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  • 2005 - 2014 S-197 Mustang -General/Talk-

Front Plate Mounting?

  • Thread starter Thread starter lostprophet894
  • Start date Start date Aug 21, 2009

lostprophet894

New Member
Aug 13, 2009
1
0
0
Fairfax, VA
Aug 21, 2009
#1
  • Aug 21, 2009
  • #1
Well my plates should be coming in anytime. I currently have the temp inside the passenger side windshield but once I get the permanent ones I'm sure that's not gonna cut it.

As much as I love living in Virginia I gotta say some of their laws are over the top stupid; one of those laws being the front license plate requirement. This REALLY bothers me because the S197 doesn't have a frame for a front plate and I sure as hell am not drilling holes in my car's bumper.

So anybody else that's cursed with living in a "2-plate state", what solutions can you offer?
 

autumn_again

New Member
Oct 2, 2007
356
0
0
Hamilton, NJ
Aug 21, 2009
#2
  • Aug 21, 2009
  • #2
View attachment 248084

believe it was swift motorsports hideaway plate bracket, like 50 bucks.

and it works as a scraper for steep driveways and stuff. where you would normally scrape bumper, it scrapes on the plate, saving your bumper.
 

Casey4s

New Member
Sep 1, 2007
147
0
0
Woodbridge, VA
Aug 21, 2009
#3
  • Aug 21, 2009
  • #3
lostprophet894 said:
Well my plates should be coming in anytime. I currently have the temp inside the passenger side windshield but once I get the permanent ones I'm sure that's not gonna cut it.

As much as I love living in Virginia I gotta say some of their laws are over the top stupid; one of those laws being the front license plate requirement. This REALLY bothers me because the S197 doesn't have a frame for a front plate and I sure as hell am not drilling holes in my car's bumper.

So anybody else that's cursed with living in a "2-plate state", what solutions can you offer?
Click to expand...

It does suck, I bought my car off the showroom floor and while I was finishing up the paper work they prepped the car. Without telling me they attached the front plate, I guess because it is normal around here so I am stuck with the holes in my bumper. I almost don't notice it because I have always had a front plate on all of my cars.

That bracket that Autumn_again mentioned above looks like a good thing to check out. I can tell you that if it is not"properly displayed" here in VA you will get a ticket. Having tha plate in the window is not properly displayed for a regualr plate.

Good luck...
 

autumn_again

New Member
Oct 2, 2007
356
0
0
Hamilton, NJ
Aug 21, 2009
#4
  • Aug 21, 2009
  • #4
yeah i agree on the windshield thing.

here cops see it as your saying "yeah i know the plate isn't where its supposed to be, pull me over for it"

i've seen more cars get away with no front plate with it just in the trunk, then i have with them sitting in the windshield.

i guess because i live so close to pa, a 1 plate state, so cops see them pass and just think its a pa car and think nothing of it.

a couple times i have driven around with the plate down. and haven't had any problems with it.

my friend had 2 holes drilled where the front plate should be, then he mounted the plate "jdm" to the side, then realized its on the wrong side or whatever, so drilled the other side too. then he just took the plate off. cop pulled him over "you got 6 holes in your bumper. whats the excuse for no front plate?
 
0

06ScreaminGT

New Member
Jul 29, 2009
1
0
0
Aug 22, 2009
#5
  • Aug 22, 2009
  • #5
Check out ccmustangbrackets.com. I got mine for them and love it. It mounts under the bumber so no holes to drill, and its easy to remove if you want to take it off. price is $45.00 bucks.
 
T

The Fang

Member
Sep 11, 2005
602
0
16
Tallahassee Fl
Aug 22, 2009
#6
  • Aug 22, 2009
  • #6
I just dont understand the reason for a front plate. It ain't like they gonna chase you down in reverse or nothin. Is the crime rate so bad in those states? Do you have to pay more for two plates?
 

Steel Horse

Member
Oct 28, 2008
0
0
16
Altoona, IA
Aug 22, 2009
#7
  • Aug 22, 2009
  • #7
The Fang said:
I just dont understand the reason for a front plate. It ain't like they gonna chase you down in reverse or nothin. Is the crime rate so bad in those states? Do you have to pay more for two plates?
Click to expand...

Iowa requires 2 plates and the crime rate here is pretty minimal. I don't understand it either because it's not very easy to read a plate when a person is behind you. If they are wanting to read your plate because you did something wrong they are going to get behind you first anyway.
 

DarkFireGT

Playing with my wife's really makes me want one.
10 Year Member
May 23, 2004
692
10
89
East Moline, IL
Aug 22, 2009
#8
  • Aug 22, 2009
  • #8
The Fang said:
I just dont understand the reason for a front plate. It ain't like they gonna chase you down in reverse or nothin. Is the crime rate so bad in those states? Do you have to pay more for two plates?
Click to expand...

