clear bra method, especially in a small patch. Too easy to steal (assuming that kind of theft is going on).

Ken

 

Thye reason for concern is not that YOU won't be able to remove them carefully later. It's the fear that someone intent on stealing them will be much less careful, and may damage the paint trying to remove them quickly. I doubt the average ripoff artist carries a portable generator and hair dryer.