Installing front license plate without drilling

[ENIAC]

I was looking at it and would like to devise a bracket that actually clamps onto the grill - that way you don't get any holes in the bumper at all.

That's how I did it. I mounted through the grill with drywall anchors and 1.25 inch washers. Works great.

The Skene Design looks good but it's expensive and you have to drill through the bumper. The point is I didn't want to drill through the bumper.

That should work out - what'd you use to build your bracket? I was looking for details but looks like you removed them earlier in this thread? I would probably mount the plate higher than what you have...

1/2 inch irrigation PVC pipe from Home Depot.

 

[electricfuture]

I looked at the leaf mounting bracket and it fit the bumper perfectly with 2 tabs at the bottom that wrap under the bumper. I think I can drill holes in the tabs and under the bumper to mount it. I wold still have holes in the bumper but they would not be seen if the bracket is removed.

 

[lambert]

Looks very good. How sturdy does the mount seem? I was looking at it and would like to devise a bracket that actually clamps onto the grill - that way you don't get any holes in the bumper at all.

So with the Skene bracket, it's easy to change the mounting height of the plate?

Yes, the part of the bracket that attaches to the license plate is slotted and allows the part that is secured to the bumper to slide up and down for adjustment before you tighten the screws:

This morning, we took it for a ride out to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (used to be called the San Diego Wild Animal Park) which was about 50 miles round trip. Afterwards I still couldn't get the front license plate to budge even a little jiggle, so as I said it seems pretty sturdy and secure; but as Andy pointed out it is only held to the plastic bumper by small screws, with some help from a couple of pieces of 2-sided tape.

By the way, while we were at the Safari Park, we sighted another Leaf parked in the same row as us (row 4), cayenne red with HOV stickers.

 

[electricfuture]

Drilling under the bumper would probably require a "90 degree" drill - available at body shops I think.

 

[lambert]

Drilling under the bumper would probably require a "90 degree" drill - available at body shops I think.

Nah, I used a straight drill. It went in at a slight angle, but when I put in the screws they tapped in straight once tightened against the bracket.

 

[awiegel]

 

[gasmiser1]

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Is this legal in CA per the DMV?

You haven't cut or defaced the license place, but it looks like a European plate in this picture.

 

[EricBayArea]

From the Leaf Wiki I saw this one and wanted to find out who made it or where I can get it:

 

[aqn]

From the Leaf Wiki I saw this one and wanted to find out who made it or where I can get it:

That's from gominigo.com.

 

[EricBayArea]

That's from gominigo.com.

Thanks!

 

[nm1]

http://www.autodealersupplies.com/products.php?category=109" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just got my plates..thinking I'll try this in the front. Looks like the rubber straps might be long enough to get to the
grill . Cheap enough for a test.

 

[gasmiser1]

http://www.autodealersupplies.com/products.php?category=109

Just got my plates..thinking I'll try this in the front. Looks like the rubber straps might be long enough to get to the
grill . Cheap enough for a test.

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I won't do this method. Plate will move around with the wind at speed and scratch the paint on the bumper

 

[EVDRIVER]

I got my car in March, perhaps I should put my plates on :shock: :lol:

 

[pearlyleaf]

Here's another third party solution that looks promising: http://skenedesign.com/FPBracket/index.shtml

You'd still have to drill holes, but on the underside of the bumper. Also, the license plate could be positioned in front of the bumper, not the grill, to avoid that "buck-tooth" look.

I contacted the company and got the following reply regarding applying this to a Leaf:

Thank you for your interest in the Skene Design license plate bracket.

Even though the Leaf has 3 1/2 inches of depth, I think medium bracket would work well with this car. The curvature of the front bumper does not require the additional length of the extra long bracket.

This is in stock, and can ship today.

Jerry Skene

Just installed the Skene design bracket as a result of the fix-it ticket I received in Berkeley. It was easy, only two holes on the underside of the bumper. Looks and feels durable. My ticket was lowered from $28 to $10 by installing the bracket. Skene was running a 20%-off black friday special, maybe continuing up until Xmas?

