License Plate Question

[Waltman]

Here in California is the law to install the front license plate. Drilling holes to the front bumper to attach the license plate holder I think is a crime and should be punishable :mad: Is there a kit that will allow you to install the front license plate without drilling holes?

Most cops won't pull you over, but a couple of months before I traded my Acura for the Cobra, after I made a "suppossedly" illegal Uturn one cop cited me for not having my front license plate (after almost 3 years), he didn't cited me for the Uturn "cuz he wasn't sure". It's not a moving violation, just a fixable infraction ($20 bucks altogether).

My previous car ('00 Acura TL) had a plastic license holder with extensions where you could screw it under an opening of the front bumper (almost like the cobra), a couple of metal fasteners were also attached to the inside of the bumper where you fasten the plastic holder. Any other ideas? I'd hate to go back to the Acura dealer ;) , unless . . . hmmmm


http://www.printroom.com/_vti_bin/ViewImage.dll?userid=Waltman&album_id=97685&image_id=7&courtesy=1

[XFIRECHIEF]

Have been without a front plate on our Cobra when we had the '99 & with our 2003 since July. Seems like PD isn't too worried about it as many cars here in Wisc don't have front plates. In Milw. I see many cars without any plates so they should be stopped 1st anyways.
My Son has a Lightning & was stopped for Blue turn lites so the PD writes up the no front plate too. This was a State Hiway Cop & not a city Cop. City cops don't have time for the small stuff. He attached the plate with velcro to the front, went to the Cop shop & they Ok'ed it. Then he took it off again. Here in Wisc. if you fix it in 30 days , no fine!
As a test this last summer I took the plate off the Taurus & still never had a problem. I do keep the plate in the trunk though, maybe I can tell the PD that I am waiting for a bracket from the dealer if I get stopped. Worth a Try?? Don't drill that front bumper !!
:tmb:

[Waltman]

Thanks for the reply. Hopefully the SVT team will look into this detail and do something about it. The car looks great with no plates in the front, and definitely will not drill holes. The velcro trick may work.

[BlownVenom]

yeah i live in california, the sheriff that pulled me over a few weekends ago, didn't say anything about not having a front plate... and the other two CHP officers that actually pulled me over to give me tickets didn't say anything about or write me up for it. all the cobras ive seen around have naked front bumpers. i live in the bay area, cops could be different up here i guess (BTW before i get lectured, the first ticket was right after i got the car and i wasn't "street racing" or **** like that, just plain going over the posted limit, went to traffic school, no more speeding tickets... then i got a no turn on red, never been driven there before then, the sign was impossible to see, there were 3 cycle chp officers on the sidewalk pulling people over in groups... and the sheriff that pulled me over said i hadn't done anything wrong but he wanted to check the car out cuz he likes mustangs...)

[BlownVenom]

Originally posted by BlownVenom
yeah i live in california, the sheriff that pulled me over a few weekends ago, didn't say anything about not having a front plate... and the other two CHP officers that actually pulled me over to give me tickets didn't say anything about or write me up for it. all the cobras ive seen around have naked front bumpers. i live in the bay area, cops could be different up here i guess (BTW before i get lectured, the first ticket was right after i got the car and i wasn't "street racing" or **** like that, just plain going over the posted limit, went to traffic school, no more speeding tickets... then i got a no turn on red, never been driven there before then, the sign was impossible to see, there were 3 cycle chp officers on the sidewalk pulling people over in groups... and the sheriff that pulled me over said i hadn't done anything wrong but he wanted to check the car out cuz he likes mustangs...)

sorry i didn't know the "C" word wasn't allowed

[BlkCobra03]

When I picked up my 03 Cobra the dealer said they had to put on the front plate before it left the lot, their was a bracket inside the car and they were going to drill the bumper to mount it, they knew how upset I was so they tywrapped it on just so I could drive it off the lot which I was very greatful for, anyway I have not had a problem without it and eve if I did get cited I would still take my chances without.

