kiesan

Washington, for all its plusses, requires we run the clunky front plate. Yuck.

Having just resprayed my front bumper, I had them fill the holes in the cover. My friend who makes stickers, vinyl, decals, etc., messed around with his machines for a couple hours for me and came up with basically an exact duplicate in vinyl. Sorry about the crappy night pics and my dirty car, but hey I drive this thing.

Is it legal? I doubt it. It is, however, exactly the same size and color as the real plate. My friend wants to make another for me out of reflective vinyl this time to even more closely replicate the real thing. I kind of like it just the way it is so I'm giving it a try to see how well it copes with Seattle's finest law and parking enforcement personnel on Capitol Hill.

Some people run with no plate here anyway and claim to never get hassled. It has happened to me though, and another thing is a meter maid can write you up even if you are legally parked if they notice no front plate. Ask me how I know!

Check it out:


Another pic of the front of a 928. So what?



Yawn...



Gosh that plate is awfully thin...



...it follows the contour of the bumper so well. What the?....



What do you think? $150 including install?

largecar379

I placed mine on the lower passenger side of the front bumper cover.

it doesn't cover the brake cooling ducts (mine is an '80 Euro), and is legal here in Texas (it only must be mounted on the front of the vehicle, not necessarily in the middle, according to DPS)

no charge, as you can use the original plate mounting brackets. (just fill in the holes where it originally came from)

---Russ

kiesan

You mean you used the actual license plate, right?

Thats the part I was tryng to avoid.

pscottjr

Well, I am illegal. No Front plates. Carry the plate in the car. I hate the look and will keep it that way until I have to put it on (as Russ says in Texas you need a front plate). Locals I can work with, State.....they can be hard ***.

I was going to use the excuse that I just got the car and am waiting on the plate holder from Caliornia (blame it on those guys...lol) and hope.

kiesan

I did that with my 328 Ferrari and the 928 until now. The problem here is parking tickets and also I want to avoid giving the man any reason to pull me over at all.

largecar379

yes, the real Texas issued plate.

relocated to the passenger side area, above the brake cooling duct, to the right side of the radiator opening.

anything else (like fake plates) will get you a ticket/fine/jail---trouble I don't need.....

my 928 attracts enough attention---keeping it legal is one step ahead of the cops...literally.

--Russ

JWise

That's a neat idea! I'd keep the real tag in the car and be able to produce it should a LEO question you about it. Hopefully he/she would be cool about your vinyl fascimile and understand your reason behind it. You've complied with the spirit of the law, just not the letter.

largecar379

complying with the spirit of the law won't keep you out of jail for displaying a fake tag......even in Oklahoma.

-Russ

kiesan

I thought about getting hassled since it is a "fake" but damn it would take an LEO with a big stick in his backside to do that. This thing is perfect, it looks exactly like the real plate.

JWise

Russ- so you're saying the penalty for displaying a vinyl fascimile of the real, legitimate tag by it's rightful owner, is possible jail time? I didn't think it would be that harsh. I was equating it more along the lines of not displaying a tag at all.

If jail time is indeed the consequence, I certainly wouldn't risk it. Especially if having no tag displayed is merely a fine or a "fix-it" ticket. I'd either comply with the letter of the law, or go without a front tag and take my chances.

I really feel for you guys in states that require front plates. They totally destroy the appearance of the front of the car, IMO. I would note my former GT came out of Houston and had no holes in the nose cap. The PO indicated he had never been hassled about it.

JHowell37

I think $150 is a bit steep. Is that with a "Porsche Tax" factored in?

Cliff Ruckstuhl

I REALLY hate the front plate here in Ohio, I went with out o my 951 and got stopped twice. I then installed but I cut it down to look like a Euro plate still had Ohio on it and all the number I just cut about an inch off the top and bottom, and got a ticket for that. He was writing the ticket and I was saying how this was BULL **** that a car just drove buy with out the plate his lame excuse was they were cracking down on it. BULL ****. I then kept track of the cars I would see with out the front plate and it was 10-15 for a 20 minute drive and this is on a regular basis. Truth is I got pulled over because it was a Porsche. I can't tell you how many Hondas and Misterbeshee I have seen every day with out the front plate or it is laying in the dash. One WRX has it on the passinger visor and just has it flipped down. I was singled out and $115.00 later I am now running the front plate and I hate it VERY MUCH.

Cliff 87 $4 Murf # 44

Alan

Plan B - Move to Arizona....

Alan

The_Remora

I like that solution. I am running w/o the front plate as well, never got stoppe3d for it on my last car, hope that luck holds out for me. I was wondering what solution I would use if I started getting hastled by the popo or meter-maids and this is a creative idea.

perrys4

No need for holes in the bumper. My bracket hooks under the lip. I have been running without it for some time now and no issues. I keep it in the back with the bracket with the idea that I will say I took it off for the local Saturday coffee and car show.