most bent front license plates?

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eljefino

eljefino

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My dumb observation of the day...

chevrolet_05silverado2500regularcab_angularfront_Regular.jpg


This style GM truck has IMO the worst front license mounting of anything. To do it "right" has the lower part of the plate sticking out like a beaver tooth due to the shape of the bumper and moulding.

About 95% of these trucks I see the plate bent in a shallow "V" to fit over the molding. It looks better but still not great.

One will note that this stock photo shows a plastic plate holder, they must get smashed or something or simply be an option that many skip, or that dealers neglect to stick on at delivery time.

Is there any modern vehicle where the front tag is more kludged on?
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
...or simply be an option that many skip, or that dealers neglect to stick on at delivery time.


Yeah I was going to say, if you hadn't mentioned it, here in Illinois about 95% of the people with those vehicles would leave the front plate off. SUVs and pickups seldom have their front plates. I'm not sure how they get away with it since the one and only time I tried driving my Fiero sans front plate (on a GT Fiero, its tacked on there pretty hideously!) I got pulled over right away and warned. I suppose I was driving the wrong type of vehicle.
 
I drove our 'Vette in Maryland (two-plate state) from new without a front plate....however, I kept the front plate, bracket, and a make-believe invoice (folded judiciously to "distort" the date) for a front facade repair in one of the storage compartments. Even when pulled over though, nobody ever asked about the front plate.

Actually, when I went to accept delivery, the dealer almost lost the sale because the plate from our trade-in was installed on the front and the front facade "cover plate" was nowhere to be found despite my instructions the car was to be front-tag free. He scurried around and located the cover plate and had it re-installed while I was still ranting in the office.
 
My rental camaro in nevada had no front plate but I looked around and the rest of the cars had 'em.

NV law says you can blow the plate off if there's nowhere good to put it.
 
They usually get bent from automatic car washes. Solution: Take your old plate and new front plate and sandwich them together on the bracket with longer screws. This creates a more structurally rigid piece and can withstand all of the forces from the brushes trying to peel the plate off the bumper.
 
I've got an 06 Sierra Denali and no problem with my plate - ever. Went on easy and plate is not bent. Not sure what you are talking about. Then again, my truck has a painted fascia being a Denali versus a steel chrome bumper of the lesser models so it may be different. I never paid attention.
 
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I took the front plate off of mine. And luckily on my car,the front plate mount attaches behind the facia via bolts,so there`s no ugly holes made in the facia.
 
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We are a one plate state, which is nice, because front plates stick out like a sore thumb on most vehicles.

A mounted front plate holder is a dead ringer that a car was brought in from out of state and / or bought used, or an ex rental or fleet vehicle.
 
Originally Posted By: Win
We are a one plate state, which is nice, because front plates stick out like a sore thumb on most vehicles.

A mounted front plate holder is a dead ringer that a car was brought in from out of state and / or bought used, or an ex rental or fleet vehicle.


Or that they had a decorative plate on the front.
 
I was curious about this, and looked at the front of my new body style Chevy truck and it sticks down below the bumper too. But it looks like you'd tear up other stuff as well as bending the plate.
 
Some years ago, a friend of mine moved to Indiana. Indiana doesn't require front plates, but when he tried to remove his front Illinois plate, he found the bolts severely rusted and they wouldn't come out. So he settled on a "temporary" solution - he just bent the Illinois plate up and out of the way so it could no longer be seen.

Then, a few years later, he moved back to Illinois. The old plate was still there, so he just bent it back down so it looked OK. Trouble was, it no longer had the same number as his NEW Illinois plate, in the rear. If I recall, he had very little issues (or none at all) having mis-matched plates.

Unfortunately, that speaks volumes as to how long we keep the same plate design in this state.
 
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