Front license plate bracket ideas?
12-18-2011, 08:25 PM
#1
Front license plate bracket ideas?
As the title states, anyone have some ideas to share for the NISMO bumper on mounting the license plate by either using the front tow hook as a base or possibly one of the fins in the grille to mount a custom bracket for the license plate. Hawaii is pretty strict about it and even tickets ppl who run it in their front window. So with that being said, anyone wanna throw out some ideas? i saw the old thread when another member made his own but i was seeing if anyone had any other ideas that i can pickup at like a home depot or lowe's which requires little to no metalwork or custom bending of metals and such.
12-19-2011, 04:59 AM
#4
??There have been many posts on this subject.Do a search on the forum.
How handy are you?It seems standard "L" brackets could be used,screwed into the top
of the bumper cowl.Sounds easy to me.Also,Courtesy has a ZEE bracket available.
Looks easy to adapt to a Nismo bumper.Also,check some images online on the Nismo
bumper.Many show a license plate fixed.
How handy are you?It seems standard "L" brackets could be used,screwed into the top
of the bumper cowl.Sounds easy to me.Also,Courtesy has a ZEE bracket available.
Looks easy to adapt to a Nismo bumper.Also,check some images online on the Nismo
bumper.Many show a license plate fixed.
12-19-2011, 08:03 AM
#5
That Zee bracket requires drilling into the front Z grill, which, for one, I'm not sure it would be able to fit the V3 front, and two, if it does then there's no way I'm drilling holes into the bumper/splitters.
The size of the thread/pitch required is not common and was very difficult for me to find in my area. In fact, the only way I could get the correct size was to buy the tow hook off another Z in the junkyard. Be cautioned though, I've heard the earlier year Z's had a slightly different thread/pitch size than the 07's and 08's. The Z I took it from was an 06, so that year is compatible with ours at least. I lucked out since that was the only Z in the junkyard on the island.
With the tow hook, I'm looking to cut the loop off, weld an extension, and fab a bracket. Haven't gotten around to it yet. The hardest part for me was finding the correct thread/pitch, but I'm sure Oahu is easier to acquire that.
The Stillen setup would've been perfect, however it's too short and cost is on the high side (especially if it don't fit and modifications to it are not guaranteed).
Too bad that other member on here selling the kits stopped making them. Just like stillens, but made to fit the Nismo.
Another route, if you have the resources, is to have a machine shop machine create one similar to the Stillen bracket.
Keep us posted on your results.
The size of the thread/pitch required is not common and was very difficult for me to find in my area. In fact, the only way I could get the correct size was to buy the tow hook off another Z in the junkyard. Be cautioned though, I've heard the earlier year Z's had a slightly different thread/pitch size than the 07's and 08's. The Z I took it from was an 06, so that year is compatible with ours at least. I lucked out since that was the only Z in the junkyard on the island.
With the tow hook, I'm looking to cut the loop off, weld an extension, and fab a bracket. Haven't gotten around to it yet. The hardest part for me was finding the correct thread/pitch, but I'm sure Oahu is easier to acquire that.
The Stillen setup would've been perfect, however it's too short and cost is on the high side (especially if it don't fit and modifications to it are not guaranteed).
Too bad that other member on here selling the kits stopped making them. Just like stillens, but made to fit the Nismo.
Another route, if you have the resources, is to have a machine shop machine create one similar to the Stillen bracket.
Keep us posted on your results.
12-19-2011, 09:01 AM
#6
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Here is one ... re-locate your tow hook...if needed ... i saw this the other day ...
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_rS7ymUSzyY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_rS7ymUSzyY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
12-19-2011, 09:04 AM
#7
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I'm sure you can make it work for the V3 bumper ...on the driver side would look good ... imo but then again... I'm in florida .... we don't have a plate on the front... lol
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12-19-2011, 02:14 PM
#8
I've looked into those retractable license plate holders and the license plates don't fit inside the grill. At best, the kit could mount beneath the lip in the middle or offset to the side, but then you have clearance issues, especially if the Z in lowered. The remote controlled unit is thicker and probably wouldn't advise that. There's a thinner, retractable, kit available, but it's not remote controlled (if that matters) and still makes clearance an issue if retracted.
This still requires drilling into the bumper. Though non-visible, I'm still hesitant on jumping on that.
This still requires drilling into the bumper. Though non-visible, I'm still hesitant on jumping on that.
12-28-2011, 12:11 AM
#10
I have one of those show and go retractable plates mounts. I mounted it once (literally 15 minutes) and took it off (no clearance on the oem non-nismo 350z bumper). It has some holes that I drilled into it to make it sit flush, but if you're interested, I'll sell it for 50 bucks. That's if you pick it up in Kapolei.
Last edited by KushZEN; 12-28-2011 at 12:13 AM.
12-29-2011, 08:10 AM
#13
As a simple mount, I'd try this. Not as nice as a custom machined rod and mounting bracket, but it works.
01-01-2012, 09:41 PM
#14
I finally decided to jump into this project of making some sort of mount for the front license plate. When my car was delivered to me, the dealership had already installed and screwed in the license plate bracket into the front bumper...ouch. It didn't really bother me much until I took off the bracket one day to clean beneath it and found the plastic bracket had semi-gouged a rectangular imprint of the bracket. To avoid any further damage, I temporarily stuffed paper towel pieces discretely behind the bracket until I could find a way to fab something up to mount the license plate away from the bumper.
Parts:
- Tow Hook - This had to be the hardest piece to obtain, since the bolt/thread size was nearly impossible for me to find locally. Fortunately a totaled 06 Z provided me with a spare tow hook.
