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CREATIVE STEEL: Front License Plate Bracket

19K views 47 replies 22 participants last post by  mberisha 
#1 ·
There has been some conversation about some states requiring a front plate (Oregon being one of them) and no place to mount one or an off the shelf solution. I, along with others, had no desire to drill holes in the bumper in order to mount some generic, ill fitting, cosmetic disaster just to make the cops happy.
In the photos you will see what I came up with. The bracket mounts to the lower grill with no modifications, it can be removed at any time with no signs of ever being there, which will appeal to the next owner of the car, if they live in a "one plate state"
Knowing that the bracket was going to be mounted to the lower grill and that all it had to support was a license plate, I designed it to be as "light weight" as possible so not to damage the grill over time. I also tilted the plate to match the angle of the bumper, this makes it "fit" the car, looking less generic, and a bit less wind resistance, putting load on the lower grill.
All of the parts are laser cut using stainless steel. Once installed you can't see much of the bracket, but by the way it's designed and made of stainless, what you can see will look good for years without painting.
As I was finishing the installation on my car, my son walked by, so I asked him what he thought. He said "looks good, it looks like the plate is just "floating" in front of the car". Now that it's been on there awhile, it kind of does to me too. Once you get used to the license plate being on the car, you don't notice the bracket.
If anyone is interested, I have a few of these brackets for sale, $95 +frt.
Creative Steels number is 503-316-1811



 
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#3 ·
Looks cool! I went with a Beatrush license plate bracket for an EVO 9. Mounted it upside down and it works great. Excuse the front of my car, I just wired up all the nitrous so my fingerprints are over everything and the pollen being right by the lake at our shop makes the car dusty as hell. Not to mention the bugs..





Yours looks pretty damn nice! Only thing I don't like about mine is that is has one bolt, however I have never had to tighten it or straighten it since I used lock washers.
 
#15 ·
i think ill wait until i get nabbed for my front plate.

Same thing here...this would look pretty slick powdercoated to match.

I refuse to drill holes in my bumper.
 
#13 ·
Dang Motormounts, your front bumber is immaculate. I wish mines looked like that. I've considered getting mines repainted.
 
#18 ·
Yes, I have some left. I took three of them to a powder coat shop to have them coated in semi-gloss black. Can't wait to see them when they're finished. It will probably make them "disappear" even more once installed.
I will post pictures when I get them back. For only being a license plate bracket...I'll bet they're going to be sexy as hell.
The cost will be $20 more if anyone wants a black one. So the prices are $95 for the plain stainless and $115 for the powder coated stainless plus $12 freight. Both come with stainless bolts and nylock nuts.
 
#19 ·
I had an unpleasant experience about a month ago. I found a ticket on my windshield, "no front license" while parked in downtown Minneapolis in front of my office building. $108.00. Dammit! Took the ticket off the windshield, went back to the office. An hour and a half later, returned to the car. Another ticket. $108.00. The hearing officer at the courthouse said, "We don't give warning tickets for failure to display a front plate. People say they'll put one on and then they don't do it." This, of course was my plan. He tore up the tickets and I drilled the holes to mount an (ill-fitting) CTS front plate bracket. I wish I'd seen this thread first. This is much, much nicer than my quick and dirty solution, but I can't afford $216 a day to drive my car into Minneapolis....
 
#27 ·
Max,

Do you have any more if these plate mounts left? It looks like I "gotta" have a front plate to pass the German inspection process.....

Please PM with any details.....Thanks!

BTW.....any progess on a "quick disconnect" that was mentioned in one of the old posts?
 
#30 ·
You will not be disappointed Heavy, nice work. If I ever wash my car again Imight post pics of it. I started to set one up like yours Heavy, then I saw the link, stopped, ordered it and it's still on the car.

The only problem I had is the supplied hardware spun When I tried to tighten it into the bracket so I had to improvise a little but I would buy it again. That and I picked up some rubber washers at Lowes to put between the bracket and the mesh so I am hoping when it gets removed it will not leave a mark.
 
#32 ·
Are these still available? I don't want to drill into my bumper. Cops love to write front plate tickets here. '05 Silver CTS-V. Probably best color match would be just plain, unpainted bracket?

Also looked at the hideaway/electronic plates, but I don't see the point outside a car show. Here in PDX I'd never be able to hide the plate anyway.
 
#34 ·
In Oregon, the plate must be 'properly mounted'. A anal cop can ticket you for a plate mounted to the lower grill with cable ties, screws. This bracket would probably get a pass though.

I hate a front plate, just butt ugly, but I hate being pulled over or given a $216 ticket from a meter maid even worse.
 
#35 ·
I am so GD mad I had to post this.

I fought for over an hour with the CRAPPY HARDWARE for the mounting. :thehand:

It would have been nice if the "square hole captures bolt" would have actually worked instead of just spinning around and rounding off the bolt square. :thepan:

I suggest a round headed bolt with an Allen head capture for future production.

Very good looking design, but the hardware SUCKS.
 
#37 ·
lol, I thought the same thing. HW = The suck but the mount design was sweet. I had some SST HW sitting in the garage so I found a nice place in the bin for the HW that was supplied with the plate.

To the designer:
I would suggest if your going to send the mount with Hardware like that, include a no hardware option. I do appreciate that you sent the HW but it was a big let down when it started to spin in your bracket.

The same kooky laws here in Germany...however the mount passed THEIR inspection....so I'd imagine it should pass any state inspection....
Passed in California also :thumbsup: If you need to have a front plate, this is the way to do it. I made up some brackets and started to install it and realized it looked a bit ghetto so it came off and I ordered this one. Very professional but I wish I had polished it before I installed it!
 
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