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Dealer Prep - License Plates

5K views 42 replies 18 participants last post by  Sly Bob 
#1 ·
Question for the dealers in the group...

In states that require front license plates, who preps the car with the front mounting plate frame, the dealer or someone earlier in the chain? I'm considering asking that no front frame be mounted on my Solstice if possible. Would a dealer honor a request if I told them I'd rather mount my own plate frame?
 
#2 ·
Mike, all of the cars get shipped with the front mounting bracket loose in the vehicle, trunk or interior. Installation of it never occurs until after the car is at the dealer. So you could probably intercept the process before final prep. One way to tell is to look at other cars on the dealer lot and see if they have installed brackets already. Here where we only use rear state plate some dealers install bracket with their custom plate on front for free advertising.
 
#3 ·
I suspect it may not be too big of a deal on the Solstice. I expect the plate to end up in front of the gille, and if so the mounting bracket should attach to the car behind the grille. That would mean no holes would have to be drilled in the fascia, and removal of the bracket would be easy and clean looking.
 
#4 ·
Fformula88 said:
I suspect it may not be too big of a deal on the Solstice. I expect the plate to end up in front of the gille, and if so the mounting bracket should attach to the car behind the grille. That would mean no holes would have to be drilled in the fascia, and removal of the bracket would be easy and clean looking.
I'm worried there will be holes drilled in the space between the grilles.
 
#7 ·
I believe we have not seen a true production front fascia shown to us yet. I think that we will see evidence of removable plastic plugs that would provide for the mounting of plates in those states that require them.(Like the S2K) Those of you that will be going to the auto shows later in the year please keep an eye open for this.
 
#8 ·
Don't bet on plugs. My last 2 Pontiacs the dealer was supplied with screws or rivets to mount the front plate bracket.

I was able to stop the dealer on my Comp G and make my own bracket that mounted from under the car. Now if Ohio ever gets their act together and allows one plate, I now have the option to remove my plate and not have 3 holes in the front bumper of my 04 GP

Well any way I feel this is the front you will get and a plate will not look good anywhere they put it. Be thankful if your state only requires one tag.
 
#9 ·
I refuse to put a plate on the front. I don't care about a fine, I'll pay it. I'm not going to ruin the front end looks. Other people have not put front plates on their cars and I'll be the next one. Front plates serve no purpose except maybe now with those cameras on some stop lights taking pictures of those IDIOTS who put everyones life at risk by running a RED LIGHT! :nono:
 
#10 ·
My bet is the coppers are enforcing more than ever in areas with those red light cams (like where i live).

Anybody know the laws on NO front plate in calif? if so, email me:
rodeosolstice@yahoo.com or post here!

RODEO
 
#11 ·
I live in San Francisco. California legally requires a front plate. Since purchase, my 2000 Silverado has been sporting a red, white, and blue "USA1" licence plate. Last year I got pullled over for not having an up-to-date registration sticker on the plate. I had just cleaned the truck and forgot to put my registration tag and proof of insurance back in the truck. Written for all 3 offenses, the California Highway Patrolman did not even say "boo" about my illegal front plate.

I'm not going to put a front plate on my Solstice (or Sky, it I go that way). The worst that can happen is, the CHP will give me a "fix it" ticket, requiring me to put it on and show an officer I fixed the offense. I would do that and take the plate right off in the CHP parking lot before I left.
 
#12 ·
jimbo said:
I live in San Francisco. California legally requires a front plate. Since purchase, my 2000 Silverado has been sporting a red, white, and blue "USA1" licence plate. Last year I got pullled over for not having an up-to-date registration sticker on the plate. I had just cleaned the truck and forgot to put my registration tag and proof of insurance back in the truck. Written for all 3 offenses, the California Highway Patrolman did not even say "boo" about my illegal front plate.

I'm not going to put a front plate on my Solstice (or Sky, it I go that way). The worst that can happen is, the CHP will give me a "fix it" ticket, requiring me to put it on and show an officer I fixed the offense. I would do that and take the plate right off in the CHP parking lot before I left.
Cool Jimbo. What's the cost of a fix it now-a-days, $10???