[Waltman]

Interesting Venom. The dealer here in Glendale, Calif., delivered the car with no plate holder in the front bumper, it was in the trunk :). Yes, it's a disgrace to drill holes on the bumper, I love the way it looks as it is. So far I 've had no problems with the cops about it. ;)

[BlownVenom]

Originally posted by Waltman
Interesting Venom. The dealer here in Glendale, Calif., delivered the car with no plate holder in the front bumper, it was in the trunk :). Yes, it's a disgrace to drill holes on the bumper, I love the way it looks as it is. So far I 've had no problems with the cops about it. ;)

hehe... i wonder where my plate holder went... front plates totally ruin the front of this car... it is a stupid law, only reason i could see having it is because of the red light cameras. all the plate would do on my car is affect its aerodynamic efficiency (those letters and numbers are pretty puffy and cause a vortex which causes an choatic whirling motion as the air travels over the rest of the car... reduces the downforce my stock spoiler creates....) and decrease the mileage which would increase global pollution by a significant amount... :hehe:

[Intense]

^:D here in missouri we have the same law. i've had problems in the past but only when stopped for something else. i don't worry about it to much. when i bought the '03 i told the dealer i wouldn't take delivery if they put the front brkt. on.:mad: semmed to work since the brkt was in the trunk.

[Bry Sonic 03]

I wont drill holes, if I start getting my balls broken, gonna try this bracket, mounts under>>>

http://www.kustomkruzr.com/braket.html
here is a pic of it on an 03>>>

http://images.cardomain.com/installs/227000-227999/227349_18_full.jpg

[Waltman]

Thanks Bry Sonic. It seems the way to go and the price is right :)

[ox03]

> Here in California is the law to install the front license plate.

Not true. It must be displayed, but not necessarily framed in a front bracket. Simply prop it up along the passenger-side dashboard.

[norcal_cobra]

The last time I was pulled over and hassled about the missing front license plate was a few years ago here in CA. However, the cop said he wasn't going to give me a ticket since I didn't have a mount on the front bumper.

Though no front license plate is a minor offense (fixit ticket), I have rarely heard of people getting nailed for it except for when they have given the cop a hard time, and he just wanted to bust the person for something.

The cops know just as well as us how painful it would be to have to drive around with the front plate mounted or propped up in the front window.

-norcal_cobra

[Waltman]

According to The Kustom Kruzr instructions, the bracket needs to attached to the metal portion of the bumper, well there is no such metal thing in the bumper, just that molding foam. I wonder if drilling the holes in that foam to attach the bracket will work :huh:

[spiced]

I bought my O3 in August and haven't had a problem without the front tag. I live in Fairfield between Oakland and Sacramento. No braket came with my car either. Wouldn't have used it.

[GaborVincer]

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[GaborVincer]

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[GaborVincer]

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[GaborVincer]

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[GaborVincer]

A guy in our SVTOA Easter Ontario chapter came up with a great idea . He works in printing so he printed out lic plates on the same material as those little stickers you get to remind you when your next oil change is due. He sticks in on and it staticly stays on.:tmb:

:allhail: :cbra: :allhail:


Sorry for the extra posts I must have smoked some wacky tabacky.:hbomb: :cool: :hbomb:

[Waltman]

I got a response from the Kruzr Bracket people and they said their bracket is recommended for the PT Cruiser only, since instructions recommend to bolt the bracket to a steel portion behind the bumper. No steel is behind the cobra bumper just the plastic, molding foam and the radiator. Bolting the bracket to the the foam will not work. Only solution maybe drilling holes to the under side of the front bumper and sliding the nut bolts to secure from the inside?, hmmm, that way it seems it will shake a bit.

[RADRIDE]

In Virginia if the vehicle wasnt produced with a plate location like the flat on the front of my 94 GT you dont need to run one.Im trying the same thing on my 65 Fastback with a R-model front valance.The boys in blue hardly get a look at the front and so far so good.The dealer put the bracket for the 03 Cobra in the trunk and now it will never see the light of day buried in the garage.

