Suggestions: Atheistic Approach for Front Licence Plate

[Rick]

Does anyone have any suggestions for mounting a front licence plate onto a GT-40 that would look atheistically pleasing AND not disrupt normal air flow through the radiator inlet?

Our dilemma here in the Frozen North unfortunately is it's mandatory to have a front licence plate in Ontario, thus my question (unless one lives in Quebec where you don't need one).

Other than moving to said province, any ideas, hints, suggestions? I was thinking of a flip up mounting hinged at the top with a catch at the bottom...

Thanks,

Rick

p.s. any pics greatly appreciated...

 

[Ian Anderson]

I don't know how legal it would be in Canada but I have seen some done with a "stick on" number plate fitted between the nose and nostril / outlet. These can be done in the correct colour and reflective material.

Trouble could be that the requirement is that it is vertical and this idea then goes out the window.

Most times the boys in blue are more interested in the car than worrying about a small thing like vertical plate!

Hope it helps

Ian

 

[BenL]

[ QUOTE ]
any ideas, hints, suggestions? I was thinking of a flip up mounting hinged at the top with a catch at the bottom...

[/ QUOTE ]
I've been thinking of a top (or bottom) hinged plate with a spring to keep it from wobbling too much. Once you get moving the wind would push it out of the way. And when you come to a stop it would go back to being vertical (which should keep the nice officers happy).

 

[wpeter]

"Golly Sargent Preston, did it break off again?"

 

[Bill Bayard]

Rick,

That's a tough one!

How about hinged, inside the radiator opening(at the top), with a pull cable to move it from horizontal to vertical, when the cops are around(James Bond style)? It would disappear above the opening, when not "in use". Perhaps
a thermostatically controlled switch, hooked to a servo,
controlling plate position(plate down until more cooling is necessary)?


Bill

 

[Ian K]

First off, the subject of this thread gave me quite a
chuckle. I was trying to figure out what was specific to
the way someone who didn't believe in God would hang a
front license plate /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Then I realized you were looking
for "aesthetic". No disrepsect intended, as I have often
mistyped or selected the wrong word many times. Sometimes
I crack myself up.

I have pondered this exact idea before. I've thought of
using the hinges that were used on rear flip down plates
on some old US cars that had filler nozzles behind the
plate. That way the front plate would flip up at speed,
and snap down at rest.

Ian

 

[Dave Bilyk]

My solution treads a fine line I think, it's painted on the mesh grille, since I did that, the water temp is lower, and much lower in slow traffic. I sprayed the mesh black, made a mask, and sprayed through white.
imho you would be more likely to get stopped if you have springs and a hinge so that the number disappears at speed, you could outrun them though /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

The hinged setup works well, 427 street Cobras had a setup that hinged the plate about 1/3rd of the way up. spring kept it upright at rest, when you drove the airflow forced the plate to lay down and not block the radiator opening. The same setup can be done on a 40.

Rick /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Rick]

Oh my god (pardon the pun), I apologize for my spelling (yikes)!

Perhaps it was a Freudian slip that got through while wishing that the problem would disappear through divine intervention...

Sorry about that, folks. Anyway, I think the idea of the plate hinged at top and folding inwards could work. I thought about a bottom catch for low-speed applications that could be released when you really want to get down to business /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I guess I need to do some design sketches and draft something up on CAD. Thanks to everybody's suggestion from the UK, unfortunately, we have these tin plates over here.

Rick /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

It's actually a good question...here in Massachusetts we're required by law to have front plates as well (though only the rear plates need to have the registration year), and was wondering if a loophole existed.

Another question along the same lines. What about illumination. Many states (if not all) in the U.S. require the rear plates have a light shining on them at night. When the day comes I get a GT40, I'd like to do it in such a way that I don't have two lights protruding from the rear to shine on the plate.

 

[Mark Charlton]

Re: Suggestions: Aesthetic Approach for Front Licence Plate

Rick,

I too am in Ottawa and I have no front plates on my RX-8 or my Pantera, although neither are my daily drivers. I have been in a police escorted parade with the Pantera and pulled over twice in the RX-8 and nobody (who cared) has even noticed (touch wood) the lack of front plate. The Pantera especially (and trust me, the GT40 even more) is so striking and unusual that when cops look (and they all do), checking for front plates is not high on the list. Unless you're planning to visit Toronto a lot (the cops are much more uptight there) I wouldn't worry. I know several guys with Miatas that have been driving every day here for years and had no problems.

