# Help with silly screwing up the bodywork!



## MAOR (Mar 25, 2012)

It's a 2004 Lexus so theres no warranty or anything like that.

Wanted to fit some private plates, dealer plates were really screwed on. Could barely remove the screws, got to the rear, last screw wouldn't budge.

Had to snap the plate off for more room to work the moles.
Eventually with mole grips the head snapped off and the number plate fell off.

Revealed this....


















Screw is still in there with the washer.

Bodyshop recommends drilling out, cleaning up then filling....


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## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

Think they're right mate to be honest. Drill,fill and re paint


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

Nasty, good bodge by the dealer, not using stainless screws.
Id have a go at that myself, being out of sight as it is.


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## Princy (Dec 14, 2011)

No chance of getting the interior liner off and seeing if you can get the mole grips on the inside on what's left of the screw?


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## Mattey h (Apr 19, 2011)

I feel your pain, I have an is220d, and can't get the screws out of my rear number plate either. Have lent on them hard enough to start buckling the panel,but they won't budge.


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## MAOR (Mar 25, 2012)

Mole grips.

Utterly disgraceful bodgeness.


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## clarkey1269 (Dec 27, 2010)

why not stick your plate on instead...


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## MAOR (Mar 25, 2012)

That doesn't exactly stop rust spreading now does it!

Lexus Leicester called and said the factory drills the holes and we just screw them in.

Complete rubbish as why would there be velcro stickers still on the boot lid and on the front.

Factory uses velcro, dealer responsible for the drilling.


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

Given it's location I'd probably bodge it some more!

Drill out screw, buff off the rust and treat with zinc rich paint (BH Electrox!) to prevent it getting worse then stick on the new plate.


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## moosh (May 8, 2011)

MAOR said:


> That doesn't exactly stop rust spreading now does it!
> 
> Lexus Leicester called and said the factory drills the holes and we just screw them in.
> 
> ...


Think you have your facts wrong with the velcro, the factory dont fit plates the dealer does, the velcro was more than likely from when it was in the show room and had dealer descriptive plates put on it - example when you go in to a show room and there are brand mew cars with the car type as the number plate.

They would have more than likely used stainless steel screws for sure as do merc and the trouble is the boot lid rusts not the stainless steel screw and its the rust on the bodywork that creates the trouble not the screw holding on the number plate.

If it was me to get the screw out i would spray WD40 or similar on the inside and outside of the screw and leave it for sometime to soak in and with a good seat of vise grips (cheap ones are no use) and try and either get it out from the inside or the outside. - you have already described this as an utter bodge so may be buy a new boot lid?

We used to deal with these all the time at merc and we used to replace the entire boot for rust round the locks and round the number plate screws. If we were asked to repair these we would normally use a small pencil grinder/dremel type and grind the rust out then apply a rust inhibitor, wash that off and apply a little filler to smooth the area off - the whole boot lid would then be painted.

If you have had it from new and this is the first time you have taken the plates off i would try taking it back to the dealer and claiming under the anti corrosion/perforation warrenty and see if they will be acomidating enough to repair/replace it for you. - You may have already tried this.


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## ImDesigner (Jan 19, 2012)

PugIain said:


> Id have a go at that myself, being out of sight as it is.


This.



MAOR said:


> Utterly disgraceful bodgeness.


And this. 

I think the body shop is perfectly correct. Drill it out, tidy up the rust and re-paint the affected area.


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## MAOR (Mar 25, 2012)

moosh said:


> Think you have your facts wrong with the velcro, the factory dont fit plates the dealer does, the velcro was more than likely from when it was in the show room and had dealer descriptive plates put on it - example when you go in to a show room and there are brand mew cars with the car type as the number plate.
> 
> They would have more than likely used stainless steel screws for sure as do merc and the trouble is the boot lid rusts not the stainless steel screw and its the rust on the bodywork that creates the trouble not the screw holding on the number plate.
> 
> If it was me to get the screw out i would spray WD40 or similar on the inside and outside of the screw and leave it for sometime to soak in and with a good seat of vise grips (cheap ones are no use) and try and either get it out from the inside or the outside. - you have already described this as an utter bodge so may be buy a new boot lid?


Screws wern't stainless steel used by the dealer.

That is what I said, the factory or whoever did not do the drilling, the dealership did.

I said the dealer was claiming the factory did the drilling which was wrong.


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## moosh (May 8, 2011)

MAOR said:


> Screws wern't stainless steel used by the dealer.
> 
> That is what I said, the factory or whoever did not do the drilling, the dealership did.
> 
> I said the dealer was claiming the factory did the drilling which was wrong.


The dealer was still correct, the factory build the boot lid with the M6 nuts fitted in place - these are basically nuts with threads ready for the dealer to fit the plate using M6 threaded Screw. The dealer at no point will drill your boot lid, the only failing they have may be made is not using some grease or waxoyl when fitting the threaded screws.


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## MAOR (Mar 25, 2012)

Oh right, whats the point in the boot lid guide holes where the metal is recessed down ?


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## nighthawk (Feb 10, 2012)

The recess is normally for jap plates on a Lexus


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## moosh (May 8, 2011)

MAOR said:


> Oh right, whats the point in the boot lid guide holes where the metal is recessed down ?


Jap plates buddy like nighthawk said :thumb:


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## Swift Sport 60 (Sep 24, 2011)

This is the reason why i use only plastic screws for number plates.


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