RODEO
 
#14 ·
I made a retractable plate for my Fiero. I push in a cable and my plate drops down brom behind the bumper. I had the dealer leave off the front bracket in 1985 and got tired of being worried about getting pulled over. I made my own set up and never had to drill a hole.

One might be ble to use the street rod set up that they have out. It is electric and swings down if you have the room. They were intended to work with the key when you start the car, but you can wire it to work with a switch.
 
#15 ·
Day before yesterday, driving the junky ol' Camaro, got pulled over by a Texas Department of Public Safety (our funny name for the state highway patrol). Before asking for license and insurance, he made a point of checking the registration and inspection stickers on the windshield and then walking around to the front of the car, I assume, to make sure I had a front license plate. It was great in that he only wrote a warning (for going 67 in a 50 :) ) but I have a feeling, if I hadn't put the front plate back on a few months ago, I wouldn't have gotten off near as easy.

I think I might get a little creative on how I mount the front plate. I wonder how much I can bend and curve the plate to better match the body contours before it gets too illegal? :crazy:
 
#16 · (Edited)
I still get mad thinking about the time a CHP guy pulled me over while driving the 70 Eldorado. It seems that the car was in the wrong for having a glass covered license plate. I was explaining to the idiot that I thought it strange that it had been on the car for some 30 years and he was the only one that thought it important, when this guy came out of his house to see what was going on. It got comical then. He came out saying 'Whoa! Nice Caddie Man! What did ya get pulled over for man?' I showed him the plate and the guy began to berate the officer to the point I started laughing. Long story short, I got a fix-it ticket, put the plate guards back on and I haven't been stopped again. I understand that there are laws, and then too, I understand there are unusual people that enforce them. And by the way, after the jerk wrote me the fix-it ticket, he said, 'By the way, it is a beautiful Cadillac.' I smiled, took it, and said, 'It's a Fleetwood, and thanks.'
 
#17 ·
RODEO said:
Cool Jimbo. What's the cost of a fix it now-a-days, $10???

RODEO
There is no cost to a fix it ticket, if you fix it. If you don't fix it in the allowed time, you can everything from big fines to a suspended license. But the fix-it ticket itself merely requires you to remedy the problem, such as show the registration sticker, replace a burned out headlight bulb or put on narrower tires.
 
#18 ·
jimbo said:
There is no cost to a fix it ticket, if you fix it. If you don't fix it in the allowed time, you can everything from big fines to a suspended license. But the fix-it ticket itself merely requires you to remedy the problem, such as show the registration sticker, replace a burned out headlight bulb or put on narrower tires.
thought I remembered a small fee, so I googled, and came up with a $10 fee in kern county, so perhaps it's dependant on the source (i.e. CHP, etc.) and local.

http://www.co.kern.ca.us/courts/traffictickets.asp#proof
 
#19 ·
The problem for us here in California is that the plate has to be so many inches above the ground, and not over so many inches above the ground. I really hate putting a front license plate on the front of that car. I'm hoping that there'll be some sort of after-market alternative that will let us just skirt the issue.
 
#23 · (Edited)
check this out but I'm not sure how exactly this would work or look. The law says you have to have a front plate but how much has to be visible?

http://www.tperformance.com/street_rod_store/accessories/front_license-plate_clamps/

This one could be bolted to the grill.
http://licenseplateframe.com/tt/product/?pid=399


Here's another one that bolts under the bumper.

http://pt-tuning.com/exteriorParts/KK_LicenseBracket.html

That would atleast put the plate at the bottom of the bumper and below the grill. I think this might be the best alternative and the best looking of all our options and it's only 30 bucks. I'm thinking this is the one I will go with. Any thoughts?
I will wait to see what Pontiac comes up with first.
 
#24 ·
Thought of a solution, if you're required to have a plate, have a cool one:



something I'm toying with

RODEO
 
#26 ·
No front plate needed here in Indiana.

And for the back, we can get Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame plates.
 
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