Front License Plate Bracket - with suction cups

[Frank 03SRT]

Here's the bracket I made for the front plate. It is made up of 1"x1/8" aluminum bar stock, stainless steel bolts with locknuts, 8 pop rivets, and medium (Home Depot term) suction cups. Looking at the side view, the more angled arm fits on the bottom of the fascia because it is more severely angled toward the radiator. I drilled holes for the cups smaller than the cup "buttons" and greased up the button and shoved it through the hole. I bent the bar stock in a vise. I can give you all the dimensions and angles if you want. It cost about $15 in parts and took me about 4 hours to make.

I am really pleased with the way it looks and fits. When traveling down the road, the wind pressure against the plate tends to force the bracket backwards toward the narrowing angle which causes the bracket to exert more pressure on the suction cups. So, I guess, the faster you go the more pressure is forced onto the cups, causing it to hold better.

I have had this thing up to 90 and no problem. I check it every time I drive, and it has not yet had one problem with anything. It doesn't move anywhere, nor do the cups lose suction. It takes no more than 10 seconds to remove and reinstall. No damage, no sweat. Just in case, I put some Griott's Garage paint protection film behind the vulnerable parts of the fascia. You could even paint it the color of your car.

Hey, George (MGW), could you build it?

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[Matt]

Frank,

That looks really good. Thanks for the pics and info on how to reproduce it. If I ever get tagged for no front plate I'll make one of these up so I won't damage the front of my snake.

Matt

 

[Performin Norman]

Oh My Gosh Frank. You live in KS and don't have to have a tag but make a bracket for one. I live in MO (just across the border for those who don't know KC) and I drive around illegally so I don't have to have a front plate. hahahaha

I am going to harrass you big time for this. hahaha Wait til the next KC VCA meeting. haha

 

[STOUT 1]

This is the type of ingenuity we need more of. Good job Frank. Since I paid <u>a lot</u> of dough for my vanity plates, I would like to show them both. Thanks for the pics.

Jason

 

[Jeff Torrey]

Frank- Thanks for the info. and pictures for the front plate bracket. A great idea. I would like to build one and will let you know if I need help.

-Jeff

 

[Viper Wizard]

Frank, It looks cool 'BUT' What kind of temperatures are you running with the plate there? Also you may be creating to much turbulence in front of the air inlet at speed? Keep an eye on your TEMP Gauge and let us know what happens.

 

[Frank 03SRT]

Viper Wizard, I don't notice any difference in cooling, and I have been watching. It's kind of hard to tell, since it is real hot here in Kansas now, but the temp gage seems to be acting the same as before the plate was on --- temp tends to creap above the last center (third) line at prolonged stop and go driving, but drops below the last center line when moving.

The folks on the board got me worried while traveling on highways because I guess the state troopers are less lenient then locals. So, you could leave it off in town and put it on when on the highway where the speeds allow more air flow, it that is even a problem. Nice thing about it, it comes off in a snap if you get worried, you could leave it in the back or seat of the car, and if stopped, tell the cops a good story.

BTW Norman, Kansas requires a front plate when they are personalized, but not with regular plates. Kinda dumb.

 

[JonB]

"That Plate Bracket Really S U C K S"


I use the cups-only to fasten mine INSIDE the front window.
The small cups fit right into the plate holes. Proud to show the vanity plates "PACECAR" or "POIZNUS"

 

[Viper Wizard]

Gee Wiz, That bracket is still on back-order.

 

[Frank 03SRT]

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Here's a side view drawing of just the bent brackets. The angles are approx. 10 degrees, and the dimensions are there.

Home Depot 1/8" x 1" aluminum stock for all pieces. I bought 4' of it (because each piece is close to a foot long).

The straight pieces (not the drawing above) are 2 each @ 10" long. The bottom of the bracket in the drawing goes on the lower part of the fascia.

I bent the pieces in a vise (protected by the handyman's best friend - duct tape) using a dead blow (or any other) hammer pounding against a piece of hard wood where the stock exits the vise. It gives a much neater bend vs. just pushing it down by hand. Make sure your stock is very square in the vise before you start pounding, or the bend will be crooked and the bracket likewise.

Actually, the best way is to take a piece of coat hanger, bend it just about like the drawing, put it up to the fascia, bend it just right, then use it as a guide to make the brackets (bend the bracket a little, measure with the guide, do it again, etc.).

The holes for the suction suckers depend on the size of sucker you get. I kept drilling holes in a scrap until I could just barely shove the "button" into the hole (lightly greased with that morning's bacon). The suckers I got were from Home Depot and had a diameter of 1 3/4".

Before pop riveting the thing together, I squared it up real good, used a vice grip to hold it firmly, then drilled a hole, pop riveted it, then drilled the other hole and popped it, then moved to the next corner, and so on. If you take your time and make sure everything is square, it should come out great. I used 1/2" long stainless steel bolts and locknuts to hold the license, which were almost too short. 3/4" would have been better, but Home Depot didn't have them.

After built and you want to put it on the car, I put the bottom in first, then sort of firmly hold down on the top, slide it back, then seal each suction cup. I think the bracket should cause a little pressure against the fascia top and bottom, instead of the bracket being too "narrow" top to bottom -- helps keep the suction cups sucking.

Have fun.

 

[Brad Manhattan Beach]

Frank:

Can you give us the dimensions on your great invention (as well as the lengths of the bars before bending them)? It's the best front plate solution that I've seen to date. Thanks for sharing it.

Brad