Front License Plate Mounting

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bill

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Converted my '74 from American to Euro bumpers and now have to deal with mounting the front license plate (required in NJ.) How have others in Der Gruppe done this? Is there a bracket I could/should buy? Drill new holes in the bumper (egad!)?
 
is there a way to use the mounts for driving lights that doesn't drill the bumper? it seems like Stevehose posted something about these last year for mounting lights. i looked for my picture but couldn't find it. Steve, could this work?
 
It's possible, I don't have mine anymore but they might be able to be rigged to hang under the bumper and the plate fastened to the light side:

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http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hella-Cibie...Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f1b20f3b9&vxp=mtr
 
On my Italian model, there were two holes drilled into the bumper at the extreme ends of the license plate. Don't know why they were there. I made a simple aluminum bar with holes for the plate and holes for the bumper. Cost about a buck and you can't see any bracketry
 
Mine also has two holes drilled. I am going to make a bracket that lets the plate sit an inch or two above the middle of the bumper .
 
I use the same part as Stan. Small cad-platted strip that uses the existing bumper holes. Bought from CoupeKing. I think it was pretty inexpensive.
 
Coming from a rear-only plate state(thank you Commonwealth of PA) it is easy for me to suggest not hanging a plate at all in the front. Odds of getting stopped for that small infraction, small. And the beauty of the front end of our lovely coupes should blind the police to the missing plate.

One could always claim the plate was stolen and you are in the process of applying for a new one. Go immediately to the license bureau and start the process. If your state is anything like my Commonwealth it will be weeks, months perhaps before the plate arrives. Or just bolt on the missing plate.

For the last five years I have been running with a lovely no longer issued PA antique plate from a long gone Bavaria. Reason, the current PA antique plate is adorned with a full color image of a Model T or A? who knows or cares. I tried hiding the ford with a laminated photo of my coupe but it was still ugly. I'm a rambler, I'm a gambler but I'm never that far from home.
 
I am tempted to not run a plate, but I have been ticketed on my E36 M3 by a bored officer and it goes on your insurance around these parts. I also drive a 1999 Miata and bought a hinged plate holder that disappears into the rad at 20 MPH. I was pulled over soon after getting the car while driving around Toronto. The officer asked me if I knew why I was pulled over? When I said no, he informed me that had no front plate. I told him I did have a front plate. He walked around the front saw the plate and started scratching his head. His partner had a look and they Gruffly said carry on. It was classic. I had a good laugh that afternoon.
 
I've come back to my coupe which was parked to find a ticket for no front plate. Agreed it looks bad but those tickets add up.

I've seen those motorized plates that fold under. Pretty trick.
 
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Steve:
With my luck, I would get pulled over for no front plate (I got stopped once for avoiding a large puddle...right in front of a Smokey....) Got some ideas from Der Gruppe's responses (as usual)..will probably try the bracket, but those folding clamps are very intriguing. Thanks for the help.
 
The Miata one was super simple. It was just hinged and the weight of the plate and wind made it retract completely into the Grill opening. I took it off and sold it because I was pulled over a second time and since I am bad with keeping proper paper work on board risked getting even more tickets. I ended up making this bracket as a solution
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In CA it is required but in almost 8 years I've never been stopped for not having one, don't have one on the 2002 either. Some cities are more revenue hungry than others.
 
HB Chris said:
In CA it is required but in almost 8 years I've never been stopped for not having one, don't have one on the 2002 either. Some cities are more revenue hungry than others.
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That is the way it should be. I have a good friend with a 66 E Type and he got pulled over by some really classless cop and hassled about his lack of a plate. The Jag front end is ruined by a plate. You'd think they would make exceptions for Heritage vehicles.
 
I made up a plate bracket that bolts to the lower lip of the bumper and bent the plate back about 45 degrees, hopefully to keep light pole mounted cameras from recording my number (maybe wishful thinking on my part) and I feel it just looks a bit less obnoxious than the stock mounting location. If a cop says something I’m going to swear I just bent it back pulling out of my cousin’s driveway. I covered the original plate mounting holes with a pop rivet on type universal side molding. I’d like to do something using the rubber strip from a 71 or 72 super beetle bumper but that would require some metal shaping, chrome plating & my time so maybe someday down the road. ~ John Buchtenkirch
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How about having a euro plate made with the same combo of numbers and letters. That will really confuse the cops. Some might cut you a break. And the euro plates look so much nicer and original

Or, apply to your state's dept. of motor vehicles for a replacement front plate, claiming it was stolen. When you are stopped, show the cop the receipt and say the plate has not arrived yet or you have it in the trunk and need to buy mounting screws. Some might cut you a break.
 
Here’s a better photo of the side molding I used to hide the 4 holes that were in my center bumper. After I installed it I realized I should have painted the aluminum retainer base black because in hindsight the rubber strip looks too narrow to look right to my eyes. It looks better when you’re standing close to the car and looking more down on it but I need to do better job sometime in the future, it hides the holes but doesn’t add anything positive to the looks of the car IMO. The plate surround reads “world famous Beverly Hills BMW”, it was on the car when I bought it. Even though I bought it down in Texas it was originally a California car :grin::grin:. ~ John Buchtenkirch
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here we must have a front plate

mine is directly riveted to the front bumper through two holes already made by the PO

i only added a thicker aluminium plate to avoid bending it

of course to be riveted to the bumper it must be bent accordingly

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