Steel Horse said:
Iowa requires 2 plates and the crime rate here is pretty minimal. I don't understand it either because it's not very easy to read a plate when a person is behind you. If they are wanting to read your plate because you did something wrong they are going to get behind you first anyway.
Click to expand...
You have to have a front plate in Iowa and Illinois (I live on the border), but I don't run one on my Mustang. I think it's ridiculous. Iowa's been cracking down. Luckily I don't drive my Mustang over there often. It's just another means of ticketing, and a reason to pull people over to find out if they've been drinking. I didn't run a front plate on my '05 either. (It had the C500 bumper... no way was I going to do that). Also, even though I still have the holes in my '07, I don't have a vanity plate or anything else where the front plate would go. It's not "obvious" that I'm not running one. The ones that make it obvious is when they put a big chrome "ford" vanity plate there instead of the regular plate.

My argument is simple. Motorcycles don't require front plates. Why do cars? What makes a motorcycle different? The police always pull you over from behind. And when they are coming at you from the other direction, it's not like they can read the plate, because you're effectively traveling twice as fast... If you're both going 55 on the highway, he's gotta try to read that plate at 110 if he's coming from the other way.
 

ct07gt

Member
Feb 14, 2008
377
0
16
Aug 22, 2009
#9
  • Aug 22, 2009
  • #9
It's a $98 ticket in CT for no front plate, the cops were at the bottom of an off ramp and had like 5 cars pulled over, all of them for no plate. I think two of them were Corvettes. The cop said if I send in a letter from a mechanic with my ticket saying he installed the plate they would drop the fine. Still haven't put one on, so I can't really complain if I get caught again. Once in 3 years isn't too bad though.
 

Casey4s

New Member
Sep 1, 2007
147
0
0
Woodbridge, VA
Aug 22, 2009
#10
  • Aug 22, 2009
  • #10
I agree with you guys about hating the plate but I hate being pulled over for any reason even more. It simply gives the crappy cops out there an excuse to screw with you for no real reason. Most cops are OK, but the 20%ers with attitude are just looking for a reason to be morons. I also agree that what's up with motorcycles not needing a front plate but I have to mess up my bumper.
 

autumn_again

New Member
Oct 2, 2007
356
0
0
Hamilton, NJ
Aug 22, 2009
#11
  • Aug 22, 2009
  • #11
yeah, normally i'm out every fri night. but cops were hot and heavy and there were alot of people driving like morons. i have the kind of car they would look for.

i love the g35 last night that thought he was cool that he could chirp the tires driving thru a puddle. that takes serious power guys.
 
T

The Fang

Member
Sep 11, 2005
602
0
16
Tallahassee Fl
Aug 22, 2009
#12
  • Aug 22, 2009
  • #12
The base or 6rs have a different bumber that has a molded area so if you dont have a plate on the front it looks queer.
 

bynumj

Member
May 21, 2007
77
2
6
Portland
Aug 22, 2009
#13
  • Aug 22, 2009
  • #13
I made a custom bracket for my front plate. It mounts on the lower left grill and is removable. I will post a photo.
 

bynumj

Member
May 21, 2007
77
2
6
Portland
Aug 22, 2009
#14
  • Aug 22, 2009
  • #14
Here is my plate.
I can take it off.
 

Attachments

  • Front Plate.webp
    73.7 KB · Views: 183
B

bluecar

Member
Feb 19, 2007
99
0
6
SF CA
Aug 22, 2009
#15
  • Aug 22, 2009
  • #15
If you whiz through a toll plaza without paying or go thru a fastrack and don't have one, a picture is taken of your front plate. That's one of the reasons we hafta have it here.
 

walter

Founding Member
Aug 13, 1998
1,054
0
46
Houston TX
Aug 23, 2009
#16
  • Aug 23, 2009
  • #16
To those asking why they require a front plate I got three words for you.

MUNICIPAL

REVENUE

GENERATION
 

bullitt 736

Member
Jan 16, 2004
120
0
17
Magnolia, Texas
Aug 23, 2009
#17
  • Aug 23, 2009
  • #17
^^^^ Yep. A buddy of mine went thru a checkpoint in Webster last year. He asked if there were checking for insurance. They told him "front plate".

I have this one:

License Plate Bracket - Custom Made by Me. - The Mustang Source

Works great. At least the one time I used it going to Mustang Week last year. I took it off for the show and haven't had it on since.
 

kooldawg6

mine works really well and can take a fair amount
Aug 31, 2006
1,679
2
38
Central VA
Aug 27, 2009
#18
  • Aug 27, 2009
  • #18
After having the GT500 front conversion done to mine earlier this year, there was no way I was having any holes drilled in the bumper for the front plate!!!!! I am using black wire ties through the lower grille and there is single side adhesive felt on the lower part of the plate that rests against the lower painted part. If I get to a car show or a place for a photo shoot, I can just snip the ties and have no plate at all and only takes a few seconds to use new ties to reattach it I've scrapped the chin spoiler so many times now, there is no way one of the stealth brackets would ever last on my car!
 
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