BEST No-Drill Front Plate Solution
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
BEST No-Drill Front Plate Solution
Hey guys! I made a video reviewing the iJDMTOY tow hook license plate mount and showed how to easily zip-tie your front license plate to your grill as a better solution. It's extremely easy and cheaper than the mount so I'd really recommend it for anyone with the new Lexus spindle grille! Let me know what you think, I appreciate any feedback / opinions.
LINK:
LINK:
#2
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
BEST No-Drill Front Plate Solution
Hey GS owners! I made a new video reviewing a tow-hook license plate mount and also showed how to zip-tie your front plate as a better solution. It's extremely easy and costs less than a tow hook mount, so I'd recommend this for anyone with a Lexus spindle grille. Let me know what you think & I appreciate any feedback / opinions
LINK:
LINK:
#3
Nice no drill option. But if it was me I would rather spend a little extra money on a good quality plate mount. I have a Grimmspeed one and I have had no issues on both cars I've had in the past 3 years. And this video is for what it looks like an RC? The tow hook location for the IS is in a different spot away from the grill. Most of the people I know get the relocation mount so that they don't have to have a plate on their grill.
#4
Moderator
In Ohio, a front plate is required, but I have not had one for over 20 years. Lately, some cities said they would ticket parked cars in the downtown area with no front Ohio plate. (Good idea if you want people to stay out of the downtown area.) My solution, worked out with a friend who had the same issue with his Audi TT, was to get some 1.5" (or so - I'm typing this out from memory) nylon bolts, a few nuts, and a screw-on end cap (I forget what the hardware name is for this item - these are all at most hardware stores, in the giant set of drawers for specialty hardware.) Put a bolt through the plate, secure it to the plate with the nut, and put the end cap on the nut. This serves as a kind of a hook inside the grille. I can't recall if I used my original bolt holes in the plate, or drilled one, but if you get them the correct distance apart, the end caps snap into place and hold the plate to the grille. You can use almost any of the openings, but the square ones just above the cross bar are the best. The plate snaps into place, and it's easy to bend the plate a bit and release it from the car. When in place, it's tight enough, I would think, to stay on the car, should you forget it's there.
My RC is a 350, not a F-Sport, which has a different grille, so I don't know if this would work for that grille, but the same configuration works for my friend's TT in the same way.
My RC is a 350, not a F-Sport, which has a different grille, so I don't know if this would work for that grille, but the same configuration works for my friend's TT in the same way.
#5
Pole Position
I have received 3 tickets in the past 3 months in DC for no front tags. All of them while i parked on the street. Finally decided to find a solution to temporarily attach the front plate while I parked on the street. Ordered a magnet mount from Amazon. Need to find a way to attach the other magnets on my grill. But it should work if you really don't like front plates (like me). And I live in Maryland, ticketed by DC cops -_-
#6
I have received 3 tickets in the past 3 months in DC for no front tags. All of them while i parked on the street. Finally decided to find a solution to temporarily attach the front plate while I parked on the street. Ordered a magnet mount from Amazon. Need to find a way to attach the other magnets on my grill. But it should work if you really don't like front plates (like me). And I live in Maryland, ticketed by DC cops -_-
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#8
Moderator
Here are two photos showing my solution to the front plate problem. Generally, I don't like to have the plate on the front for aesthetic reasons, but when it's necessary to avoid a ticket, such as when I park in certain downtown locations, I have a plate fixed up that just snaps into the grille. It has enough holding power to stay in place while driving, although I have not done much of that.
The first photo shows the back of the plate with two nylon bolts, two nylon nuts and two acorn nuts on the end. The unused hole in the plate is the original hole. I had to drill one hole in order to space the bolts in the correct position to snap into the spaces on the grille, as shown in the second photo, so that the acorn nuts snap into position behind the upright sections of the grille. I sprayed the nuts and bolts black to make them less conspicuous (I missed one).
The parts are available for just a few dollars at Home Depot or any hardware store. Just bend the plate a bit, and the bolts slide into the grille and spring into a locked position with a clearly heard snap.
Very simple and elegant, and works very well, especially for those who want to move the plate on and off the grille from time to time.
The first photo shows the back of the plate with two nylon bolts, two nylon nuts and two acorn nuts on the end. The unused hole in the plate is the original hole. I had to drill one hole in order to space the bolts in the correct position to snap into the spaces on the grille, as shown in the second photo, so that the acorn nuts snap into position behind the upright sections of the grille. I sprayed the nuts and bolts black to make them less conspicuous (I missed one).
The parts are available for just a few dollars at Home Depot or any hardware store. Just bend the plate a bit, and the bolts slide into the grille and spring into a locked position with a clearly heard snap.
Very simple and elegant, and works very well, especially for those who want to move the plate on and off the grille from time to time.
Last edited by tfischer; 07-26-17 at 08:56 AM. Reason: Removed snide remarks so I can get a Presidential Pardon.
#9
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Florida
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Hey guys! I made a video reviewing the iJDMTOY tow hook license plate mount and showed how to easily zip-tie your front license plate to your grill as a better solution. It's extremely easy and cheaper than the mount so I'd really recommend it for anyone with the new Lexus spindle grille! Let me know what you think, I appreciate any feedback / opinions.
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r1Vuh7jZhU
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r1Vuh7jZhU
#10
Driver School Candidate
thank you so much for the video!! i have been thinking about getting the iJDMTOY relocator too!! after watching video, i will probably go w/ the zip tie route as well
#11
Don't use white zip ties
As a word of caution, don't use white zip ties. Over time they become brittle from sunlight. Use black with a UV protectant. You'll end up losing your license plate on the road.
#12
Driver School Candidate
#15
Moderator
Ohio just eliminated the requirement to display a front license plate, so even though I had crafted a pretty nifty, snap-on solution (detailed above), it's not my problem any more. Also, in the more than 4 years I have had the RC, I have never received a ticket or citation of any sort regarding the missing plate on the front of the car (same for 20 years of SC400 and SC430 ownership). Some local observers noted that Ohio is surrounded by state with no front plate requirement, so it is not unusual to see cars without them, which probably helps a lot.