How the hell did I not notice this until now!?

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno) 01/27/2015 at 16:59 • Filed to: None

6

51

My M3 doesn't have a front plate bracket. Which, me being in a front-plate state, I kinda need. But, I like how clean it looks without it.

What do we think the odds of me ever getting in trouble for not having a front plate is?

If it's high, what mounting bracket would you guys recommend? Should I just find the kind that came on E36s from the factory, or is there something better?

bob and john > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:01

8

I know a lot of guy use the tow hook location and buy a bracket that screws into that

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:03

0

Duct tape should do it. Or maybe wood screws.

Alfalfa > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:04

0

After looking into it quite a bit in my own state (Utah), I deduced that you'll only get in trouble for if your driving something pretty flashy. Did the previous owner have it registered in your state? If he never got any grief for it, maybe you shouldn't bother.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:05

1

Just weld it to the hood!

Party-vi > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:05

0

What state are you in? I know Maryland requires a front plate only if a mounting point or method was provided by the factory. If not, you must have the front plate accessible in the vehicle at all times.

Tripper > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:08

7

Get another plate and keep it in the car. If you get pulled over and he/she notices your lack of front license plate, show the officer the plate and tell him the bracket has been ordered.

Mercedes Streeter > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:09

1

Usually the cops won't care unless you give them a reason to. Otherwise, if you're worried, you can pick up a license plate bracket that screws into the front tow bolt. :)

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Alfalfa 01/27/2015 at 17:12

0

It's been in the state for at least the last 2 owners, so I'd assume they've gotten away with it just fine.

ColoradoTaco > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:13

0

Pretty sure that's the bracket there. We need front plates in CO too but I've never been hassled for it.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Party-vi 01/27/2015 at 17:13

0

Missouri.

This could be the case here actually. Because I see cars with no front plate bracket, but have the plate on the dash or somewhere inside the car.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 01/27/2015 at 17:14

0

I cringed at the thought of this.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow 01/27/2015 at 17:14

1

OH GOD NO.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > ColoradoTaco 01/27/2015 at 17:16

1

It's not, BMW put that on all E36s without brackets. That whole piece interchanges for one with a plate holder.

Alfalfa > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:16

1

I bet if you start paying attention, you'll see a lot of cars without front plates. When I started looking for them, I actually found a surprising amount of cars without them that even had the brackets.

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:17

2

Don't put a front plate on. Neither of my cars have them and I never have had any issues with law enforcement over it. I haven't heard of anyone else having an issue either.

desertdog5051 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:17

0

Did you look in the trunk for a bracket? Years ago I bought a 2 year old Pontiac. In the trunk was a box containing the front plate bracket if needed.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:19

0

Holy shit!!!!!!!! You got it!!!! Congrats!!!!!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > desertdog5051 01/27/2015 at 17:19

0

I did not. I'll have to when we pick up the car. I don't remember seeing anything like that under the trunk carpet by the spare or anything though.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 01/27/2015 at 17:21

0

Well, it's going to be mine, that's for certain. But, we're still waiting for the title to come in so we can actually pick the car up from the seller, which should be happening some time this week.

BeaterGT > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:22

0

Don't bother.

DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:22

0

You should be able to get away with it in Missouri. At least, a lot of the guys I know around KCMO get away with it, just fine.

ddavidn > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:23

1

Peter's suggestion of the tow hook bracket is a good one. I got a ticket while parked for having my plate in the windshield, so I bought a bracket that came with its own trim piece, so I could preserve the original "B M W" piece.

Oh and I'm jealous of your nice E36 M3.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:26

0

Well congrats! What will become of your old van?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 01/27/2015 at 17:28

0

Presumably sell the poor old thing. My mom was going to take it on her bi-yearly trip to the Lake of the Ozarks, but she's scared it's going to break down. So it might be gone before March rolls around.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:29

0

Well, I wish you good luck on the M3, also how many miles does it have?

Brian Silvestro > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:30

0

For cars that have literally been engineered to hold a front plate, I'd put the front plate on.

blacktruck18 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:30

1

I haven't had a front plate on any of my cars in years. I have been pulled over twice for speeding (radared from front both times) and the cops didn't even mention it.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:30

0

Just go to a salvage yard and get the right part, they look just fine with from plates and won't take you too long or to much money to fit.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 01/27/2015 at 17:33

0

166,xxx. Which isn't terrible really.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Brian Silvestro 01/27/2015 at 17:34

0

That's not the plate bracket.