[counihan]

I DEMANDED that my dealer not install the front plate (I agree that it destroys the vehicle's "look"), and they didn't/don't on SVT units. Ran without a front plate on my 85 Chev for 17 years and no problems. Most Vettes and F'Birds don't show them either. According to a peace officer friend of mine, it's just a matter of how p'o'd. the officer is at the time at whatever you may have done. Just be sane.... Demanding no front mount on spouse's Mach I (on order) also.... Having it handy for "windshield" display ain't a bad idea though. ...redfire in CA...

[ox03]

Velcro guys, Velcro.

[rjacobra]

OK, assuming I wanted (I really mean needed) to mount the factory front
plate holder - are there screw mounts located inside the bumper once you
drill through the face of it? I ask this because on my '01 this was the case - the
bumper itself had little dimples so you could locate the mounts easy. I do not
see anything like those dimples on the '03.

[vger]

After reading all of these post I'm really glad Michigan does not require a front plate.
Some people here do have front plates but they are expired plates from other states.
When I was younger I had a Georgia plate on the front of my 70 Newport (it was my dads old plate). Never a problem with the cops except once when I was in the Navy stationed in Great Lakes Ill. He asked what state was I from and why I had 2 plates on the car.
I said Michigan of course that is the plate on the back and Michigan does not require a front plate and does not care what we put on the front. The only thing he had to say was "have a good day".

[SVTChris]

chalk another one up for refusing to put on the front plate. I would say most officers who pull you over for a "no front plate" violation are just using that for their probable cause to stop you to investigate a little further to find something else "bigger." And USUALLY will not cite you for that alone.

[cobraken]

Not having a front plate will give the police a reason to pull you over if they want to talk to you. Some will always give a ticket others will not. Of course, some folks talk themselves into a plate ticket by not condescending to the officer.

[Kafn8td]

No front plate here and got a ticket last summer for $85. I'm not going to drill holes in the bumper so over the long Minnesota winter I came up with a removeable plate holder so I can take it off at the car shows.

It is made out of mild steel and powder coated black in a "B" finish at least 3 mils thick.

The clasps are adjustable, lock in place and are rated at 600+ lbs each. We have been running it on a couple of test cars and is track tested to 122 mph. :cool: It can be set up to have the plate at bumper level or in the "down" position.

I made up 10 on the first run and have 4 left. If you are interested I am selling them for $75 each plus shipping. I will take Paypal. If there is enough interest I will do another run.
http://webpages.charter.net/kafn8td/IMG_3510.jpg

[vickerw]

I bought mine used & it already had the front plate holder drilled into the bumper. Does anybody know if a body shop can repair this & repaint, or will I need a new front bumper? It does ruin the front of these cars & I am tired of looking at it. Thanks

[Kafn8td]

Yes it can be repaired by a body shop.

[snakebite]

Yep, I suffered the same fate. I got my Cobra with the front license plate holder on it.

[04svt2502]

Luckly the 04 I just bought doesn't have any holes in the front. I know there is a company that is making a metal braket that bolts to something in the back of the front bumper. I to will never run a front plate I'm going on 15 years with no front plate on all of my cars in WI, knock on wood!!

[jwsweatt]

I have a black 2003 SVT convertable that I bought new. The dealer didn't put the front plate on, and neither will I, unless or until the law makes me. So far, living in Fresno, CA has not presented a problem with leaving the front plate off. I've only had one ticket, but that was on a barren stretch in Nevada, and the HP office didn't mention anything about it.

[phatasp]

I have bent my plate along the bottom and mouted it to the under side of the front bumper. I'm not quite legal but I have never been pulled over either and on the plus side I can easily remove the plate with no ugly screw holes!

With plate
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j252/PhatAsp/The%20Cobra/DCFN0015_edited.jpg

Plate removed
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j252/PhatAsp/The%20Cobra/IMG_7478-1.jpg