I JUST picked up my new Mustang GT last night 12/09 from Galpin and drove it home and let my just reiderate (I know I spelled that wrong) this car drives GREAT. I got back home at 2:30 in the morning and went right to bed since I had to be at work at 11:15. Let me just say I could NOT SLEEP AT ALL. My bedroom window is right over my car so if I sit up in bed I can see my car. I wished I had cleaned out the garage earlier so that I could fit her in, but after one night of torture I will clean out the garage (probably a 4-6 hour operation due to moving boxes still unpacked) and she will be in there TONIGHT Let me just say that the limited time that I did sleep, I had vivid and intense dreams of someone stealing my car... . If any of u got stories to tell of your first night, I think it would be interesting to hear. Also on a side note. I got a B-E-A-Utiful Tungsten grey with 18' fanblades, however...and this is a big however...My dealer F'd up and installed a front license plate onto the car AFTER I signed paperwork stating I didn't want it on. :notnice: :notnice: I told them to get a screw driver and take it off but they used HUGE screws and it looks worse without the plate. So now I'm driving around with a darn front license plate on my new mustang! I'm expecting a call this morning from the head guy and I will let them now it NEEDS to be replaced and not fixed. And since I'd have to drive a LONG way back to galpin, wasting gas and mileage, and hassling with a rental, I'm thinking for the hassle they will isntall a roush front fascia free. I know I could have regected the car, but I didn't think about that till I was already of the lot, besides, they would have just reordered the car. This may work to my advantage.

 

Sorry to hear about your first night and the plate on the front! I think I am going to clean out my garage today as well because the stang is definitely bigger than my RSX. My stang is on order and I am trying to decide whether or not to have them mount a front plate. I love the look without the plate but I don't know if it's worth the easy excuse for cops to pull me over (and ticket). How did they mount it? Is there a bracket or something they use, or do they just use self tapping screws through the plastic? I am going to get a vanity plate so I need to figure out a way to mount a weathertech plate cover.

 

GOODLUCK THEY ARE CAR DEALERS WHO HATE TO ADMIT WHEN THEY HAVE F%^&ED UP... THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS YOU CAN DO IF THEY FAIL TO ASSIST YOU. JUST ASK AROUND

 

Good luck. I saw you yesterday, by the way. I was at the Galpin auto shop and then walked over to the dealer, and saw you there with the tungsten. At least I think it was you. :scratch:

 

Yeah I'm trying to decide if I'm going to put a plate on mine... friggin California **** state!

I'm thinking I won't. I see several BMWs and Mercedes without them and where I live there are Ferraris and others around the sure as heck don't have them... don't know what the likelyhood of getting pulled over without one is or how much the fine is but... I think I'll chance it.

 

You're not alone in worrying about your new baby. The first night I had mine I went to the grocery store (just an excuse to drive it) and I literaly ran through the store to get what my wife needed because I couldn't see my car through the windows. People who worked there gave me some strange looks.

 

Just because California requires two plates on the car doesn't mean the dealer has to mount that plate. If someone doesn't want the plate screwed into the front bumper and wants to make their own mount that has to be allowed. Good luck on getting that bumper replaced. I'd be P.O.'d myself if I didn't want my plate mounted.

 

JimmyT -
My dealer F'd up and installed a front license plate onto the car AFTER I signed paperwork stating I didn't want it on. I told them to get a screw driver and take it off but they used HUGE screws and it looks worse without the plate. So now I'm driving around with a darn front license plate on my new mustang! I'm expecting a call this morning from the head guy and I will let them now it NEEDS to be replaced and not fixed. And since I'd have to drive a LONG way back to galpin, wasting gas and mileage, and hassling with a rental, I'm thinking for the hassle they will isntall a roush front fascia free. I know I could have regected the car, but I didn't think about that till I was already of the lot, besides, they would have just reordered the car. This may work to my advantage.

<<Sorry about the dealer making the mistake and installing the front license place on your car. As for the dealer repairing/replacing the front bumper cover...sorry, but I doubt the dealer will give you an upgraded bumper cover...it;s going to be the stock cover if it's replaced.>>
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bryman-
I love the look without the plate but I don't know if it's worth the easy excuse for cops to pull me over (and ticket). How did they mount it? Is there a bracket or something they use, or do they just use self tapping screws through the plastic? I am going to get a vanity plate so I need to figure out a way to mount a weathertech plate cover.
<<they drill holes in the bumper and use screws to install the frame. As to the look of the coar without a front plate...I like the look without the plate, but the law says I need a front plate so it's on the car, and IMHO it doesn't look THAT bad>>
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Imatk-
Yeah I'm trying to decide if I'm going to put a plate on mine... friggin California **** state!

