So the state I'm from require a front license plate but I've found kits to hide the license plate under the bumper and you can pull it out when you need to display it. However, I'm worried about the holes the plate bracket would leave when I remove it to mount it under the bumper. Anyone have any experience covering up/filling these holes and how well that worked so that you can't seem them? I don't want to replace the entire bumper but I also don't want the holes to look like crap either. At that point I may as well just leave the bracket on.

 

I used the original license plate bracket upside down and zip tied it to grill. I had to do some grinding and drilling to the bracket.

 

in my case too, the dealers had drilled before i purchased. for this same reason, i did a viynl strip to go over it and it hid the part real well.

 

I got the Stow n Show off amazon...

I can't say I'm thrilled with it. When the plate is up, it's very flimsy, so I used a small strip of double sided Velcro to keep it sturdy. I figure I'm always going to have it up anyways. I drilled two holes into the factory chin spoiler and one in the lower pan that covers the underside of the engine. It's not too bad, you'd never even see them if I remove the bracket. There's just no good mounting spot for the large bracket though.

I'm going to get a Roush chin eventually. I might try something else out when I get it. For now, this works and looks okay I guess.

 

I told my dealer he was NOT to drill holes and he listened. I folded over the top and bottom edges of my plate and mounted it to the lower grill. It never touches any painted parts and is bolted in so is very stable. It has never caused any cooling problems.

 

Howdy. I posted this a while back on the solution I came up with and IMO I think this is the cheapest and best solution. It never came off and when I removed it after I moved and 10k miles it didn't cause any damage.

https://themustangsource.com/forums/...holder-529322/

 

I did something similar to what tukatz posted.


I folded my plate at the bottom and trimmed just a bit off the top. Then I extended the holes from the top of the plate. This allows you to use a nut/bolt/washer set up to attach the plate to the lower grille's honeycomb.


I have a friend who is a local chief of police, and he said this set up should never cause a problem with an officer because the tag number and the state are displayed (so, when you bend the tag you want to eliminate the state's motto- not the state name).


Easy fix, and I think it looks far better than mounting it on the huge factory bumper mount.

 

I made a mount similar to this and put our front plate down low like this. It makes the car look lower IMO

 

I'm glad to see that others have taken an approach similar to mine. I looked at our law and it said you can't 'disfigure' your plate. I'm sure they were thinking of people making a 3 look like an 8, but I did not want to take a chance on some bozo interpreting that to mean I could not cut off part of my plate.
In any event, I feel that it looks pretty cool. I also was told that lasers are aimed at front plates and those that are not perpendicular to the roadway make getting an accurate reading more difficult. Not that I would ever speed.

 

Awww how unfortunate...

 

I don't have the front plate on my car, it looks awful. I just keep it in the trunk.

 

This is the one that I decided to go with. Minimal drilling, all hidden. When plate is removed you will not even know it was there. Great product.

http://www.bigmikesperformanceparts.com/

Here is a couple shots with it on and off.

 

Steve do you have a pic of it on, but folded down?

 

That is a sharp picture of your Mustang against that colourful background. Really wakes a guy up in the morning.

 

I have been using the Craig's bracket that bolts to the lower grill opening and couldn't be happier. It comes off fast for shows, doesn't attach to the bumper skin, and has held up to speeds over 155 MPH max and 120 for more than 20 minute intervals on the autobahn without issues. It has little rubber nubs on the back so that it pushes against the bumper at speed. It's easy to get behind when you are washing the car as well. I'm not a fan of attaching the actual plate in front of the lower grill because it blocks a lot of airflow. For me that's important. When I finally retire next year and move back to SC I won't have to worry about it anymore and it will be for sale.

Mistress by steveinfante, on Flickr

 

My solution: Pick up a 2006 F-150 license plate bracket from Ford ($8.00) loosen your front splitter, insert the lower tabs of the bracket between splitter and your bumper, tighten splitter bolts. Take two black zip ties and fasten through the center of the plate bracket to your lower grill, tension them just enough so there is .020 to .030 gap between the plate bracket top and your paint. The plate bracket tends to push away from the grill, mine has never touched my paint in 2 years of use. It looks like it was meant to be there! The result:

 

This one does not actually fold. It has a small spring pin that you pull and the plate bracket slides off. Very easy on and off. I will get a pic of the part that comes off and post it soon.

 

I see. Do they make one that folds? Mine folds, but I keep it up like 99% of the time.

 

Here in MA if you are lucky enough to have an old green plate you are grandfathered in and only have to have your rear plate. If you turn it in you're screwed and when you get the new plate at some point you need both. People around here do whatever they can to make sure their green plates stay in good shape. My buddy won't give his up. I on the other hand have two plates. Never had a green one so I have both. But my feeling is it is what it is so drill baby drill. I have it where it belongs and as long as the bracket and plate are clean looking I'm ok with a plate on the front bumper.

 

I use the retractable license bracket from AmericanMuscle.com. Bolts underneath the front bumper into the black aero pan (not any painted surfaces) and easily slides under the car when I want it hidden. Here's pics of it up and retracted....