I picked up my MCS yesterday. The MA asked if I was planning on running with a front plate. CA requires it, but can't pull you over for it. 90% of the time you get a fix-it ticket -- no fine, but you have to prove you've fixed the problem in 30 days.

I'm getting a vanity plate and unlike my Miata, it doesn't totally hose up the front end of the MINI.

So I asked if it was something that I could do on my own or if there was any reason I should have the dealer do it. He mumbled something about parts and tools and said that it's "better" for them to do it and there was no charge. So I let them go ahead.

Today I go check it out and it's a black piece of plastic that is NOT a MINI part and it's mounted to the bumper via two screws directly into the fascia.

Does MINI not have a factory way, one that doesn't involve butchering the plastic, to do this? I'm guessing I'm stuck now and I should not obsess about if it's exactly square and level. But don't they have a better solution than this?

(I'd say that German auto engineers know better, but they had a similar solution for our 2002 Passat which is why I have an unadulterated bumper on that car.)

 

Sorry to tell you, but that IS the factory way. I got a black plastic mount with my car. It clips onto one of the grille slats and has to be screwed into the bumper to keep it in place. It sits in my boot next to the battery.
The front bumper actually has a couple of dimples where the screws are supposed to go in.
I don't think I've seen any Sin City MINI Club MCSs with front plates attached.

 

ouch... the factory way is very painful. sorry to hear you had it
done.

the non-factory way is to use the toe-hook hole. MINITOR has it on
his ride and it offsets it from the radiator to maximize air flow plus,
removable.

 

Like I said, I was planning on running a plate, so I guess it's not horrible. But given how well the rest of the car is designed & implemented, I'm surprised that this is the official solution. WEAK.

I thought of the tow-hook idea, but I hate assymmetry almost as much as I hate poor engineering.

So I guess I'll go with the Europlate until Ponch and John complain, then I'll restore the crappy solution.

 

Do what I did if you do not like the stock way of mounting the plate.







Garrett

 

I wasn't about to punch holes in my car when I moved to Ohio. Instead, I took the black plastic MINI provided plate bracket and used the clips as you mentioned to secure it to the bumper. But as reinforcement, I also affixed two metal wire loops (like picture hanging metal wire) that go through the plastic mesh under the bumper and I drilled to small holes in the plastic of the bracket to complete the loop. I also used velcro tape on the bumper and the back of the bracket. Even if the license bracket slips out of the slat, the wire loops will hold it in until I see it and snap it back in. It falls off every couple of months or so if I maybe hit it walking by in the garage and don't secure it properly. I highly recommend it. NO HOLES!

 

I'm not one for assymetry either, but I'm not punchin any holes either so I compromised and I like it:



Garret that design looks oddly familiar. Just giving you crap. Because I can

 

I have actually heard that some people have padded and 3m taped them on without any problems. I would be a little scared though. I am sure that you could rig up some sort of bracket with the grill. Others have used zip ties (with padding to protect the paint.)

 

How about this;

http://www.gominigo.com/18545.html

 

Crap huh! MINES BETTER hahah! Looks like gominigo is making money off the design? I can say that our designs are a hell of a lot less then what they are asking for! The cost of the angled aluminum and the flat stock aluminum for the amount that you need and the SS bolts and nuts? Would cost you less then 15 dollars! Or free if you have the stuff laying around! hehe Besides you get to use your tow hook!

Garrett

 

That is pretty nice - any place to get this cheaper? $50 seems kinda steep to me...

 

acehardware and make one yourself? that's what i'd do if i was going to do that.

 

I know the bolt had to custom made so that is why the price is where it is.
Can not get the machined bolt any cheaper.

Also, the stock license plate holder the dealer installs costs $80.00. I looked into that and then you have to drill the front of the MINI.

One other point for me was that the price of a ticket in WA for no front license plate is $101.00 so this bracket is half of that so I figure I saved.

 

Here's the list pricing for the license plate holder and tow hook ...



The $50 for the gominigo set-up doesn't seem so expensive if you take into account the time it would take to go buy the hardware and then cobble it together

 

Yeah, I would have been happy to pay $50 if that piece were around when I wanted it. It was a pain to make myself, though it turned out nice.

 

Not to brag, but it only took me 15 minutes or less to cut the pieces, drill the holes and bolt the sucker right up! If you look at my pictures, you can see what is needed to make the bracket and its cheap!

Garrett

 

It took me about the same, but the trip to home depot and back took about an hour added to that, plus the $10 in parts. Might as well just paid the $50 (my time is money).

Not to mention you did have a pretty awesome example to plan your from (clearing throat in cockiness).

 

Haha! So your time is money? Man you must be an important person!

Garrett

 

But of course.

I'm just real busy these days and sometimes it is worth it to pay others to do what I can do myself, to take a little down time.

 

I hear you on that one. But if I know i can make it, I will try and make the time or hold off on it! Just can not justify the cost of that for something simple to make.

Garrett

 

garret and minitor how do your plates hold at higher speeds?? any rattling? Seems like that thing would bounce around a lot.

 

Nope, they are very secure. Metal bolted to metal clamped to tow-hook. Doesnt budge.

 

Nice - I wish I could do that, but my lame-*** dealer supplied my NEW car with two nice holes in the front bumper - %@$%!&&%!%@$!!!!!

 

I wish I would have done this before my dealer punched holes in the front bumper. So now I have it with the tow hook, but have two holes that I will need to patch up.

Garrett

 

Then why did you make the tow-hook mount if you already had the bumper holes?