I'm thinking I won't. I see several BMWs and Mercedes without them and where I live there are Ferraris and others around the sure as heck don't have them... don't know what the likelyhood of getting pulled over without one is or how much the fine is but... I think I'll chance it.
<<So just because someone else doesn't have a front plate on their car make it right for you to not have one? Sounds like something people tell the cop when stopped for speeding...'but officer I was going with the flow of traffic, why did you stop ME???'. He's going to say two things...'I can't stop everyone' and 'you don't have a front plate'.
As to Mercedes not having front plates...One of my neighbors has a 1995 Mercedes he bought used several years ago, and for a long time he had a plate with the Mercedes logo on the front bumper. Then one day I noticed a FRONT LICENSE PLATE on the car. So I guess that shows that police doesn't ignore missing front plates on expensive cars.

I remember reading a post that had a picture of a Mustang that had been pulled over, with the officer talking to the car's driver. It turned out that the office recieved a call about Mustangs racing in the area, saw some Mustangs and pulled over the one...WITHOUT A FRONT PLATE, even though other cars had loud exhaust (per the person submitting the post).

Let me ask you this question (addressed to those that don't like front plates)-
What's the big deal with having a front license plate? I have one on my car, and have always had front plates on every other car I'd had over the years, and it doesn't look THAT bad.

 

My front plate is in my trunk... and there it shall stay until I'm forced to install it.

 

On my '05, I never did install the front plate. But the Parking ***** in Los Angeles gave me two tickets for not having it! So after a little research (and ticket $), I found out that if you have the plate on the passenger side of the dash in plain site, they can't ticket you for not having one. It was also brought to my attention that it can't be any more than 30 (?) inches from the ground. I'm not 100 % sure about the height limit, but after I started leaving it there when I parked (it stayed behind the passenger seat when I was driving) , I stopped getting tickets.
Just my $0.02 worth, lol
schlim66

 

I like schlimm's idea. I don't think you'll get a new roush facia though. if you are forced to put it on the front,there are a ton of topics on how to do it w/out ruining bumper. Or get a sweet license frame(mustang chrome ones from Kevin).worst case,move to a state that doesn't require a front plate like Fl :headbang:

 

Just get a couple of rubber grommets to plug the holes.

 

The reason CA requires a front plate is for Photo Entrapment.
I got one several years ago, Christmas Eve, running around at the last minute and I made a left turn up Aero Drive in San Diego. I was just following others, but facing the bright setting sun I couldn't see that my arrow had changed from yellow to red.
(SMILE you're on California unCandid Camera!) The ticket was expensive too.

I assume other states also have Photo Oportunity Spots LOL. So, expect it to become LAW everywhere eventually. The poor dears need their revenue (heavy sarcasm!)


A friend got a fix it ticket on his Mazda RX7 convertible. I scoured the junk yards trying to find a front license plate holder/bracket...none were to be found. There's very little front area on his car. That plate looked HUGE. IMHO on a Mustang it doesn't look that bad, there's room for it at least. It would be better if we could go to the European thin/long plates or even a decal for the front on some cars.

 

bryman- It was not installed with a bracket, they used two HUGE screws, and drilled into the front fascia. CANES fan- I know what you mean. After I picked up the car we drove to a Denny's that was across the street, and I couldn't enjoy my dinner because all I could think about was my car. Anyway, the dealer has you sign a contract indicating if you want the front plate installed. So yeah, they understand it's a big deal. I have a copy of that paperwork and signature.

 

Me too. Until today, that is. I rolled into a parking lot today and an officer standing outside his car asked me to pull over. After almost a year and 6000 miles I finally got popped. $60 fine but I'm not sure about points. Anyone know if they assess points in Maryland for this?

 

I just picked up my `06 GT Coupe yesterday after a 10 week wait (ordered on 9/24) and it's everything I hoped it would be. Plus, the dealer here in central Maryland gave me a great deal on my trade and about $1250 off list. They also were kind enough NOT to mount the front plate (we call them tags here in MD). When I asked if Ford has a specific front plate frame for `05-06 Mustangs, they confirmed that there is none and that holes are drilled into the front fascia for a direct mount of the plate. The dealer really convinced me that it would detract from the car's appearance if the plate was installed, so I'm going to roll the dice and keep it in my trunk. Of course, since my coupe is Torch Red, I may be just a ticket waiting to happen!

 

I lived in New Jersey all of my life and front plates have always been the law and nobody ever complained about it. I move out to California and people are rioting in the streets and burning down churches (figuratively) over having to put on a front license plate.

Are people here on the west coast so insanely fixated on appearance that even something as silly as a front license plate is considered some heinous ugly thing? I thought my car looked "wrong" without one personally.

Nobody made me sign anything special for mine. In fact when I got the plates in the mail I drove up to the dealer and they put them on for me for free without question. They used tacky dealer plate frames which I really want to replace but I am not going to rush.

 

I got mine at Galpin, after my first service I will not take it back there. My car was extremely dirty, it was litterally washed the day before I took it in, there was grease on the aluminum of my steering wheel, and my fender was left with a big area of black grease on it. I was pissed. The service manager refused to take responsibilty and was a real weiner, so screw Galpin.