I searched high and low for a front license mount. The only half-way decent one I could find was from Adamesh. But it hangs low and I already scrape the nose on some of the parking lot entrances/exits around here. I just know I'd rip that thing off the first week or two.

I stumbled across this one on Amazon and thought I'd take a flyer. Worst case I'm out $22.00.




The kit comes with foam pads that I used to protect the bumper's paint. I had some extra foam tape that I used for speaker installation, so I used some of that on the inside of the stainless zip ties to try to minimize scratching, and attached the mounting bracket as snugly as I could to the RH section of the center cross-member.





I then screwed on the license plate and popped on the bolt head covers. I guess it looks OK. It doesn't block the center of the radiator, it won't get scraped on a driveway, and the government agents won't get bent out of shape for me not having a front plate. So, I guess, overall, a good compromise.

 

I did something similar with plastic ties. https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...e2/#post471082

 

Dont like it ..blocks the airflow..why did you not put it in the middle? UK plates are long and thin so we dont have the same problem.
I would have gone for the middle and put the top level with the centre bar

 

Glad I'm not the only one with a bit of OCD, the offset doesn't look quite right to me either. I can't be sure but I feel like the US is the only place I ever see offset plates, like it is (or was) some sort of trend there. @Y2KJag can you shed any light on that?

Also if you like the offset plate then don't centre it cause the internet told you to.. it's your car and I'm not your supervisor 😂 If I'm being honest I can't really see anywhere to put a front plate on that car that wouldn't look weird to me.. like the grille was designed for a market without front plates.

 

I'm in California, I have never run the front plate, cops have never cared. Maybe its a bay area thing where the police don't seem to do any meaningful road traffic policing? Not even the highway patrol. My car is legal in every other way so I don't worry. Considering the roads are FULL of people running those ridiculous license plate covers that render both plates nigh-on unreadable, I don't worry about not having a front plate. I keep it in the trunk and can re-attach it to the front over-riders any time I want in the event the cops pull me up on it. Everyone I talk to about it agrees it looks miles better and its a pretty unusual car to see on the road these days anyway so its not like its hiding.

However, you may be a very law-abiding sort of chap so here's another angle - have you considered doing the vinyl wrap plate option? You already have a Legacy plate on there - its legal now. Now sure where it would go, though, other than right up on the hood.

https://licenseplatewrap.com/shop/ol...nse-plate-wrap
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/news-a...-laws-in-2023/

 

I agree.

 

I forgot to mention that the main prerequisite was NO DRILLING. I didn't want to drill any holes in the otherwise pristine vertical "teeth," and I didn't want to drill holes in the bumper cover. This severely limited my options. It's not blocking any airflow. The rightmost edge of the radiator is around the leftmost edge of the J. Deduct an inch, give or take, for the side tank, and the radiator blockage is negligible.

You see lots of cars with offset plates because many newer models, especially the German ones, have a tow hook area in the bumper. In order to prevent modifying the bumper, like on my E46 with the M-Tech bumper, we use a license plate mount that screws into the hole where the tow hook would go. I opted for offset on mine primarily to avoid blocking the radiator. I already scrape some driveways, so mounting below the opening was an iffy proposition. The offset doesn't look as out of place around here as it probably does elsewhere. And I agree that the thing was designed for no front license. All licenses mess up the grille's gracious lines.

As far as needing a front plate goes, I would normally leave it off like the PO did. Yes, in CA you're supposed to have them, but you'll never get pulled over just for no front plate. HOWEVER, I cross back and forth regularly to/from Mexico. The SENTRI lanes mandate that all cars have a front plate. Soooooo, I needed some solution. So, it's not 100% aesthetically pleasing, but it satisfies Uncle Sam and it required no permanent mods to the car. It can be removed any time and nobody will be the wiser. I thought it a reasonable compromise. Were I inclined to drill holes, I'd mount it to the vertical teeth, with the bottom edge of the grille opening about half-way down the license plate.

 

On the E type the plate is stuck to the bonnet though usually white on black..i you try that on an XK8 with a stick on plate you will get stopped

 

My wife's 2006 XK8 began life in Beverly Hills and seems to have had the requisite front license plate installed when the vehicle was new. There are two tiny holes in the two black composite "bucktooth" grill risers where the screws were installed. Shortly after we acquired the vehicle in early February 2012 I thought about filling them with some sort of black resin substance, but they become invisible at about five feet away so I have never bothered to do so....

No front plate required here in North Carolina....

 

Throwback I agree 100%. I lived in the Peoples Republic of New Jersey and had my Jag for about three years before moving. They required two tags as well but I couldn't bring myself to put a front plate on so I decided to run without one. I did look up the possible ticket cost which was $50 (no points) and a front bracket at the time was $130. So I figured I could get two tickets and still be ahead. Guess what, I never got pulled over.lol

Cheers!

Andrew

 

How much is a fine for not having the front plate? I think periodically paying the fine would be a better solution than affixing one of those warts to the front of the XK8. Alternatively, move to a state that doesn't require one.

 

personally, I’d rather live back on the west coast even though all 3 of those states do require 2 plates. My “one plate” state has enough serious drawbacks, like ranking 49th in education quality, to make our one plate status inconsequential.

heres the latest map I could find which lists the breakdown:

note: not official, just what I found with a quick google. ( so Expect errors, I’ve been told Ohio no longer requires a front plate, etc….)



Z

 

You never know when you might be pulled over just for not having a front plate, especially in California. When I had my 1995 Corvette I had driven for about 12 years the same way to work without a front plate. There was a busy intersection where a motorcycle cop hid out every morning in the corner gas station to give tickets to those not coming to a complete stop for the red light or some other ticky-tack infraction. One morning I guess it was a slow day for him since he pulled me over SOLELY for not having a front license. The fine was not that much but I did have to put the plate on and then go to the local courthouse to have someone verify it was on to sign off the paperwork. It was a huge pain so when I bought the Jaguar I went ahead and installed the front plate since the mount was previously stashed away in the boot.

 

Aesthetics aside, the thing worked as designed. I sailed through the SENTRI line last week without a hiccup. Uncle Sam is happy. Sigh.

 

I’m breaking the law, and going front plateless. When my vanity plates eventually arrive, maybe I’ll put the front on. I bought on of those things that mounts to the tow mount…I:haven’t tried it yet, but it looks like it’d interfere with the parking sensors.

there is also a company that is approved by California dmv that makes a vinyl wrap plate. That might be an alternative. I’ve seen a few on Teslas.




https://licenseplatewrap.com/shop