Hi folks, I have two European plates that I had made, one is an Irish plate that says UILLEANN and the other is an EU - USA plate (I believe these may be used by NATO). I had the USA one made with my Kansas registration on it just for fun - Kansas doesn't require a front license plate. The standard European front license plate base for this from MINI screws into the front bumper (that's what those two small dimples are for), once attached, you either drill holes in your plate or mount it with double sided tape.

I didn't like the idea of putting two holes into the front of my bumper (especially since I don't have to in Kansas), and since if I decided the plate looked stupid and wanted to remove it I would be stuck with two garish holes to fill somehow in the front of my bumper. Moreover, I have two plates and would like the ability to swap them out without damaging either, so the default option just didn't seem very good.

Reading around here at the NAM site, I discovered that MINI makes another base for the Aero kit that mounts to the bottom of the bumper - thus holes that won't be seen if the base is removed. Also one of my plates came with a generic frame that flips up allowing you to swap plates in and out.

So after several weeks of searching I finally found the part number and ordered one from Pelican parts. Baron MINI couldn't find the part, but I did. :-) $27, but it needed to be ordered from Germany ($35 total with shipping). It is amazing how hard it was to find the part number, real detective work, and I really don't know why.

Here is the original MINI base that I decided not to use

BTW if anyone wants to buy this, I will sell it to you for what I paid for it, $27.25 (MINI part number 51132753979)

Here is the undermount Aero one, front view (with the license plate frame) MINI part number 51110141383



and from the back


Instead of attaching a plate to the base directly I decided to attach the generic flip up frame to the base so I can change plates if I wish.

The flip up license plate frame comes with a gajillion mounting holes, none of which matched up with any hole on the MINI mount, so I drilled four holes in the MINI base and and screwed them together, I then had to cut away part of the frame that was covering the MINI base's mounting holes:
here's what we have so far, frame screwed to the base and cut away for access to the mounting holes


and with a plate in it


I then attached it to my car, side view to show how it mounts under the bumper


And from the front (sorry for the quality, night shot in my garage)



Here he is with the USA - EU plate with my Kansas registration


and with the Irish plate


I'm not sure which I like better, although the font on the Irish plate is cleaner.

OK, recap:
Standard front mount MINI European license plate base:
MINI part number 51132753979

Undermount MINI Aero European license plate base:
MINI part number 51110141383

Ordered the parts from:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/

Custom ordered the plates from:
http://www.europeanplates.com/europe...esfive2006.htm
look at page 5 for the USA EU plate


:D

Jeff

BTW Uilleann (pronounced ill-un) on the Irish plate is a reference to the Uilleann Pipes, an obscure form of Irish bagpipes that I play.

 

+1

Great write up- been thinking about a custom plate for some time, and I think you just pushed me over the edge!

many thanks for the writeup!

 

Really Nice work, looks great too

 

Our Nato plate... has a special stamp on it, including the state in germany that we lived in... it does say usa on it but not that large. They are in fact doing away with the plates that say usa.. in hopes that it draws less attention to americans in Germany. The funny part is.. they are worried about the plate drawing attention... not bothering to think.. that you can't buy a huge a** chevy blazer so easily over there.. the brand and type of car gives it away.

 

Hahahaha. What's it cost to fill it up over there (or can you get gas cheaper on base?)

Do you have a picture of your plate? I'd like to compare.

Jeff

 

I've had my new Euro plates for a week now and I love them, even though Connecticut doesn't allow them. I bought them from www.licenseplates.tv, and I would highly recommend them. I ordered them on Monday and had them on MS MINIVER by Friday night.

 

I just checked out that website (how did I miss it?) Very nice stuff, I noticed that they had done some US state plates in the Euro style - I just emailed them if they cold do a Kansas one for me.

Of course now I'm out of control I could do a French plate with LE TOUR, an Italian one with my Grandfather's initials....... it could go on and on......

Jeff

 

I've got a GB plate for my MCS, using the aero kit mounting bracket. My setup pretty much mimicks yours, with the plate frame being screwed into the mounting bracket.

I got a German MINI dealer plate frame, a used German plate, two custom German plates (for my '81 Mercedes), and a German Mercedes dealer plate frame from Alex at http://grtpl8s.com Great guy, and awesome service.

If anyone wants to know where I got my 'real' GB plate, send me a PM.



