I'm replacing the sealed beams on my '87 XJ-S V12 with some euro lights, so I've got the front jacked up to run the wiring and do some other stuff.

One of the "other stuff" things is to put a front license plate on. Imagine my surprise when I reach behind the front bumper and find that there are NO HOLES in the back of the bumper with which to reach in and tighten the license plate nuts.

Of course this is all venting...but just out of curiosity, how did Jaguar intend for someone to mount a front license plate without either removing the bumper, drilling holes into the back of it, or using really big/strong sheet metal screws?

Or...am I missing something really obvious???

Thanks,

John
1987 XJ-S V12, 62,000 miles

 

Sorry have to laugh, when I bought mine the front and back plates were held on by Tech-Screws just screwed into the plastic! Wow no expense spared there.
I just left it as is. Next year some time my car will be re-sprayed and once its exterior has being stripped Ill use Stainless nuts and bolts to fit the plates while everything is off.
Good Luck

 

Yes you have to drill holes in the bumper. Jag supplied a front license plate bracket/reinforcement with every car in the US. It was dealer fitted depending on local state regulations.

This diagram shows the part (#29)



Cheers,

Allan

 

Interesting, thanks for sharing it.

We're not required to have front plates in Indiana, so maybe it is from "here" and the dealer didn't bother/need to mount it. In a way though I'm still missing the point. My bumper does have the two slotted holes that match up with the top holes on a license plate, but even if the reinforcement plate were installed, there is still no way to get behind it to undo the top bolts, unless maybe the reinforcement plate came with plastic "nuts" permanently mounted in it (there is a name for them, but I don't know it) and using plastic bolts or screws was how the plate was supposed to be mounted?

If anyone has a photo of this arrangement I'd enjoy seeing it.

Thanks!

John
1987 XJ-S V12, 62,000 miles

 

@John

Yes, it's not the best design by any means.

I made up some little metal "flaps" or "ears" and, when used with long thin bolts allow me to hook my plate on. The flaps go between the metal part of the bumper and the rubber outside part.

Hopefully these pictures help explain what I'm talking about







My car didn't have a front plate on it when I got it so I cobbled this together myself.

Has been fine for the past 3 years

 

There are nylon licence plate bolt sets that have square nuts intended to lock into slots on some cars with that provision. With those, the nuts are inserted, the plate lined up, and the bolts screwed in from the front without need to access the rear. They also don't rust.

 

I bought a license plate holder from Advance Auto and used nylon zip ties to hang the holder through the holes in the lower spoiler. You couldn't see the zip ties and I thought the front license plate looked better tucked under the front bumper, not tacked on to the bumper itself.

 

Thanks guys. I did pick up a couple of nylon "nuts" at the store today, so I'll give those a try before I start drilling through the back of the bumper. Lacking success there I'll give Sarc's idea a go.

Thanks!

John

 

Worth a try but I recall that the commonly available nylon license plate nuts are too big for the existing slots.

FWIW, I used sheet metal screws that that were *just* the right size to bite into the slots.

Cheers
DD