For those of you living in states that require front plates (like mine), do you actually have them installed? Or do you try and just avoid tickets?

I'm thinking of getting one of those gominigo mounting brackets - is that advisable?

 

Do whatever looks best to you....I think the R56 (I have a Cooper) looks superb w/ a center-mounted front plate, so why bother worrying about it. For folks who can't get past the concept of a center mounted front plate, though, the gominigo option (or similar) seems best. I think it is silly and childish to drive around with an illegal car, so I say chill out and go with one of these options. As I said, the front bumper section of an R56 is pretty "un-busy", so mounting a center plate using the factory kit is a perfectly fine no-cost option....the car was designed to accomodate this visually. Still, it's nice to have options.

 

my state require it and thus i got the no holes licence plate..

 

Ohio requires one. I have a R50 but replace Ohio plate with Euro plate in the summer, no problems for 4 years. The other Ohio guys I know have had more problems without having a front plate. It is known as "failure to display".

 

I've run no front plate for a few years now and I've run into zero problems (another Ohio owner). I'm not one to speed very often, and generally they get you for no front plate once they already have you pulled over for something else. It's rare to get pulled over just for not having the front plate installed.

 

I, like Rally, have never really been hassled for no front plate. I got my first front plate ticket in a couple of days ago, from a meter maid no less.

Most of the places I drive don't ever give hassles about front plates, but in certain areas (out here in CA, that would include places like Santa Monica, West side of LA, Hollywood) the meter maids can give you a plate ticket, and they will every chance they get.

I've ordered a GMG bracket that I'll screw in when I park somewhere that the meter maids heavily enforce that silly (moneymaking) law, and screw it right back out any other time.

How a car looks with the plate on is purely subjective. I think it looks awful and will most certainly not drill holes in my bumper/bumper stripes.

 

my state requires a front plate, yet in 20+ years of driving and never having a front plate on any of my cars I've never been cited for lack of front plate, ...even when getting a citation for speeding/parking, etc... never one problem. If some cop wanted to cite you, it's a "fix-it" ticket, no fine! ...i'd take your chances. please don't drill into your bumper!

 

Hmm mine came from the dealer with the center plate mount. Ill keep it on for now, but if I take it off and have the stripes cover holes, you think they would eventually show through?

 

^they probably will show through, if you put any pressure on the stripes while washing they'll show through. If you plan on keeping your stripes forever, you could possibly get some Bondo and be real careful only to get the bondo inside of the hole.


I don't have the front liscense plate, however I'm still running temp. tags. I already have the no-holes bracket. I plan on putting the no holes bracket in my car, along with the liscense plate bracket, and telling the officer some b/s story about not getting the chance to install it yet. I'm only going to install the bracket when necessary.

 

I like that plan. I think that's what I'll go for. Thanks!

 

i say no to front plates... yet the state i live in/registered requires...

the stat my college is located in... doesnt

i say if you get pulled, buy one of those no hole mounts...

 

Texas requires one, but I haven't had a front plate on my last two cars with no problems (touch wood)

 

I've driven my M3 for over 3 years without a plate and have never been stopped. My MINI sales order has a notation, "do not drill for front plate"

 

I instructed my MA in no uncertain terms to drill that sucker on there...I think it surprised her!!! Looks great and is legal...I love it. It was a more difficult issue w/ the first gen MINI, I think, given the grill/bumper design...R56 owners have less to worry about in this regard. Either way...youification is a MINI owners right.

 

I too have no front plate and hate to say no problems yet (touch wood also)

Eradication of New Jersey's Front License Plate

“First, eliminating the need for a front license plate will significantly reduce the state costs associated with production, storage, and shipping. Second, a front license plate restricts the performance of passenger vehicles. Modern cars aren't being designed with front plates in mind anymore, because mounting brackets that are necessary to hold the plates interfere with the cars' aerodynamics and often get damaged during the car-washing process. Third, unnecessary damage is sustained from minor bumper-to-bumper collisions, because the front mounting brackets on passenger cars can cause cracks and abrasions to the rear bumpers of the cars that they hit. Finally, police officers will be more productive in stopping dangerous motor vehicle violations such as drunk driving, reckless driving, speeding, etc., because their time won't be compromised by a New Jersey motorist who simply didn't have a front license plate on display.”http://www.petitiononline.com/njplate/petition.html

 

Signed, thanks for the heads up Bonk!

I have the gominigo bracket, which is the only reason I don't mind having front plates. MA asked if he can drill holes to mount the bracket on the bumper and I responded with about 10 "no"s in rapid succession

 

I hope this petition works. But not sure it will with comments like these...

“whiles I bee driven with my pants around me ankles look'n for little boys, duh cops keeps bust'n me for no front plates. So's I be in favor of get'n rid of em so's I can concentrate on my's perverted ways”


“Duh front plates slow me down-my korvet will only doo 135 mph when i run from duh cops !”

 

I too had the dealership not drill for front plates. I found out from my MA that they did anyway. After he pointed it out in the shop they had to put a new bumper on it.

I got the no drill plate mount, and I like the way it looks having the plate off center like that. I haven't seen too many that have it, so it makes mine at least a little unique.

 

Hmmmm I had my plates installed by the dealer today when I picked them up. I did have the front ones put on since it's the law but I have no clue if he drilled into the bumper, didn't ask me if I was ok with it or not, hmmmmm. Oh well, not much I can do now.

 

^well, if you have a center mounted front license plate, you have two holes in your front bumper.

Not a huge issue if you're never leaving a state that requires them, but my move to Seattle is only temporary, then I'll be moving back to a state that doesn't require them...

 

I have the GoMiniGo LPB and like it. I have a center stripe so like the offset location for the plate. I just got new plates and will probably leave the front off until I head somewhere that they enforce the front plate requirement, like San Francisco or Santa Monica.

 

That link doesn't work (and I've seen it posted many times around here by different people). Here is the correct link:
http://gominigo.com/NHLPB-MINI.html

 

Looks great, mine just came in the mail yesterday. Gonna fit it today and leave it in my cargo area for those "annoying enforcement areas."

 

...what happened to your plate? looks like it was run over several times then mounted to your car. It's all creased and dented???

 

OP, I moved from Chesapeake this time last year. Let me assure you that at least one Constable in the local area will pull you over for no front plate

Funny story

I was out tooling around in my 79 and a Suffolk car gets behind me and I can see the officer eyeballing the car. Then he pulls along side and continues a long eyeball and then gives me a and I wave. He begins to pull forward slowly and I can tell he's still eyeballin'

Then I see the brake lights come on and he drops behind me and the lights come on....I knew exactly what he was stopping me for and muttered a few things to myself.

"So where's your front license plate?"

"It's in my garage officer...."

He tells me he's writing me up.

But wait, there's more.

I mention OK ... "but I was under the impression that the Virginia statutes provide an exemption for an antique, and I have collector plates."

Are your sure? Yes I am sir...right in the section of the code about collector car tags. I carry a copy in with my registration.

He verified by looking it up in his book and after about 10 minutes came back and apologized for stopping me.

"They didn't tell us that in cop school...." He was new .... he could have written me up anyway and I would have had to go to court and let a judge decide (I was 'pushing' what the exemption says....maybe) but as Dalton says in RoadHouse and Mr Dowd did in Harvey....be nice. It helps

********

btw - spousal unit just bought a Honda FIT. The front bracket requires holes on the bottom face of the bumper rather than the front face. Take it back off and no visible 'damage'. MINI, R U listening??????