 

[Brightonuk]

Looks very good. How sturdy does the mount seem? I was looking at it and would like to devise a bracket that actually clamps onto the grill - that way you don't get any holes in the bumper at all.

So with the Skene bracket, it's easy to change the mounting height of the plate?

Yes, the part of the bracket that attaches to the license plate is slotted and allows the part that is secured to the bumper to slide up and down for adjustment before you tighten the screws:

This morning, we took it for a ride out to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (used to be called the San Diego Wild Animal Park) which was about 50 miles round trip. Afterwards I still couldn't get the front license plate to budge even a little jiggle, so as I said it seems pretty sturdy and secure; but as Andy pointed out it is only held to the plastic bumper by small screws, with some help from a couple of pieces of 2-sided tape.

By the way, while we were at the Safari Park, we sighted another Leaf parked in the same row as us (row 4), cayenne red with HOV stickers.

Can these be installed under the front of the car (Bottom of the front bumper) to give the same look as ENIAC got and if so would you still use the Medium or go with a longer bracket?

 

[Devin]

Since my LEAF is getting a new nose, I have asked the body shop to refrain from re-mounting the front license plate. Does anyone have any pictures of the Skene bracket with the plate lower so as it covered more of the grill than the bumper?

Still deciding wether to go with the Skene or the GMG bracket. I suppose one could mount the Skene off-center, would that look really weird?

 

[mebbing]

Thanks everybody for their posts. I ended up trying something a little different, but inspired by what I read here in the forum.

I ended up using small, simple L-brakets as a blind mount for my front plate. I did end up drilling/screwing the L-bracket onto the bumper, but did so under the top lip of the air intake area of the lower bumper, so if I remove the plate you can't see where I drilled the holes unless you lay on the ground and look up. Used short wood screws with a little dab of silicone glue on them to attach L-brackets to the car, and then short screws with nuts/washers to attach the plate firmly to the L-bracket. I, and more importantly my wife, are quite happy with how clean the look is with this method. See photos:

 

[aqn]

Thanks everybody for their posts. I ended up trying something a little different, but inspired by what I read here in the forum.

I ended up using small, simple L-brakets as a blind mount for my front plate. I did end up drilling/screwing the L-bracket onto the bumper, but did so under the top lip of the air intake area of the lower bumper, so if I remove the plate you can't see where I drilled the holes unless you lay on the ground and look up. Used short wood screws with a little dab of silicone glue on them to attach L-brackets to the car, and then short screws with nuts/washers to attach the plate firmly to the L-bracket. I, and more importantly my wife, are quite happy with how clean the look is with this method. See photos:

That looks great, but I would be a bit concerned about screwing to the bumper fascia. Is it plastic, and is there any metal underneath? Even if the screws go into the metal part of the bumper underneath the plastic, , I'd still be concerned about the wind at highway speed "flapping" the license plate and working the screws loose.

 

[mxp]

Thanks for sharing the installation mebbing.

The Skene design product also requires screwing a screw (after you drill a tiny drill hole upwards into the bottom of the bumper) directly from the bottom.

Anyways, can you share where you purchased that L-bracket part? Where they just from Home Depot? What size/length screws did you use? Were they self taper screws?

Thanks everybody for their posts. I ended up trying something a little different, but inspired by what I read here in the forum.

I ended up using small, simple L-brakets as a blind mount for my front plate. I did end up drilling/screwing the L-bracket onto the bumper, but did so under the top lip of the air intake area of the lower bumper, so if I remove the plate you can't see where I drilled the holes unless you lay on the ground and look up. Used short wood screws with a little dab of silicone glue on them to attach L-brackets to the car, and then short screws with nuts/washers to attach the plate firmly to the L-bracket. I, and more importantly my wife, are quite happy with how clean the look is with this method.

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