Advice Regarding License Plate Frames

"JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!" (jqj213)
06/17/2015 at 14:14 • Filed to: c30, volvo, advice, license plates

My C30 still has a rather tacky dealer license plate frame that says “Protect What’s Valuable” since I got the extended warranty. Do I just take it off and go frameless or try and find some sort of frame? I just want opinions here... Thanks!

DISCUSSION (49)

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:16

When I ran frameless, the license plate rattled against my trunk. YMMV. You going to try to make it out for Autocross this weekend at Three Palms?

yamahog > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:18

Get a nice Michigan Football license plate frame and be sure to speed through Ohio

/awfuladvicehog

HammerheadFistpunch > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:19

frameless.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:19

I’m also in this boat, need a license plate frame for my new FoST.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
06/17/2015 at 14:20

I was worried about the rattle but luckily because of the shape of the hatch, the part where the plate is never moves.

I might actually be able to make it.. do you have a link again by chance???

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:20

frameless

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
06/17/2015 at 14:22

Im just worried of it rattling and making noise

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > HammerheadFistpunch
06/17/2015 at 14:22

You don’t think itll rattle away?

PushToStart > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:23

Go frameless until you can find a plain black one, or there may even be some tasteful Volvo ones out there if that’s your thing (although ink black or body colored will look the best)

HammerheadFistpunch > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:23

nah, worse case put a few nylon washer between the body and plate.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > PushToStart
06/17/2015 at 14:24

I saw like one or two nice Volvo ones.. but they were at least $25 which I wasn’t feeling like spending. I think i’ll just take it off for now unless it starts rattling like crazy

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:26

never had one on any of my vehicles and i have never had a rattle

PushToStart > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:28

Yeah, that makes sense.

This is optional, but if you have any electrical tape lying around, consider going around the edge of the plate with the tape, so that the metal of the plate isn’t bare on the paint. If there’s any vibrations or rattling and you don’t have the tape on, the bare metal will scratch the paint up. While that’s not necessarily a huge deal, it’s easy enough to prevent so I think it’s worth it.

uofime-2 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:31

Kinja'd!!!

Frameless with “custom” mounting holes in the plate because Japan doesn’t understand US plates :

crowmolly > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:33

I like framed. Thin, plain black. Gives the car a finished look.

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:35

I just took a rattle can and spayed mine black. Looks fine when you are more than 3 feet away. You can always get decent brushed steel frames off ebay if you want a more finished look.

atrombs > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:38

I went to autozone and found that the only plain black ones included the smoked plate cover. Toss the cover and the frame looks great.

Alfalfa Romeo > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:40

I got a very clean looking black frame on Amazon for about 5 bucks. I highly recommend it.

Kinja'd!!!

I thought I had a better pic than this, but apparently not. At any rate, as you can see its minimal but adds a nice bit of accent.

Edit: it’s metal, btw.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > atrombs
06/17/2015 at 14:40

Huh thats pretty much what im looking for. Have to check it out tomorrow when im off from work

atrombs > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:44

I also made sure to get some stainless screws, I hate those rust marks you see running down some people’s plates. that’s just me though.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Alfalfa Romeo
06/17/2015 at 14:45

Yes! Thats exactly what I want!

and 100 more > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:45

You could hit up the dollar store, grab a pack of those small felt furniture sliders that are sticky on one side, and either run the screws thru them, or set them just next to each screw hole.

Alfalfa Romeo > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:47

Finally found it from my order history.

Cruiser Accessories 15050 Neo Black License Frame https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00236XLA0/…

MarquetteLa > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:49

Carbon fiber is the obvious solution. I have one on my GTX. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00…

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:51

At work so can’t facebook, but this is the link I sent you last time. Hopefully it’s still good. If not, I’m sure they have the event on their facebook page or something. Their website isn’t much help.

https://www.facebook.com/events/8405348…

Then Something New > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:57

I always liked the look of a clean plastic black frame.

