pluckedchicken

Hello all,

I've been lurching, reading, and learning as much as I could the last few months while I looked for and drove lots 928s. Found an '88 S4 in excellent condition and going to pick it up next weekend.

I'm sure I have lots of stupid questions 'cause this is my first "modern" car.. my last three cars; a '76, and two '62s. I didn't have to know about MAFs, ECUs, and other new fangled stuff

as it happens I'm also new to So Cal and found out that a front license plate is the law. I don't recall whether this S4 had holes for a bracket, but it was not wearing a front plate, and would I hate to put holes in the bumper.

I was wondering has anyone has tried any of the retractable license plate products out there?

I look forward to getting to know all of you,
Bob

Randy V

Less drinking.

Welcome to the forum, Bob.

If you've read through the New Visitor...FAQ posted at the top od this forum you are off to a good start.

ALWAYS have a PPI done - use the results to negotiate down the selling price.

Very few in SoCal attach a license plate to the front of our 928s. Don't do it.

dr bob

Hi Bob--

You miight mention where you are in SoCal. It's a big yet small place; Somedays I can see further than I can drive in a couple hours...


Welcome!


I made a no-holes bracket for the front plate using metal you can buy at Home Depot. There are other creative solutions too. At least in the City of Los Angeles area, patrol cars are being equipped with license plate reading cameras that generate an immediate friend-or-foe for the driver for every car he passes or follows. Meanwhile, the amazing traffic-cam systems depends on being able to see your front plate, rear plate and your face in the windshield so they can ID you well enough to issue a citation by mail. My front plate hugs the lower bumper contour enough that it takes a look to read it. Since these activities affect revenue, front-plate violations have moved up on the enforcement priority list, and you are a sitting duck if you are parked in a metered area.

The Forgotten On

I got caught and cited for no front license plate when my car was parked at the end of a street near my school.

That was after almost 2 years of parking in basically the same spot. I live in what I call a hornets nest of police.

We have 2 CHP stations within 25 miles of where I live. I fixed it with a piece of metal from the Home Depot as stated above.

There are plenty of ways to mount a plate like Carl's, where it mounts into the tow hook plug.

If you are going to drive your 928 a lot or as a DD, have a front plate. If not, don't worry about it.

They wont waste their time pulling you over for a fix-it ticket when the real money is in speeders.

Ducman82

welcome! i am down here is Socal as well. but the car is registered in Washington. they have front plates.... but they don't know that down here... :-P so we shall see how it goes.

pluckedchicken

Thanks for the welcome

In answer to Dr. Bob's question.. I live in Irvine.

I plan to drive a lot, pretty close to being a DD.

I'm from Nebraska but no longer have a Nebr. address to register the car, so will have to figure whether to chance it with no plate, or rig something up

no matter what I do, it won't be punching holes in the bumper. I really think a front plate ruins the clean lines of the nose

_________________
1988 928 S4 Auto

dr bob

You'll eventually need to get it registered here, might as well start the process now.

If you "picked the car up" here, it's the seller's responsibility to supply a smog certificate as part of the sale docs.

There are several 928 owners in Irvine, and you are close to perhaps the premiier 928 shop in Anaheim at Precision Motorwerx (Greg Brown), with parts readily available from 928 International in nearby Anaheim.


Sadly, I can't quite see Irvine from here. It can be a 45 min drive or a three-plus hour drive depending on TOD and DOW, and some mysterious wildcard K factor I have yet to figure out.

Spun

Welcome

Rob Edwards

Welcome Bob- I can see Irvine from here, and have been (knock on polyurethane) running front-plate-free for 8 years now. But I'm sure my luck will run out at some point. Perhaps it would be worth having a clinic at some point to bang out a couple of the no-holes brackets. My GTS has no holes in its (replacement) front bumper cover, NFW am I drilling holes in it.

The Fixer

3M makes some serious double sided foam tapes.
http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=C...d%253DG4245656

Hi Bob!

I can't see Irvine from here.

Matt

Fogey1

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...nse-plate.html
Thread: "Mounting front license plate." And a couple of posts within.
https://rennlist.com/forums/10811284-post20.html
Pix of Dr Bob's rig.
https://rennlist.com/forums/10863291-post28.html
"Have the license place copied onto vinyl and then just stick to the bumper cover!"
Lizard's (Colin's) idea. Might even be legal.

I've always wondered whether a couple of big neodymium magnets strategically placed on the inner surface of the bumper cover would work to hold a plate?

jayc67

Don't know about retractable, but here in Texas we just went to a mandatory front plate requirement and Roger found a bracket for a lot of us that uses the front tow eye socket so you don't have to drill into the car or anything. Works fine but not exactly a quick removal.

soltino

Re: Cali Plate Positioning:

http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d03/vc5201.htm

I guess in the first paragraph the meaning of upright is key.

I was wondering if it is still a fix-it ticket and at minimum will only cost you the "Officer's OK" fee?


tino

Bilal928S4

To me that just means it should be the right side up. I do not interpret it as vertical to the ground.

pluckedchicken

I've been driving my wife's Audi around town for close to 6 months without plates (also no holes in bumper) and didnt think anything anything about it... maybe they let me go because the rear has Nebraska plates?

I don't plan to put holes in the Audi either.

BTW the 928 I'm buying was an original CA car, but living in AZ since 1990... It's just up the road now, with the son of the owner .. and has been just been smog'ed

Good to hear there are so many 928 owner is the area. I hope I get a chance to run into you (not literally)

Bob