Porsche beautification idea - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

2000SoCalBoxsterS · 05-16-2007, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by porsche986spyder

Looks like a plain painted license plate frame to me. No different than buying one at PepBoys and doing it yourself. What is so special about these frames?

It's not at all just a plain plate frame. I know on their website they don't make that very obvious. They are engineers but not very good marketers. Plus the Vette community is very familiar with it and know how works so they don't explain it well on their site.

Try this link:

http://www.topflightrepro.com/corvetteplatebracket.html

porsche986spyder · 05-16-2007, 09:43 AM

Trust me. I can buy an identical frame at any car parts store and paint it myself. Plastic tends to be some what flexible, so it would be easy to curve it onto the front of our cars. I preffer not to use one. Police sometimes say something when I get pulled over, but they never write me a ticket. It's to easy to fix and get taken care of. A few years ago on another car I had, the cop gave me a ticket for not having that front plate. I just put mine on the next day with some double sided tape and took a picture of it being on the front bumper, brought it to court with me and my ticket and got it dismissed, while the whole time my car was sitting in the parking lot with NO front plate. It's that easy to get out of and that's why most cops don't enforce it anymore, they like to give you warrnings instead.

drburton · 05-16-2007, 09:58 AM

At my last DE event there was a guy who created a replica of his license plate on a sticker. So it looked exactly like his back license plate, same size etc.. except it was just stuck on the front of the car, so no bracket.

It wasn't beautiful but was a step up from the big bracket and holes in the front of the car.

Grizzly · 05-16-2007, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drburton

At my last DE event there was a guy who created a replica of his license plate on a sticker. So it looked exactly like his back license plate, same size etc.. except it was just stuck on the front of the car, so no bracket.

In Maryland that's called a Fraudulently Altered Tag and it's a no-no, requiring your appearance in court.

On the traffic citation, there's a place for the Officer to put in the amount of the fine. When he writes MA (for must appear) on that line...that's never good. In that case the Judge gets to make up his own fine.

It would be much better to run with no front tag. Last I checked it was $35.00 and no points.

2000SoCalBoxsterS · 05-16-2007, 10:07 AM

No. You are not understanding this device. Which I can totally understand because they do a terrible job of showing how it works on their site. I have them creating a better photo explanation and sending it to me.

I've seen an excellent example on the Vette forum by a member but now I can't find the post. It was a few months ago. Let me try to explain this better myself.

Apparantly there is a bracket that fits inside your front center air intake vent in the bumper. It sit's inside where you can't see it. Then the plate holder snaps into that hidden bracket and out agian when you want to go plateless.

For guys who live in states with a front plate law it's a nice solution.

eslai · 05-16-2007, 10:41 AM

Yeah...I'm having a totally hard time seeing how that plate is removeable or what now. The tow hook one seems to be a very nice solution, but if there's an easier "snap-on/snap-off" solution that doesn't require drilled holes, I'm all for it!

MNBoxster · 05-16-2007, 10:50 AM

Hi,

I don't see what the Big Deal is. It's a Fact of Life in the 38 of the 50 States which require a Front Plate. If you live in one of these states, you should have one. Why should everyone else have to do it except you?

You think it looks ugly? Porsche doesn't! Unlike many Car Manufacturers, Porsche photographs all it's cars for Brochures and Press Releases sporting a Front Plate.

The Tow Hook receptacle can be a good way to temporarily mount a Front Plate, but the aftermarket kits aren't the best I've seen.

The best, pictured below, was made for me by a member of another Forum. It's advantage is that you can mount the Plate Up/Down and/or Side-to-Side with so much variance that it actually doesn't look bad.

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

eslai · 05-16-2007, 11:04 AM

That one _is_ pretty nice. It's not all super CNC-machined like the super-expensive one the Doc showed in this thread, but I do like the ability to position it wherever you want.

As for the aesthetic merits of a front license plate, I guess that's all subject to opinion. I think all cars look better without the front plate. Porsches seem better designed to accommodate the european license plates than the US-sized ones.

porsche986spyder · 05-16-2007, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

You think it looks ugly? Porsche doesn't! Unlike many Car Manufacturers, Porsche photographs all it's cars for Brochures and Press Releases sporting a Front Plate.

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

That's still a matter of opinion. Porsche does it for obvious LEGAL reasons. Not because they think it does not look ugly. Besides, they are always shown with the cool narrow European version, not some square shaped plate on the front in their Press Releases.

djomlas · 05-16-2007, 04:36 PM

well the porsche puts on the european plates, which are much nicer looking than the big US ones

MNBoxster · 05-17-2007, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by porsche986spyder

That's still a matter of opinion. Porsche does it for obvious LEGAL reasons. Not because they think it does not look ugly. Besides, they are always shown with the cool narrow European version, not some square shaped plate on the front in their Press Releases.

Hi,

It's not a matter of opinion at all- Porsche DOES photograph all it's cars with a Front plate.

Euro Plate, US Plate, what's the difference - it's still a Front Plate!

Happy Motoring... Jim'99

Grizzly · 05-17-2007, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

It's not a matter of opinion at all- Porsche DOES photograph all it's cars with a Front plate.

Happy Motoring... Jim'99

The attached photgraph is a lead in photo for Porsche's web-site.

It was taken by Porsche.

None of the vehicles in the photograph are displaying a front plate.

porsche986spyder · 05-18-2007, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

It's not a matter of opinion at all- Porsche DOES photograph all it's cars with a Front plate.

Euro Plate, US Plate, what's the difference - it's still a Front Plate!

Happy Motoring... Jim'99

I was talking about weather it looks UGLY or not. The difference is the size and shape of the our UGLY US PLATES vs. the cool sleek and small EUROPEAN size. They look much nicer. Again, it's all about your opion. As an Art Director, I think I know what I'm talking about. It's what I do for a living. And those beauty shots that PORSCHE uses are always with EURO plates. Their is a big difference in terms of what looks better.

r9i8c7k · 05-17-2007, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

I don't see what the Big Deal is. It's a Fact of Life in the 38 of the 50 States which require a Front Plate. If you live in one of these states, you should have one. Why should everyone else have to do it except you?

You think it looks ugly? Porsche doesn't! Unlike many Car Manufacturers, Porsche photographs all it's cars for Brochures and Press Releases sporting a Front Plate.

The Tow Hook receptacle can be a good way to temporarily mount a Front Plate, but the aftermarket kits aren't the best I've seen.

The best, pictured below, was made for me by a member of another Forum. It's advantage is that you can mount the Plate Up/Down and/or Side-to-Side with so much variance that it actually doesn't look bad.

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

"Why should everyone else have to do it except you?" - because we are Porsche Boxster owners. We are different. Exceptions should be made for special people. No?