Hello all !! I just received, courtesy of the kind folks at the San Francisco Police Dept., a $114 citation for not having a front plate on my XK8. I think I will avoid playing tourist there from now on, but I will need to return once in a while to visit the folks. So, I could use neat and nifty ideas for how to create a "quick disconnect" mounting for the front plate. Any thoughts ???

 

Mine is on with zip ties around the top gap on the bumperettes. Drilled two holes in the plate and short bolts thru the tag holes with a simple plate surround to make it look legit. Zip ties do not show. It would be even easier if you have the mesh grill.

Two simple snips with some cutters, and the plate comes off.

Texas has the two plate law as well.

 

Boris,
I have actually warned people to avoid parking in SF. It's almost a guaranteed ticket. I'm not certain but, it think you have a fix it ticket and may not have to pay if you put the front plate on and get the police to sign off on the ticket. Regardless, 2 zip ties and you are good to go.

 

One of the very first mods I did to my XKR was to install a remote retractable front license plate bracket. I have a little fob, similar in size to the key fob, that allows me to remotely raise or retract the front plate. When I'm driving in Dallas, or somewhere where the local constabulary is likely to be pedantic about such mundane rules designed to deface our beautiful cars, I put the front plate up. Otherwise, it stays down. I have never been caught driving with it retracted when it should have been up but if I am, I plan to claim ignorance and that I only retract it when my car is in a car show and that I must have accidentally retracted it; it might work to get me out of a ticket. Regardless, do a search on eBay for "retractable front license plate bracket" and you will find listings. The one I use is made by Altec. It only costs about $100.


Mark

 

This is a great choice, and fun, besides. I had installed two of this model retractable on my Z4M. Each lasted less than 3 months before they failed mechanically (the guide wires stretched or simply jammed). I felt it may have been a defect on the first one, but it turns out it may have been a poor design. How long has your installation been operating?

 

I'm actually on my second one but the first one I damaged on a curb. This second one has been on for several months and so far no problems.


Mark

 

Mark
I actually impressed the people at the autoparts store with your JAMES BOND front tag disappearing act.
It was right after it was installed and I had the remote fob in my pocket.

P.S. your other Jag is ready if you need it.

Hope you are well. I'll call soon.

bob gauff

 

Hello again. FYI and Yippeeeeee!! DaveC is correct. If you send in a confirmation of a fix-it, the ticket amount is waived and you only have to pay a handling fee. In my case it was $10.

I ended up bolting in a rod between the two bolsters and hanging my plate off the rod with clips as a quick way out of my dilemma. I looked into the retractable gizmos you all mentioned but can't understand how they can live beyond the first curb hit. Anyone run across a retractable that slips into rather than beneath the front bumper cover? Maybe this is a job for the wizard JeepWrangler?

 

I just ordered the same unit and will install this week. In NY I have the same issue with the law. Car is too pretty to mess up the front with a plate. So I will hide it when I can.

 

I had the same thought. I will install mine and hope it does not get wrecked too soon.

 

This is a case of a stupid rather dumb arbitrarily enforced law causing stupid rather dumb behavior. Fine I get it. The front plate looks atrocious and for 13 years I managed to drive my Corvette without a front plate. Never a problem until the idiotic state I live in let the politicians drain the coffers so any and all means of revenue were needed--including citing stupid things like no front plate.

So I got my ticket, went through the hassle of putting on the plate and demonstrating to the authorities that the plate was on the car and sucked it up and kept the front plate on the car.

When I bought the Jag I hated the idea of putting on the front plate and left it off for a while but I was continually nervous driving down the street, especially every time I saw a cop. Spending money on some rube goldberg device to retract the plate or putting the plate on and off seemed more idiotic than just sucking it up again and putting the stupid plate on.

Doug