Ideas for mounting front number plates

Unfortunately an abomination is the only answer. The design just doesn't lend itself very well to mounting a front plate.

Here is a previous discussion:

https://pantera.infopop.cc/top...license-plate-mounts

...Mount the Plate Directly to the Front Grill, Left, Right, or Centered. Use 'Zip Ties'. Take 'Tin Snips', and Trim the Ugly EDGE off, Clean Looking. Take a Look at My Rear Plate, Trimmed.

MJ

It's gonna look like crap, in the UK there used to be vinyl number plates available. You could scan yours and print onto vinyl and stick it on the leading edge of the front hood. Not sure it's totally legal though.

Which state are you located in?

I was actually thinking along the same lines - have the plate printed onto magnetic card and throwing it on the front hood. Went back to the rules and it is very specific - plate to be displayed as issued by the man.

Looks like it is going to be  the zip tie route.

@Percy posted:

I was actually thinking along the same lines - have the plate printed onto magnetic card and throwing it on the front hood. Went back to the rules and it is very specific - plate to be displayed as issued by the man.

Looks like it is going to be  the zip tie route.

Do You think "the Man" actually knows where the Plates were mounted on Our Panteras! LOL

Sorry but I have to ask.  What communist country do you live in?  Here in Kalifornia we are required to have front plates but its not enforced to this degree.

"the automatic speed cameras scan for the missing front plate and then photograph the car from behind if its not found. Instant fine."

Wow is all I can say.......

Having owned all manor of sports cars in New York State USA I never mounted a front License Plate to any of them.

The law stated that a front License Plate "Must be visible" when viewed from the front of the car.So the solution was to place the plate on the dashboard while driving thus meeting the letter of the law and not having to mount the hideous NY plate and destroying the lines of the car.

Perhaps reviewing the Legal Requirements of plate placement will allow for "Some Interpretation"

Here in California they issue two plates and we are legally required to display one to the front and one to the rear. It’s been probably 30 years since I have ever displayed a front plate on any of my F150s, and I have never displayed it on 2511 in over 50,000 miles of driving. Only one problem.

I had a friendly CHP officer issue a fix it ticket for the missing plate during his stop initiated by a slightly excessive use of the right-hand pedal. I rigged up some funky bracket off of the stock rubber bumper mounting holes, drove to the CHP to get it written off and it was gone five minutes after arriving back home.

Most people here do display a front tag but I bet at least 10% are in don’t  

Larry

I've never had the front plate on My Car for the 20 years I've had the Car! And...I even have the original mounting bracket!

Happy Americans, here in Europe the front plate is MANDATORY in all countries. In Italy the front plates were very small and in France the numbers stuck on the hood were tolerated, but  that was a long time ago and it is not anymore. You need a big ugly approved plate and you get arrested by the first cop you meet if there is no plate at the front.

The Pantera front license plate bracket mounts the plate beneath the front bumperette on the passenger side of pre-L Panteras.  The bracket bolts to the underside of the bumper/turn-signal surround.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DETOM...72-ONLY/193844321044

7102 has a fiberglass replacement 'L' style front bumper.

In NH you must display both plates. I made up this support with a bit of hardware store flat stock. There was just enough fiberglass lip on the bottom side of the bumper to catch a couple of screws up top, the lower strut is zip tied to the grill.

FWIW Sto n sho made me a bracket to bolt under my right (Pre-L) bumperette. There is a springed pin that can be pulled and the twin pins will slide out of the mounting bracket. I normally don't drive with the plate on, but as NH requires a front plate I could always 'produce' it and put it on in a second. It has not happened (yet).

Not sure I recommend it as the baseplate alone looks out of place, even without the license plate on. I was hoping it would be less obvious. If I could hide the mounting bracket behind the grill that would be great but the mesh is too small to allow the twin pins to pass through. At almost $90 it's pricey too.

https://www.coloradospeed.com/...-tomaso-p-59777.html

...Great Design and Machine Work! I Hate to add this...Now try driving out of a STEEP Driveway, or Over One of Our Speed-Bumps.

MJ

All- thank you for the great ideas on fixtures and mountings . It is most helpful.

It is plainly an issue with a variety of responses from the local authorities and where some enforce compliance much harder than others..

Thrillrider - I could try the old number plate on the dash as it could arguably almost comply.....except it would be close to horizontal..... and be conspicuous only from the police helicopter  .... and it wouldn't be really fixed ..... but other than that - almost vaguely compliant ...

Here are the words in the reg:

If a motor vehicle other than a motor cycle, trailer or jinker has duplicate number plates issued for the vehicle by the CEO or a corresponding authority, one number plate must be fixed and kept in a conspicuous place at the front of the vehicle, and the other must be fixed and kept in a conspicuous place on the back of the vehicle, in an upright position and so that the characters on the plates are clearly visible and legible during the daytime and at night.

Penalty:

            (a)         for a first offence, a fine of 4 PU;

            (b)         for a subsequent offence, a fine of 8 PU.

A PU is now $50 so first offence $200, second $400.

The real problem is if you are pulled up for a random check because of the missing plate , in addition to the fine , they will  yellow sticker the car and send your car over the pits . It would then be put it off the road for the smallest issue. It could prove really hard to get it re registered if they take a particular issue with some aspect of the vehicle.

That is much more of a pain than any fine. It could take weeks to get it passed. My sister just reregistered a mint 56 caddy and it took her five tries to get it passed.

The only other way out would be to get the Pantera up on two wheels and claim exception under the motorbike provisions ......!!

The "gotcha" is the upright position requirement.

I like how they access the fine in units, not monetary values. Makes it easy to make wholesale changes to fines.

BTW what is a jinker?

its a trailer for a truck that has the coupling plate for another trailer. The road trains can have up to four trailers and each will be mounted on a jinker. So if the trailer is not on , on the has to have its own  plate.

Jjones, what keeps the plate on the mounting bracket?  Is there a cotterpin or something?

R u in Rochester?  I have seen a red ine at Moo Ya before

I'm in central NH.  There is a pin with a pull ring.  The pin sits into a flat slot on one of the round mounting bars.

I know this thread is about a non-USA car, but here is a picture of the mounts on the “L” bumper....

Just in case someone is searching....

After 50 different Here are the two last contenders. Vertical mount and flush mount. The flush mount almost complies. Not. But the car still looks nice from the front.

In Nevada, we must carry the front plate in the car but if the machine was never drilled for a front plate, the State doesn't require you to display it.  You could supplement this with a plea of possible overheating if the cop is sympathetic. I carry the plate under the floormat along with a copy of the relevant State law, as many police don't know the law that well. Never been stopped for it in any State. Applies to Judy's Z-28 (bought in NV) as well.