Minor progress, of sorts today, on the back of another issue, caused by an incompetent garage. 
(There will be a short angry thread on this later, re removing/repairing numberplate light fittings - http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=11923 )
Anyway, the upshot of this "issue" was that I had to pretty much totally dismantle the boot lid including the liner AND the numberplate mounting plate.
Doing so I did find some useful information to help me execute my plan:
1. The numberplate mounting plate is only held on by 5 short self-tapping screws (from behind into its plastic), plus the two long metal screws (optional if adhesive pads are used) through the numberplate itself.
2. One of these, at least in my case, is partly obscured by a large component of the boot locking mechanism, but I just managed to undo/redo it without taking that off.
3. The spare plate I bought is EXACTLY the same colour (though many years older) than the one on my car. Examined in all lighting conditions including full sun. Though on the spare the central (of 5) screw fixings is hollowed out and ineffective.
4. Importantly there are no spare holes in the boot lid behind the plate, just those for the screw fixings and two numberplate lights. So a new hole will need to be drilled for the camera lead.
5. You can take the plate off (and replace) with the lights in situ. So I might drill the hole and run the cabling, leaving the connectors ready at the hole behind the plate. That way I can easily take the plate off and swap it for the spare with the camera pre-mounted and join the leads - it has about a 50cm fly lead for power and video and there's a decent void for the cabling.
6. You need the boot liner off to take the plate off, but I expected that and need to do that to run wiring. Done it many times.
7. Finally, I can't see any way of incorporating the camera in either of the light units so it will be separate from them.
I don't have time to fit the camera today so I'm off to reassemble my boot lid now. 
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2003 D2 FL S8. Irish Green Pearl/Beige. Solar sunroof, auto-dim mirrors, electric rear seat functions, ski hatch retrofit; extended leather. Aftermarket DVB-T, reversing camera and full XCarlink (Bluetooth etc.).
2016 Volvo V40 T5 Cross Country (4WD) with ALL the toys including adaptive cruise etc. etc. Osmium Grey with Blonde/Charcoal leather interior. Polestar performance "optimisation".  (A much rarer model than a D2 S8 by the way!) Oh, and a brand new engine at just under 30,000 miles on the factory one! 
Finally: gone, but not forgotten.....
1998 D2 PF S8. AgateGrey/Platinum. Every option (I think) except electric rear seats, tiptronic steering wheel, ski hatch, towbar & dimming door mirrors.
e.g. Cruise control, NavPlus/TV, Bose, GSM, Xenons, Solar roof, Parking sensors, Alcantara/leather everywhere of course.  (internal dimming mirror added later)
1998 (very early) Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec; ABS/TCS, Heated screen/mirrors, Aircon, Auto-dim mirror, Leather, Trip computer, Cruise control, OEM Ford SatNav with CD changer.
And before that a lot of Rover 800s, a few oddities, a lovely Triumph Dolomite 1850HL with Overdrive and way back in my schooldays an Austin Seven aka Mini 850!
Last edited by HPsauce; 3rd October 2016 at 02:10 PM.
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