Getting My Full License / Removing those Darn P Plates

My P2 license was expiring this month, so I had to finally hurry up and go for my full license.
In case you don't live in Australia, I don't know how learning to drive and such works in other countries, but we have a computer test for our Learners License, we have to drive while with a full license adult for 120hrs, then we go for a physical driving test, we get our P1 license, we drive with that one for 12 months, unsupervised but with some restrictions. The we can do another computer test for our P2 license, which we have for 2 years, with less restrictions, before finally a final computer test and we advance to our final and unrestricted license! What a trip!

I downloaded the pdf file of the full license guide book to read on my iPad and I studied it like a good little girl before booking in for my final exam. Wow I was so sure I had failed, I tapped that it was safe to overtake these bicycles and then oh crap I realised it probably wasn't. And then boom I passed!
Super relieved.

Woohoo!

I thought that actually passing the test and getting my license would be the toughest part but boy was I wrong. When you get your L's and P licenses, you have to use a yellow L plate on your car, and then a Red P plate before a Green P plate and then none! You can get plate holders, but wow no I would go the super easy and cheap option and put magnetic plates on my car.  BIG MISTAKE. Do not do this.
My car is black, and during our hot summers they melted firmly onto my cars lovely paintwork.





Seriously do not bother getting magnetic plates they are not at all worth the hassle.

Here's my cutie car "Zippy" with the P plates melted on.

What a disaster. I googled ways to remove it and boy did I have a whole bunch of chemicals out and the hairdryer trying to melt off the plates and scratch them off. It was really tough, and I was making very little progress. As well as the P plates being melted on both the front and back of the car!

Me incredibly failing at making any kind of progress

I eventually gave in and called my Dad for help and went over to his house so that he could have a go and we had a lot more progress. Here is the method that we used and had a lot more success, in fact we got it off!

We soaked a rag in eucalyptus oil and held it over the plates for a while really soaking it in, and basically scraped it off with a thin spatula. Yep! It took a lot of time unfortunately, but it eventually came off. The second one was a bit tougher, but incorporating the hair dryer into the job as well made it a lot easier.

It was bloody freezing while this was happening, I watched for the whole first part and then went inside and had a cup of tea, Thanks Dad!

So there you have it, but take my word for it,  do not get magnetic plates!