So the other day when the Travel Channel was going to film in our automated parking garage, I cut the zip ties that held my license plate to the mesh grill in front of the bumperettes. It always bugged me as it hides the very attractive opening, and when I took it off, it was sort of a liberating feeling. I have driven it around the last couple of days wondering if I would get stopped and readying my excuse that it had been used in a tv filming, and I hadn't had a chance to put it back on. I thought about copying the license onto sticky backed vinyl and putting on lower lip of bottom opening, but I wasn't sure this was an allowable substitute plus if it wasn't I didn't want to have to scrape it off. So, I came up with another solution. I haven't finished it yet as I just put it on a few minutes ago, and now I will make a couple of plastic sleeves that will cover the screws and which I will paint the same Cardinal Red as the car, and I don't believe it will be noticeable unless you are inches away. I took 4" long 1/4" diameter bolts, poked them through the license and frame and through the mesh about an inch up from the bottom so that the screws came out relatively straight, reached behind the grill with two washers and nuts, and simply ratcheted it tight. Although it appears low, it is not as low as the bottom of the lowest point of the bumper or the protective plastic piece under the radiator. Tomorrow I will make the sleeves out of either plastic or metal tubing, paint and install. It might not be better than no plate, but it won't cost me a $200 ticket. And yes, those are my big feet in the last photo.

 

I have my plate in a similar position, but even lower. Unfortunately I don't know where the plate holder comes from, the previos owner had it fitted. I have had it scrape the ground a few times, making it work as a cheap insurance for scraping more expensive parts.

 

I live in SoCal and almost all of the Jags, Porsches, etc. have no front plates. Even some of the POS don't either, so I woudn't worry about a ticket. It's possible if you get pulled over by Barney Fife...

 

Beware any of those public parking garages in Santa Monica, the local Barney Fifes go through there just looking to nail you if BOTH placards aren't displayed. I got one when returning to my car. It's only $25 but you never know what it would be in other cities here. Just keep both on to be safe. I hate how it sits on the front too. To be honest you will need something pretty sturdy to fix it on LA roads so make sure if you do rig something up it's STRONG. Don't want that thing coming off and doing damage to your car, etc.

 

Since about 5 years ago Barney Fife is a lot more prevalent here than in the past. Started out at about the same time where Kalifornia was financially starting to go down the toilet---coincidence?

Anyway for 13 years I had driven my Corvette without a front license plate. Things like that and window tint were only usually cited if you were stopped for something else. Well in my 14th year I had a cop chase me down SOLELY for no front plate. Since then I have heard of folks getting ticketed at night with their car parked in front of their house. This type of chickensh*t stuff is easy revenue for the jerks that mis-spend our money. The out-of-pocket cost for addressing the plate situation was maybe $25 but it wasted a few hours of my life.

So when I got the Jaguar it did not have a front plate and I drove it a couple of weeks like that. But every time I spied a cop somewhere it made me nervous so I just bit the bullet and mounted it using zip-tie but lower than it should be so as not to block the mesh grill.


Doug

 

Well, I have had it in the lower position for a couple of days, and it has scraped the bottom a few times. I think I am going to cut about an inch off of the top of the plate as well as at the bottom. The numbers and letters will still be unaffected but the license will be shorter by a couple of inches. I will drill new top holes in the plates and then fashion a frame and a bracket to hold it. I like it below the grill, and I'll find a way to make it work.

 

Be careful about cutting the plate. The STATE may view this as defacing government property and lock you away and throw away the key.


Doug

 

Hey Ted! I wouldn't cut the plate as that would be modification and possible cause for another ticket. However, you can bend it just above and under the numbers. If you run into a situation with a Barney Fife, you can simply bend the edges back.

 

Hi George,
Feeling better? I thought about putting the plate in a vice and bending "flaps" back against the back of the plate rather than actually cutting off. If I can lop an inch and a half or so off the plate and scoot it up, I think all of the scraping issues will go away.
See you soon.
Ted

 

No front plate in NY State will cost you $150. Found that out last summer in Newburgh NY. I still don't run with it on.

 

another member put a retracting plate holder on his car. I bought it but haven't installed it yet. It's electric and uses a key fob.

Here is a video of one working:


Delayed putting it on because my car is lowered and I'm a bit worried about grounding my plate out on a steep driveway but its on the list. Both Amazon and eBay has these. About $120.

 

This is what I did with my plate after a $109.00 ticket.

 

Before I bought our car it had been registered in 3 states that required front plates for a total of 15 years. I had it for 10 days and had the front plate laying on the left side of the dash. I was trying to figure out how I was going to mount it. You guessed it, I got stopped but luck was with me and got only a warning. I went right home and made a quick decision on how to mount it. Now I can drive around and not worry. Our son a few years ago got stopped 3 times with his Mustang for no plate, he simply never learned.

 

Seems that you've got the idea. The top and lower edges look to have been bent flat against the back.

 

Got that right.
2 small sheet metal screws up under the spoiler remove it easily if I enter any show or event.
I can always bend it flat again if it becomes an issue re: defacing government property.

 

Where did you get the leaping Jag for your front grill? I've been loooking for same w/o any luck.

 

Just drive into the rear of a new XJ really hard at the right angle, and the leaper should stick to your grill.

 

I didn't know that US licence plates were govt property. Over here in Europe, the plate is your property (and responsibility) and only the actual number 'belongs' to the state.

 

Just about everything belongs to Uncle Sam now.

 

Don't knock it, it's just as bad over here. If the French govt finds out they could own license plates, they'll jump at the chance, so let's just hope they're not reading this