You can see more pics at my flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/AKIndiMini

 

Wow. That would be really cool if they did US state plates in Euro style. Keep us posted!

 

look at this page, maybe they already do your state.
http://www.licenseplates.tv/cat/united_states_725.html

Jeff

 

Thanks for the link! Wow, looks like they have one for Alaska.

 

Okay, here's a dump question. If they make a euro plate for your state (say CA) that does require a front license plate, could you substitute this for the state issued one? Or will I still get a ticket if I tried?

 

I wish we could legally substitute a euro-style plate in place of our goofy-sized US ones.

In Alaska, the law reads that all state-issued tags must be mounted on the vehicle. Since I was issued two tags, I've got to use both. A police officer could give me a ticket for not having a front plate based on the law. The way our law is written, if a front license plate were to be mounted on the windshield - that would be legal.

Oddly enough, I've been running around with my GB plate for quite some time now. At the gas station, a State Trooper was checking out my car - he really seemed to like it. I was a bit nervous when he walked around to the front and saw my GB plate. He said, "Wow, nice plate! I'd love to find a German one for my Volkswagen!" I told him about a few websites, and he had a few very nice comments about my car. And he was off on his merry way.

It might be different in other parts of the state, but hardly anyone runs a front plate around here. They seem to get knocked off (car accidents? snow banks?), blown off (high winds), or otherwise.

I'll keep my GB plate on my car until I'm either ticketed, or told otherwise by our local law enforcement.

In the mean time, I'll probably buy the AK euro-sized plate matching my AK registration for my old diesel Mercedes. We'll see what happens.

 

Technically speaking, I doubt that any state that requires plates on the front and back would actually allow (as in it being legal) a Euro plate on the front, even if the plate had the same letters and numbers as the back. But, you might be ever-so-slightly better off if you get pulled over than someone like myself who simply has a British vanity plate.

It's been over 35 years since I last got a speeding ticket, but not since I was last pulled over. I've been pulled over three times in the last 25 years, and each time the officer just told me to take it easy. In the end you're in the hands of the person who pulled you over. Whether it's for speeding or plates or whatever, it's always going to be their call -- each and every time.

 

I swapped out the NATO plate for a European Style Kansas plate with my registration. I like the font better, and the little Kansas flag on it. It's not an official or legal plate, but who cares, we don't need front plates here in Kansas anyway. :-) I got it here http://www.licenseplates.tv/cat/united_states_725.html it looks like they now have all 50 states.



Jeff

 

Right on! That plate looks good!

That would be really cool if we were given the option in the US to have "euro style" plates.

Do you happen to have any pics of the NATO plate you used to have on your car?

 

scroll up to my original post, it is the EU USA one, I can get you a close up if you like.

Jeff

 

+1, Darn I think I could start selling my Real euro plates sounds like theres a business here, the only prob is the german DMV punches that little hole in them. I have Wurzburg and Bad TOLZ plates, however I went with the little square HK plates on the MINI. Ill tell you what, those little American plates really stand out especially driving through France.

 

Oh okay, that's the one you were talking about. I was a bit confused because it had the EU symbol (stars in a circle) instead of the NATO one.

This is the NATO plate that I've got, it's the plate that was issued (HK prefix) to Americans stationed in Germany. Apparently they recently went to regular German plates (prefix from the city nearest to the base), so that Americans don't stick out quite as much.



I later decided to go with a regular EU-sized rectangular plate instead, as the plate above looks too Americanized...

 

There are a few smaller companies doing exactly that. I think it's quite neat! In the past I've traded some of my Alaska plates for plates from Europe. Kind of funny how people seem to want what people across the pond have.

I never liked US-sized plates, it makes the car look like it's got one big tooth on it, or something.

 

Ya thats IT. I just realized mine says HK GP 000, how cools that

 

That's awesome! Would be even better if you had a GP to go with those plates. Did you get the long style plates, or the motorcycle-sized plates like the one I posted above?

Got any pics of yours?

 

AKIndiMini,

Is that a Mini euro license plate holder? If so where did you get it?

 

Well, it depends on which piece you're talking about.

I have the Euro plate bracket that screws into my Aero bumper. I don't have the part number handy at the moment, but I found it on realOEM and ordered the parts from Pelican Parts.

The license plate surround (German MINI/BMW dealer) was purchased from Alex at www.grtpl8s.com. I'd like to find one from a British dealership to match my GB plates!

 

Scroll up and read the first post.

Jeff