Kinja'd!!!

jkm7680 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 14:57

Carbon Fibre!

Admiral-cb > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 15:01

I say go without one at all.

Unless you can find one that says “my other ride is your mom,” if you find one of those that is the answer more often than Miata.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Alfalfa Romeo
06/17/2015 at 15:01

Awesome! That’s exactly what I want

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
06/17/2015 at 15:03

That’s perfect! Thanks a lot! I think my odds are in my favor. Hopefully I’ll be able to

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 15:19

I can’t tell, does that show the dealer name or just the “protect what’s valuable” BS line?

If it has the dealer name it’s an advertisement. I tell dealers they can pay me as if I were a mobile billboard, I drive m-f morning and afternoon on major highways during rush hour, they can pay me for the advertising (They never say yes to this, but I’m a pain in the ass Automotive Advertising guy so....)

Your boy, BJR > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 15:23

Flip it around. Leaves a nice little border around your plate and looks good.

Sn210 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 15:27

Frameless = weight savings, yo

Spasoje > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 15:29

It has the usual Volvo H-bracket underneath, right? Plates only rattle when they aren’t (or sometimes can’t be) attached with all four bolts - but that’s not a concern with the Volvo bracket! :)

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Spasoje
06/17/2015 at 15:39

Yup! Same one used for over 25 years at this point! I think even longer. And thats actually not something I thought of!

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
06/17/2015 at 15:40

Both. Dealer on top and the bs line on the bottom!!! I already got the big sticker off so now its just this!

Some of the things they do are so tacky!

Manic Otti > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 15:47

I’m frameless but just because I’m too lazy/cheap to buy a frame. I actually think a frame looks better if you get a simple one that matches the car.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 16:07

oh hell no I won’t accept the vehicle with the sticker on it.

I offered one of them $200 bucks a month, the number of impressions on these crowded highways, they’d never get that out of a billboard.

They said no.

Well, I mean the car payment was only 150 a month so it kind of makes sense....

they promptly took the sticker off.

Amoore100 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 16:24

I see a Pilot...are you a Volvo-Honda family as well? (We have an Ody and a V70, and soon a V50...)

OppoMiata > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 16:40

Kinja'd!!!

This is the only frame i’ve ever used, Dad used to have it on his IROC Z/28 back in the 80’s. I think if you’re going to go with a frame, definitely take the dealer one off and get something related to the car/meaningful to you. Otherwise frameless looks absolutely fine. It’s also pretty fun to watch people point it out at red lights and burst out laughing.

Ilike_cougars > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 17:07

Id picked up a plain black frame from a auto store , looks better IMO..

DocWalt > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 17:21

I went frameless until I found a carbon fiber frame. They’re like $20 on Amazon, fiberglass with real carbon fiber on top. Cheap and works well.

jvirgs drives a Subaru > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 18:47

Do whatever tickles your fancy

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Amoore100
06/17/2015 at 19:41

Yep! Dad’s 12 S60, mom’s 07 Pilot, and my 08 C30!

Amoore100 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/17/2015 at 20:44

Yay! One Honda, double Volvo families ftw!

Snuze: Needs another Swede > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/18/2015 at 12:51

I just go to Autozone or whatever and buy a cheap plain black plastic frame. Cleans it up nicely and prevents rattles. I use 2 medium size body clips to fill the lower holes if the car doesn’t have 4 holes provided for the plate.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Alfalfa Romeo
06/20/2015 at 01:56

So pissed.. went to the dollar store and they had two: chrome and black. only one issue: the black which I wanted only had 2 screw holes. Of course the chrome had 4. Damn volvo H brackets. Think I need to order that amazon one

Alfalfa Romeo > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/20/2015 at 09:46

Haha you just never know what you’ll find at a dollar store, for better or worse. Th Amazon one will be more durable, anyway. (Not that I had to tell you that.)

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
06/20/2015 at 11:53

Actual link if it matters at this point

https://www.facebook.com/events/1661039…