Front license plate holder ...Any Ideas?

Here in Illinois we are required to run a front license plate. I think it really takes away the look of the car. Not running with the front plate usually cost you a $30 fine. Any ideas of front mounting the plate ? I don't want to mount it to the fiberglass.
Joe S.

I mounted mine on the front bumper. I mounted it very low and center to help keep the look of the car. I think it looks great.

I have not mounted mine, but thought about building a bracket that came off the inside of the bumper at the bumper mounting bolt. I was going to use a flat piece of metal about an 1.25" wide, then make a T at the top of it to bolt the plate to.

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I mounted mine behing the bumper offset to the drivers side. Just made a bracket out of strapping iron, its all hidden behind the bumper.
ed

I made a clip on bracket for State inspections only. After the safety inspection is completed I remove the bracket. I guess I may suffer a ticket but, I already ruined the beautiful front end of my 2002 Passat with a license plate frame. I can't bear to do the same to my Speedster.

I also live in Illinois where front plates are required. I made mine by making two individual vertical brackets out of 1/2 inch thick aluminum approx the same height as the bumper and just deep enough front to back to extend forward of the rubber trim by 1/2 inch. I made a cardboard template of the reverse image of the front bumper and transferred this to the aluminum (the back of the bracket looks like the face of the bumper). The brackets are centered vertically on the bumper and spaced apart the same distance as the lisc plate mounting holes. The glass bumper was thick enough to tap for 2 countersunk bolts through each bracket. I then mounted a piece of 3/4 x 3/4 x 1/8 inch aluminum angle vertically on the outboard of each bracket fastening with flat head bolts just long enough (vertically) to mount the lisc plate to. It really looks clean! I'm sure you can come up with some variation of this.

I used to live in Illinois and didn't put the front plate on. I moved out of state before the smog inspection hit, so I was OK. Someone told me he kept his front plate in the trunk and was told if you can produce the plate, he wouldn't get the ticket. I think this is bogus. Thank goodness my current state doesn't have front plates and no smog inspections in my county so far. Here's hoping.

Yeah, this is a scourge for pretty cars. Some states and/or cops may let you get away with a rear plate only IF (BIG IF)you are running historic plates. I did that for two years and had no problems (kept the other plate beneath the passenger seat).

An alternative is to use an "L" brackets bolted to the bottom of the bumper that allows you to mount one of those small trailer type license brackets.

(Message Edited 5/7/2003 4:09:52 PM)