This is, that's just a filler thing BMW put there.

Brian Silvestro > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:35

0

But it's still the space where it would go, no?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Brian Silvestro 01/27/2015 at 17:37

0

Well technically yeah, but that'd involve drilling holes in that black plastic and presumably the bumper.

Brian Silvestro > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:39

1

Well it would look better with a plate there than just an empty space in the bumper where a plate should be.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:41

0

Ah, the Lake. I've seen so many things...

My brother still lives in Eldon.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Brian Silvestro 01/27/2015 at 17:42

0

While I'd usually agree, I'm so against drilling holes in the bumper, and it says BMW in the black plastic.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:42

0

Not bad at all. One of my neighbors has a yellow coupe version.

Brian Silvestro > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:46

0

Eh, if I lived in a front plate state and had a car with an already defined place to put the plate, I wouldn't want to be that guy who just doesn't put the plate where it's already supposed to go. It's not like I'm ruining the front, because they actually designated a place for it to go.

Bird > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 17:56

0

here's what my friends e36 with the tow hook bracket looks like. If you street park in LA you get a ticket for no front plate for sure.

e36Jeff now drives a ZHP > Party-vi 01/27/2015 at 18:14

0

That law got smacked down, it never made it out of committee. Having said that, I drove around in MD for like 6 months without my front plate on. I had it mounted to a spare front trip piece in my trunk. My plan was that if I ever got pulled over I'd tell the officer that I took it off for a track day and forgot to put it back on, then install it on the spot. Never got a chance to try that out because nobody cares if you are missing your front plate in MD.

Arben72 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 18:15

0

Don't worry about it. I've been pulled over many times without it, never had it mentioned to me.

e36Jeff now drives a ZHP > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 18:18

0

Granted, its for an e46, but mine just snaps in and out, no drilling required. Technically I think there are some bolts on the underside that I'm supposed to put in to hold it in place, but it stayed on the car @120mph on the track as well as the worlds slowed rear-ender, so I figure its not going anywhere and ignore the missing screws. I also never put it back on after my last track day in September(I started taking it off because it makes the car look better in the pictures at the track. plus aerodynamics or something.)

Rico > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 18:26

0

Logan please please please don't put one on! The car looks fantastic without one, and you'll likely only get bitched at about it by a cop if you were caught doing something else wrong like running a light, speeding, turning without signaling or anything else that would draw major attention to yourself.

NY is a front plate state and I'm 9 months in without one without an issue.

Local Miata Bro > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 19:55

0

On my miata I just have it sitting on the dash. Kentucky is a 1 plate state and that's where I got her from but my mom wants to get me this http://garagestar.com/shop/type1_lic… it may work for your m3 or it may not

Big Bubba Ray > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/27/2015 at 22:28

0

Just don't run one. I don't on either of my cars. Only had a problem with the Baja Bug when a cop asked me where the front plate was while he was checking out the car. Just say "Shit, I'm sorry. One of the license plate screws rusted through and I haven't been to the hardware store for new ones yet."

Works every time.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/28/2015 at 03:13

0

What are front plates? Also just put in front window or keep in car so if you get pulled over you have it and say the bracket broke

jkm7680 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 01/28/2015 at 07:29

0

Do a front plate, It's not worth getting a ticket over. I've gotten a stern "talking to" over not having a front plate. It gives them reason to stop you.

If you like the clean look, Try this.

http://www.hidetheplate.com/

Party-vi > e36Jeff now drives a ZHP 01/28/2015 at 08:34

0

Interesting. In that case I know the front plate mus be displayed at the front of the vehicle (inside on the dash or windshield).

Also, MD issues about 15,000 tickets a year for missing front license plates, so I wouldn't say nobody cares.

e36Jeff now drives a ZHP > Party-vi 01/28/2015 at 10:15

0

that may be the case, but I would bet the majority of those are "add-on" tickets, not the primary cause of the stop.

Party-vi > e36Jeff now drives a ZHP 01/28/2015 at 10:44

0

You must be pretty damn lucky to not get pulled over - in PG and Anne Arundel County I've always seen guys stopped by troopers for not having front plates .

e36Jeff now drives a ZHP > Party-vi 01/28/2015 at 11:04

0

I was in Baltimore county & Harford, guess they don't care as much up there.

Party-vi > e36Jeff now drives a ZHP 01/28/2015 at 11:08

0

I would think Baltimore county would make a big deal about it. Who knows...