Mounting front license plate
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,069
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From: Pasco, WA
Mounting front license plate
I am in the process of installing a license plate on the front of my 88 S4. How and where is the best place to put the plate? I am interested in making it angled down to decrease police laser effectiveness. Any ideas?
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Joined: Aug 2001
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From: Up Nort
I've seen a few people trim the plate to match the height of the front bumper, then simply screw it in flush.
A lot of the boy racers are using suction cups to mount the plate inside the windshield.
A lot of the boy racers are using suction cups to mount the plate inside the windshield.
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From: Texas
I have been pulled over exactly twice for no plates on the front. The first time was in a small local suburb by a young policeman that obviously was bored to tears. I told him that my car was backed into a few days before (which was true) and I held up the license plate which I keep on the passenger shelf. He told me I needed to get it remounted. I not ever planning to do that.
The second time was by a very astute Texas DPS officer who was smart enough to outfox my V1. I pulled off at the next exit and pulled way off the roadway. As he walked up, he asked if I knew I didn't have ANY license plates on the car. I replied that I was driving from California and the previous owner had wanted his vanity plates. I told him that I had a one-time transit permit from California. He looked over and saw a piece of paper stuck to my windshield, told me to slow down, have a good day and sent me on my way.
I think the front license plate thing is ugly and detracts from the car.
One thing that I think is really weird about the front license plate thing is: it is unecessary. Texas claims that it's a safety issue. How can that be? What is the basis for that claim? TxDot issues one plate only for dealers. It states in the dealers manual that although two plates are required in Texas, MOST local law enforcement agencies will allow dealers to travel with just one plate. It seems to me that if TxDot thought it was a real safety issue, they would issue two plates to everybody.
Oh......was I ranting here? Sorry, off my soapbox now.
The second time was by a very astute Texas DPS officer who was smart enough to outfox my V1. I pulled off at the next exit and pulled way off the roadway. As he walked up, he asked if I knew I didn't have ANY license plates on the car. I replied that I was driving from California and the previous owner had wanted his vanity plates. I told him that I had a one-time transit permit from California. He looked over and saw a piece of paper stuck to my windshield, told me to slow down, have a good day and sent me on my way.
I think the front license plate thing is ugly and detracts from the car.
One thing that I think is really weird about the front license plate thing is: it is unecessary. Texas claims that it's a safety issue. How can that be? What is the basis for that claim? TxDot issues one plate only for dealers. It states in the dealers manual that although two plates are required in Texas, MOST local law enforcement agencies will allow dealers to travel with just one plate. It seems to me that if TxDot thought it was a real safety issue, they would issue two plates to everybody.
Oh......was I ranting here? Sorry, off my soapbox now.
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Orange, Cal
Porken had something rigged up below the bumper that looked interesting, but I think UGLY plate on the bumper exceeds the value of a few tickets, as long as they are $50 fixit tickets.
Check your state laws before changing the mounting location. In Calif for example you can't have too obvious of a hinge, or much of an angle (IIRC).
Check your state laws before changing the mounting location. In Calif for example you can't have too obvious of a hinge, or much of an angle (IIRC).
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,069
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From: Pasco, WA
Well I have thought about ziptying it on somehow to the front air dam where the radiator resides, but I dont want to restrict flow. The front of my car is pretty pot marked Im tempted to just screw it on because if it ever gets repainted properly they will be sanding anyways. Tell me more about these suction cups that you can put it in the window...
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From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Not trying to hijack the thread, but does anyone have any suggestions as the most practical way to fill & colour match the 4 holes left from where the PO had the front plate mounted?
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From: Friday Harbor, WA
Catfood, the factory front-plate bracket (at least in Calif where we bought the car) was an "H"-shaped affair similar to the rear bracket, and was attached with two sheet-metal screws about halfway between the "nose" and the vents below. So the plate was below the nose and angled down, at least until I removed it (which was about 2 min's after we got the car home).
I think front plates are particularly unsightly on 928's. And they are dangerous, you want me to attach a sharp metal thing to the front of the car? That's nuts.
I've also been stopped twice for no front plate: Once in Calif around 1970 in a 912, CHP couldn't get a clock (they didn't use radar then) so he wrote me a fixit for the plate and told me to slow down. The second time was last year in the S4, motoring sedately through Newhalem WA at 25.0 mph, sheriff's deputy pulls us over and threatens a $275 ticket for no front plate. He let us go after promising to call the San Juan County sheriff to make sure we put it on. (Uh, sir, I don't think Bill cares, leastwise he's never mentioned it...). We've had plenty of other roadside conversations with various LEO's over the years, not one has ever mentioned it.
I think front plates are particularly unsightly on 928's. And they are dangerous, you want me to attach a sharp metal thing to the front of the car? That's nuts.
I've also been stopped twice for no front plate: Once in Calif around 1970 in a 912, CHP couldn't get a clock (they didn't use radar then) so he wrote me a fixit for the plate and told me to slow down. The second time was last year in the S4, motoring sedately through Newhalem WA at 25.0 mph, sheriff's deputy pulls us over and threatens a $275 ticket for no front plate. He let us go after promising to call the San Juan County sheriff to make sure we put it on. (Uh, sir, I don't think Bill cares, leastwise he's never mentioned it...). We've had plenty of other roadside conversations with various LEO's over the years, not one has ever mentioned it.
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From: Bend, Oregon
I made a no-drilling mount for my S4 that has the plate parallel to the slanted nose. Two flat pieces wrap up inside the grill, and there are a couple small pieces that sandwich the edge of the bumper shell et the top of the grill to hold it all in place. I'm away from the car right now so no pics. There's one on RolfR's S4, maybe he can share a picture. You can see hot it fits in my avatar shot I think.
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From: K-town, Germany
If you go with stock, try Pelican Parts--much cheaper. I just ordered one for the GTS yesterday... Although if it didn't already have holes, I would have gone with something like Dr. Bob describes above.
/ Bruce
/ Bruce
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From: SF Bay Area
When I drive it on the streets and think there might be a problem with police, I mount it using the holes
from the original mounting bracket, but without the bracket on the nose of the car:
from the original mounting bracket, but without the bracket on the nose of the car:
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From: Albuquerque, New Mexico
I made a no-drilling mount for my S4 that has the plate parallel to the slanted nose. Two flat pieces wrap up inside the grill, and there are a couple small pieces that sandwich the edge of the bumper shell et the top of the grill to hold it all in place. I'm away from the car right now so no pics. There's one on RolfR's S4, maybe he can share a picture. You can see hot it fits in my avatar shot I think.
I've tried to get away with this in L.A. with several cars I've owned. I've NEVER been stopped on the street--the parking patrols are the ones who've tagged me every time.
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From: Denver, CO
I used a really nice moulded plastic mounted OEM mount from my 996 that lined up perfectly with the 928 holes and has a nice downward slant to the profile that is not as ugly as it would otherwise be. They are really cracking down on parking infractions here in Denver, trying to raise additional city funds.
Not the sharpest tool in the shed
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From: Chandler, AZ, USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy
I made a no-drilling mount for my S4 that has the plate parallel to the slanted nose. Two flat pieces wrap up inside the grill, and there are a couple small pieces that sandwich the edge of the bumper shell et the top of the grill to hold it all in place. I'm away from the car right now so no pics. There's one on RolfR's S4, maybe he can share a picture. You can see hot it fits in my avatar shot I think.
Thanks for any and all information.