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Connect the front license plate in LA (or California?)

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Old 10-01-2014, 08:58 AM
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Default Connect the front license plate in LA (or California?)

Do cops really care?
 
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Old 10-01-2014, 09:27 AM
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Some do, some don't...
 
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Old 10-01-2014, 09:29 AM
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I was nervous here in MA running without the front plate. But in 16 months and 14,000 miles, no one has cared yet. Did have to attach the front plate with zip ties for the state inspection, but then I just cut it off.
 
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Old 10-01-2014, 09:43 AM
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I have never had my front license on either of my XKRs and the only time I have been cited was by a parking enforcement meter maid who left me a parking ticket while I was playing golf at Griffith Park. So what I do now is keep my plate in the trunk with two 4" long bolts poking through the upper holes of the license, and when I park on the street or any public parking area, I simply take it out, push the bolts through the mesh grill where it catches and looks like it's attached. Occasionally, I have forgotten to take it off and put it away, and have driven home with it, and it's never fallen out.
 
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Old 10-01-2014, 10:09 AM
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I never put my front plate on- cops dont care in my experience and even when I get pulled over for speeding they dont give a ticket for NFP. The only time I've been hassled is when I park in a public lot where law enforcement can patrol and they will hand out NFP tickets. One time in Laguna Beach, on my M6, I had temp reg in the glass with no plates front or rear and I still got a ticket. The meter cop ran my VIN and saw that the DMV had issued the plates yet I wasnt displaying them. That was strong!!!!

The bottom line is the F type is way to sexy to ruin it with front plates, at least in Cali
 
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Old 10-01-2014, 10:53 AM
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It looks like the F-Type has a tow-hook hole in the front.

US Millworks makes a plate bracket that mounts on the tow hook and can be easily attached/removed. I have one for my 135i.

They don't make one specifically for the F-Type (yet). but perhaps one of the existing will fit, or the owners of US Millworks could be persuaded to make one. It probably isn't too much trouble to adapt one of their existing designs.

US Mill Works - Front License Plate Brackets
 
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Old 10-01-2014, 11:00 AM
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Same experience, beware of meter maids! Cops don't care.
 
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Old 10-01-2014, 11:21 AM
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Originally Posted by vic55
The bottom line is the F type is way to sexy to ruin it with front plates, at least in Cali...
You got that right Vic...no way in hell am I attaching a front plate to my car...or any of my other 6 cars for that matter.

I instructed SJBM (where I'm buying the car from) NOT to install the front plate and I believe it's their policy not to.
 
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Old 10-01-2014, 11:41 AM
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I think I am going to roll the dice and keep the front plate off my car.

Saw this for use when parked only. Not sure how well the suction cups will last or how long the front plate will stay on the car if someone sees you attaching it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-No-Drill-No-Holes-Front-License-Plate-Bracket-Mount-Solution-Not-Tow-Hook-/161288985575?hash=item258d929be7&vxp=mtr
 
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Old 10-01-2014, 12:38 PM
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In Dallas and surrounding cities LEO's are paying more atention to and in many cases writing tickets for NFL plate since they are now actively auto scanning plates as they drive.
If this technology is not in LA it probably will be soon and then may become a higher ticket priority.

Info: Dallas PD says new license readers making huge impact

Walt
 
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Old 10-01-2014, 01:05 PM
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Originally Posted by WaltB
If this technology is not in LA it probably will be soon and then may become a higher ticket priority.
ALPR has been in use in LA since at least 2006. Its use is now in a public lawsuit concerning privacy laws. Not sure how that will turn out. Your average police officer though still doesn't care about front plates. It's the damn meter maids!
 
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Old 10-01-2014, 01:11 PM
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I really hope you folks can make it work without getting tickets for no front plate.

Here, in Ontario Canada, the provincial police (most of us call them 'Barney', after the Barney Fifth character on Andy Griffith show) are fanatics around speed and things like no front plate. Way to many cop cars running around looking to make 'quota'.

I tried on my XKR to go without, but got stopped so often, I finally gave in. On my F type r I ended up with a piece of metal in behind the center bar and rare earth magnets attached to the plate and it holds really well, even when passing large trucks at high speed.

When I get to the U.S.A. to visit relatives, I simply take it off as most of the U.S. seems a lot more reasonable and less of a nanny state than here.. at least so far.

A few provinces here do not require front plates, however its in the minority with very little hope in sight.

Lawrence.
 

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Old 10-01-2014, 05:36 PM
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I've never once been bothered for no front plate on any of my cars. I was just recently pulled over a couple weeks ago by dallas pd and they didn't care. I've never seen them bother anybody about it who has a nice car. I can see the meter maids writing it though but I wouldn't park anywhere a meter maid could run their extortion scams at.
 
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Old 10-01-2014, 08:46 PM
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Originally Posted by jmfan
I think I am going to roll the dice and keep the front plate off my car.

Saw this for use when parked only. Not sure how well the suction cups will last or how long the front plate will stay on the car if someone sees you attaching it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-No-Drill-No-Holes-Front-License-Plate-Bracket-Mount-Solution-Not-Tow-Hook-/161288985575?hash=item258d929be7&vxp=mtr
I like the suction cup solution for parking situations. I can't stand the tow hook solution. It's one of my pet peeves since the license plate is off centered. I'm all about symmetry I would get this except I think it'll just scrape too much and eventually get destroyed:

 
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Old 10-01-2014, 11:20 PM
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Reminds me of the James Bond revolving license plate. It does look like a great way to lose your front license plate completely when you scrape.
 
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Old 10-02-2014, 05:32 AM
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Originally Posted by shift
I like the suction cup solution for parking situations. I can't stand the tow hook solution. It's one of my pet peeves since the license plate is off centered. I'm all about symmetry I would get this except I think it'll just scrape too much and eventually get destroyed:

Retractable Front License Plate Holder - YouTube
I ended up with one of these on my XKR and it worked fine and was fairly durable. Will not attach to the Ftype due to splitter etc.
Lawrence
 
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Old 10-03-2014, 01:04 PM
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So I just got my license plates and I'm looking for a hole or something in the front of the car to connect them but I don't see anything at all. Has anyone connected their front license plates and if so how did you do it?
 
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Old 10-03-2014, 01:57 PM
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Originally Posted by lunagry
So I just got my license plates and I'm looking for a hole or something in the front of the car to connect them but I don't see anything at all. Has anyone connected their front license plates and if so how did you do it?
Mentioned in a previous post.. I used a piece of metal in behind the center bar and earth magnets on back of plate... some use the tow hook hole and I was told at my dealer that you can get a plate set up that screws into that area.
Lawrence.
 
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Old 10-03-2014, 03:00 PM
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I've assumed that mounting the standard US front bracket requires self-tapping screws into the crossbar - ouch! I haven't done it, and it sounds like most of us haven't.


(Mine came with the bracket but no screws - dealer elected not to install it.)
 
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Old 10-03-2014, 05:37 PM
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Until I find a better solution, I used moly bolts to snug up the bracket to the grill below the crossbar using the stock mounting plate rotated 180 degrees. Better than drilling while I search out the best solution. I want easy removal and attachment, best idea right now seems to revolve around the tow hook, but haven't figured it out yet. Perhaps my winter project....
 


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