Oregon is one of the 31 states that requires a front license plate but fortunately for those of us who like the look of a car without one, very few cops will bother you for it. The only people who will bother you for it are the parking meter Nazis in downtown Portland who issue all sorts of citations other than parking with great pleasure. No front plate? Eighty bucks. Expired registration? Sixty-five dollars. Leave your keys in the ignition? Fifty big ones, please.

I rarely park downtown but when I do, trying to find a lot or garage close to where I'm going can be tricky and avoiding a ticket for no front plate often means a long walk. For awhile I would string the plate around the hood latch and while it was effective, it left the plate looking very temporary and vulnerable to theft and I never felt comfortable leaving it like that for more than a few minutes.

Enter the Tesla Model S owners who created this ingenious solution to allow temporary mounting of a front plate using magnets. I adapted the modification to my Elantra to great success and figured I'd pass it on here.

These are 1/4 inch thick Neodymium magnets that are Gorilla glued to the inside of the bumper (this part is normally covered by the foam crash pad) and the back of the plate, just below the screw holes.

Bumper Magnets by Andrew, on Flickr

I get the slick, no-front plate look when I'm just driving or parked anywhere but in Portland.....

Bumper Back On by Andrew, on Flickr

But after quickly grabbing the plate out of the trunk and putting it to the bumper, I'm 100% legal!

Look, Ma! No screws!! by Andrew, on Flickr

 

that's a better solution than one I saw for a 650 Gran Coupe (remove the tow hook insert and install a plate holder off-center). I presume idea operates under the hope people looking at it (who would steal it otherwise) would never consider it because it looks fastened on normally

 

Love it!

 

It's pretty easy to use an electric screwdriver to steal a plate. I think if that's going to happen, it's going to happen regardless of what method you use. The rare earth magnets will hold on to that plate with a LOT of force.

Awesome idea OP.

 

"Expired registration? Sixty-five dollars. Leave your keys in the ignition? Fifty big ones, please"

Whoever has expired registration & leaves the keys in the ignition deserves a ticket?

Great mod otherwise!

 

Glad to see others are doing this. It isn't anything new though. I've seen this done a while back on a corvette, so I ordered everything and have been sitting on this project for 2 years now. lol. I even have the mounting bracket with sawed off screws to make it look legit.

In the next month I should have it completed tho. Those earth magnets are super strong, I tell ya! I'll post pictures once I complete the project.

 

Pretty cool. I just saw something similar on my Charger forum but everyone was saying that it'll go flying off at highway speeds. Have you tested it out past 55mph yet?

 

Past 55? What's that like?

 

 

Good idea! I had to temporarily zip tie mine to the front of my MINI after I got pulled over during a spirited run in the canyons. Thankfully the officer let me go with two fix-it tickets. No front plate, and another for having a clear cover over the rear plate.

 

If you have money to burn, here's a solution

- Hide The Plate.com

 

Meh - I guess having only lived in states that require a front plate, it has never been a concern or have even thought about a way to run without one or hide it.

 

I live in NY which requires a front plate and have most of my life. Bought my 350Z in '04 and have only been questioned about its absence once in 11 years. I won't be putting one on my 650 GC either.

 

I use a tow hook license plate adapter! I like that it's off center on my 3G but sure it'd be cool without one altogether..


Great idea OP! It shouldnt' fly off because similar to when you catch a plastic bag on the freeway on your bumper, the acceleration of your car should keep the plate against your bumper.

 

Cops around here hand out no front plate tickets like candy.

Sucks.

 

In LA too.

I've gotten used to tow plate look, so I'm fine. Don't want to deal with the cops at all.

 

Nice solution! Front plates suck. Isn't Oregon a state where you aren't allowed to pump your own gas?

 

Thanks!

And yes....well, sort of. You're not allowed to pump your own. Unless you drive a diesel. Or ride a motorcycle. Or are in a county with a population of less than 40,000 between the hours of 6 PM and 6 AM. They're slowly weaning in the idea of self-service here. I bet the ban will be dropped entirely sometime in the next decade.

 

There are also many 'commercial' fueling stations that let you pump the gas in your 'fleet' vehicle.

 

Wow, thought Jersey was the only state you couldn't pump.

Looks good but what about the sticker plate? I think it was a guy from Oregon on here that had it on a Subi, looked really good!