- 6"x6" L Bracket - Found this at Home Depot
- 8" L x 1-1/4" W piece of metal (license plate bolt spacing is 7" center to center.)
- #10-24 bolts w/ matching nuts and washers
- 2 Hose Clamps
- Thread Locker
My intent here was to use my friends welding machine, although I'm sure this can be put together using bolts and such.
This will probably look really ghetto compared to what Stillen has machined up for their bracket, but it works for me and no one can really see what's behind the license plate anyways.
Since I used the tow hook as a base for the bracket, it became a little difficult to...work with it. Meaning, if you were to screw in the tow hook till it stopped, it ends up being tilted. I decided to work with the angle and compensate for it.
This post isn't intended to be a step-by-step how to, but I think you'll get the idea. Overall the aim here was to attach the L-bracket to the tow hook using the hose clamps and weld the horizontal 8" metal piece to the L-bracket to hold the license plate. See pictures below. I also drilled another hole in the 8" metal piece to accommodate the other license plate screw.
Parts with license bracket already fabricated
Example of how it attached to the tow hook. Yeah, my welds suck. I had to grind a bunch after.
Plus I screwed up on the initial design of the bracket and just made-do with what I had. Ugly, but it worked.
Keep in mind, when installing everything, I couldn't attach it to the tow hook until I screwed the tow hook in first. It's a tight fit as it is.
This is how it looked once installed w/o the license plate. I fixed the little tilt you see on the bracket.
How it looks with everything on.
Top view. It was easy to adjust the in and out, so I flushed it a close as I comfortably could.
How my car looked like before with the dealership bracket.
It feels solid and felt no movement in the bracket. For me, main thing it works. Total spent in parts: $20. Not bad I guess. Just took some time to make and think.
Parts:
- Tow Hook - This had to be the hardest piece to obtain, since the bolt/thread size was nearly impossible for me to find locally. Fortunately a totaled 06 Z provided me with a spare tow hook.
- 6"x6" L Bracket - Found this at Home Depot
- 8" L x 1-1/4" W piece of metal (license plate bolt spacing is 7" center to center.)
- #10-24 bolts w/ matching nuts and washers
- 2 Hose Clamps
- Thread Locker
My intent here was to use my friends welding machine, although I'm sure this can be put together using bolts and such.
This will probably look really ghetto compared to what Stillen has machined up for their bracket, but it works for me and no one can really see what's behind the license plate anyways.
Since I used the tow hook as a base for the bracket, it became a little difficult to...work with it. Meaning, if you were to screw in the tow hook till it stopped, it ends up being tilted. I decided to work with the angle and compensate for it.
This post isn't intended to be a step-by-step how to, but I think you'll get the idea. Overall the aim here was to attach the L-bracket to the tow hook using the hose clamps and weld the horizontal 8" metal piece to the L-bracket to hold the license plate. See pictures below. I also drilled another hole in the 8" metal piece to accommodate the other license plate screw.
Parts with license bracket already fabricated
Example of how it attached to the tow hook. Yeah, my welds suck. I had to grind a bunch after.
Plus I screwed up on the initial design of the bracket and just made-do with what I had. Ugly, but it worked.Keep in mind, when installing everything, I couldn't attach it to the tow hook until I screwed the tow hook in first. It's a tight fit as it is.
This is how it looked once installed w/o the license plate. I fixed the little tilt you see on the bracket.
How it looks with everything on.
Top view. It was easy to adjust the in and out, so I flushed it a close as I comfortably could.
How my car looked like before with the dealership bracket.
It feels solid and felt no movement in the bracket. For me, main thing it works. Total spent in parts: $20. Not bad I guess. Just took some time to make and think.
Last edited by musubi; 01-01-2012 at 09:43 PM.
01-03-2012, 09:57 AM
#16
My friend is getting a show an go plate and I'm going to play with modofyimg the plate a little and figuring out the mounting to see if I can make it work somehow.
Be careful when making your own brackets. we made a swing arm plate for my friends motorcycle and from bending the metal it became weaker and driving on the highway his bracket broke and flew off.
Be careful when making your own brackets. we made a swing arm plate for my friends motorcycle and from bending the metal it became weaker and driving on the highway his bracket broke and flew off.
Last edited by morphiusrt; 01-03-2012 at 10:00 AM.
01-03-2012, 10:59 AM
#17
KingBaby, Thanks! I'm planning on covering up those holes eventually. Just mentally bothers me they're there.
morphiusrt, Thanks for the caution. I think the only worry with the bracket I made was with the welds. In this case, I think I put too much metal in the welds. I also took the car on a drive to the other side of my island yesterday. The road had some bumpy sections and some nice straightaways. Came back and the mount it still holding strong. I think if anything's going to give it'll be the tow hook unscrewing. I fastened that in with some thread locker so, it should be okay.
morphiusrt, Thanks for the caution. I think the only worry with the bracket I made was with the welds. In this case, I think I put too much metal in the welds. I also took the car on a drive to the other side of my island yesterday. The road had some bumpy sections and some nice straightaways. Came back and the mount it still holding strong. I think if anything's going to give it'll be the tow hook unscrewing. I fastened that in with some thread locker so, it should be okay.
11-15-2013, 06:01 PM
#19
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I have this on my NA Nismo:
https://my350z.com/forum/nismo-350z/...for-nismo.html
On my turbo Nismo, the tow hook unfortunately had to be swapped for an intercooler.
I gave up trying to get a bracket to work and said **** it....sticker time!
https://my350z.com/forum/nismo-350z/...for-nismo.html
On my turbo Nismo, the tow hook unfortunately had to be swapped for an intercooler.
I gave up trying to get a bracket to work and said **** it....sticker time!
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