Front License Plate Holder

[sibleyjeff]

My dealer bolted a plastic license plate holder to the fromt of my bird. I would like to remove it but I'm afraid it will leave two small holes in the bumper.Anyone else run into this problem?

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[SugarDaddy]

You have our deepest sympathy!

It should be a crime to drill holes in the front bumper of a future Classic Car!

Perhaps the two holes can be patched?

We just installed the Ford T-Bird Front End Cover (Bra) on Friday and it would cover the two holes in the front bumper, but only if the license plate holder is removed. The front end cover (bra) has no trimmed openings for the standard front license plate holder.

There is no good reason for installing the front license plate holder unless you live in San Francisco. They have red-light cameras and want to see the front license plate in the photos.

Move to Fresno, our two red-light cameras don't work!

Our dealer did not install our front license plate holder and we really appreciate that. I don't want to mess up the classic front end.

The nine 2002 T-Birds at the Santa Barbara California Cruise did not have a front license plate or holder. Most owners, in the Cruise, indicated that they were not going to install one unless forced to.

You will have to join us on our next California Cruise. We had a ball this weekend!

------------------
Gerry & Kim's
Triple Black Premium
VIN 106831

 

[pbocciardi]

Greetings, Jeff. You're the only other San Franciscan I've seen post on this board. I thought I was the only 'Bird owner in S.F.! Mine's yellow -- what color is yours?

I bought my car out of state and thus do not have the front license plate bracket. I don't intend to put one on, either, but I do worry about those incredibly steep fines for not having a front plate in S.F. I just try not to drive much in the city; I simply gun it out to the city limits, where I feel more free to be without that plate!

-- Paula

 

[FDCAPTAIN]

WARNING!

Do not go without your front License Plate if your state laws require it.

The laws are changing and you can be pulled over in Colorado just for not having a front plate. A 27 yr old man was caught in Lakewood, CO with no front plate , he had a knife and fireworks in his car and now is in jail!

Many states used the meter maids who wrote the parking tickets for front plate inforcement. Today so many money hungry counties throughout the State of Colorado are using Photo radar and soon Photo Red light violations to boost thier revenue in the name of safety, and they need a vehicle with front and rear plates to do this.

Many on this board have the opinion that it is wrong to mess up the front of a new TBird with a license plate, it is not a valid defense in court, and may cause you more grief than just putting the plate on!

If the car makers/design teams tweaked the front end a bit, the plate could fit in a molded bumper, as my Oldsmobile Aurora's.

For those driving the Thunder on 66, please get your plates mounted. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW! Remember you are also setting an example for the younger generation!

------------------
'56 TBird '02 NM Bird
'98 F250 4X4 SCab
'68 AMC AMX
'73 Volvo 1800ES
'01 Olds Aurora 4.0

 

[DavidB]

Has anyone received a ticket yet or been warned about not having the front license bracket?

 

[pbocciardi]

Not me yet, David, and I've had the car in the state for 3 months. But if it does happen, I'll be sure to post it here, as a warning for other Californians!

 

[K6RU]

As I posted before, I have been driving an '84 Vette since '84 in CA without a front license plate and have never been stopped.

Chuck

 

[Leon Emmons]

I dont think I will be getting a fine this weekend in Iowa. The bird is in the garage and 12inches of snow is on the way. Greetings to all you bird lovers out there from snowy Iowa.

 

[Erict]

Move to Quebec.

Front plates have been discontinued since the mid 70'

The usefullness and the question of economics of producing 2 plates and the environmental question "energy required to produce the plates" were stated as the main reasons to discontinue the plates.

Maybe, you could lobby your state government to ban front plates, to conserve a work of art intact... "The 2002 Thunderbird".

Vive la différence!

 

[bluetbird2002]

How many states have a requirement for front plates?

Are "foreigners" (like people from Michigan) expected to comply?

I am supposed to get my VIN on Monday and when I take delivery I expect to see parts of about 20 states. I don't want to collect too many invitations to return.

 

[FDCAPTAIN]

Good comments and very good question. How many boils down to you and your state.

If you feel lucky, you may get by for a decade or two. Or the trooper,local police or meter reader may nail you.

On Blue Oval News last year I posted how after nearly five lucky years I got caught.
The judge was not very kind and at that time it was not a moving violation (couldn't stop you for only this issue).
Now some states can stop you while driving and you will lose this no matter who you are.

If FORD is reading this, make changes to your cheap after-thought of a license bracket, it's the same one you put on your cheapest vehicle.
Front plates look good if in a great looking mounting.

 

[tleslie]

I live in Ohio, but bought my bird in Michigan. The factory forgot to send the front plate holder (however they were under strong orders never to install it anyway). The law in Ohio states you must have a front plate, but since I take care of most of the police in my small town, I doubt they will write me a ticket...but I may break down and put it on as police in Cleveland enforce this law......

 

[FDCAPTAIN]

I will try to get a list of states that require front plates. Then I will email this to M'Darmi and Birdman for his trip to FORD next week.

I agree the front mounting is not as attractive as without. FORD's bean counters were in force on this and the visors. This is another problem for FORD to solve on the most expensive FORD ever sold.

 

[Chief]

If one lives in a large city in Minnesota it is best have both plates.
I had my front lic. bracket painted to match the Bird. Actually, it looks pretty good!

 

[Tommy Tbird Blue]

Check out the following web site (I can't vouch for its currency).

TTBB http://www.pcisys.net/~bpc/auto_law/misclaw.html

 

[02thunderbird]

I'm from N.J. This is one state that you need front license plates and one state that the law inforcement do like to write summons. They write you up if you go over the white line at a stop sign. I have friends who replace the plate with a decorative plate and they get pulled over. Dealer plates on new or used cars are not suppose to be legally used on Sunday's in NJ and many are seen, and I have known some whom have been given warnings. This state generates a lot of revenue from writing summons's. I would not even consider driving without a front plate.

 

[greyfox11]

In California it is a "fix it" citation. Meaning if you are cited, you must correct the violation and have it signed off. Failure to do so, will result in a fine.
Like K6RU, I have a 1964 Porsche 356 that has never had a front plate on it, never been stopped. Only vehicles that I have owned that I put a front plate on have been pick up trucks. Maybe they have bigger fish to fry in Calif, but if I did get cited, I would figure out a temporary fastening, get the citation signed off, then remove the plate.

 

[57 bluebird]

02 thunderbird, I live in Jersey too and agree with you. The only exception now is QQ plates you only need the rear. But on my 57 i use both because the front bumper was made for it.

 

[56Birdman]

I posted this same information months ago, and it is the approach I'm taking. In Texas, front plates are required, but many cars do not have them. A friend of mine in the Classic Thunderbirds of Houston told me what he used to do on his c*rvette. He told the dealer to not install the front bracket. He then mounted the license plate to the loose front bracket, ran over it in the c*rvette, and then kept it in the trunk. If he got stopped, he was going to say it fell off and got run over. I was fortunate enough to find a front bracket off something laying in an intersection, so I snagged it. As soon as my personalized plates come in, I'll mount it to the crunched plate holder, and carry it in the trunk. Let's hope it works if I need it.
Hugh in the Blue 02

 

[jodrod]

56,

Might be a good idea to run over the tag also.