If you do get pulled over, just open the engine cover and they'll be so awestruck they won't even notice the front. If you didn't like a bit of danger, you wouldn't be building a GT40 would you?

 

Re: Suggestions: Aesthetic Approach for Front Licence Plate

In Texas you are required to have the front plate, but not necesasarily mounted. As long as it is on or in the vehicle you're okay.

As regards rear lamps, I bought these little lamps that are a part of the bolt that mounts the plate. Check out:

http://www.designengineering.com/products.asp?m=sc&cid=5

I can't remember who I bought them from, maybe Jeg's, or maybe one of the companies that specializes in street rods. Haven't tried them yet, but they fit what I was looking for.

 

[BenL]

[ QUOTE ]
It's actually a good question...here in Massachusetts we're required by law to have front plates as well

[/ QUOTE ]
If you still have one of the older green on white plates, I believe you just need the one plate in back.

 

[Tim Kay]

Re: Suggestions: Aesthetic Approach for Front Licence Plate

Pat,

Great site. Just what I was in need of. Thermal insulating material. Lites look cool too. And check out the Cryro2 for some 'wow' factor. Imagine Co2 blast out the Naca Ducts /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Rick]

Re: Suggestions: Aesthetic Approach for Front Licence Plate

Mark, good to hear from you and you're right about the lack of front plate. I understand Ian down in Burlington runs without one up front so I guess I could say it's OEM...?

Back license plate location is an interesting topic as my rear clip does not have the molded license plate insert on top of the central exhaust port. I was contemplating mounting it below the bodywork with associated lighting, sorta hanging out around the transaxle level.

This is how it's depicted on my GT-40 model in Project Gotham Racing 2 so who am I to argue...? Looks good, though.

Rick /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Craig White]

Re: Suggestions: Aesthetic Approach for Front Licence Plate

Sorry didn't happen in GT40, but happened in a Cobra.
My brother got pulled over for speeding, I was the passenger. And the police officer walked to the front of the Cobra to get license plate number. We had no front plate mounted. He just scratched his head and then walked to the back. When he came back to the cockpit he didn't say a word about not having a front plate. It was so funny. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I currently have plate mounted in air intake. Not real happy about it. Been thinking about removing it and just cop a fine if caught. Pretty popular on Cobras to have swinging number plates.

Pat, I will be ordering a set of those Lite N Boltz things. Summit Racing stock them, US$22 for polished dome head ones. I'll order 2 sets, 1 for spare.

 

[Brett James-McCall]

Re: Suggestions: Aesthetic Approach for Front Licence Plate

Rick,
Just a thought, but could you not paint a copy of the plate onto your front clip?

Brett

 

[Bill Bayard]

Re: Suggestions: Aesthetic Approach for Front Licence Plate

Rick,

GT40 Australia built a bracket for me to mount my plate just as you described(at no extra charge! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif) If you'd like a detailed photo, let me know.

Bill

 

[ChrisL]

Re: Suggestions: Aesthetic Approach for Front Licence Plate

I had read the (local) law regarding the number plate positioning very carefully before choosing a location. The law was very specific about the angles and distances that the plate should able to be seen. By that reckoning, I placed my plate on the inside of the front windscreen and in doing so, it met all the requirements... all requirements that is except for that of a redneck traffic officer who felt that it was his responsibility to protect his remote little town from people like myself who endanger public safety by placing plates in a locations not of his liking. When I explained my understanding of the law… that it didn’t require that it be placed in the front of the car, but that it could be seen from the front (which it could) his response was, "Then why didn't I see it?" to which I had a hundred answers, all of which would have got me arrested.

Bottom line was that he gave me a notice to present my car to the authorities within 2 weeks with the plate mounted "correctly". Seeing no benefit in causing a fuss (its hard enough to get compliance on these cars without thumbing your nose) I relocated the number plate square in front of the radiator, where it still sits.

Incidentally, it has never caused any overheating problems even though I’ve driven it in heavy traffic to 38 deg C (over 100 def F ??)

The final punch line here is that although the law is very specific about its placement, the last line of the law reads along the lines of "unless it is unpractical to do so". What the heck does that mean??? Ahh yes, dealing with authorities... but I can still smile /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Chris Duncan]

Re: Suggestions: Aesthetic Approach for Front Licence Plate

Brett,

I believe Canada is just like the US, the plate number can't be duplicated, you have to display the actual plate that is issued. Unlike you lucky Brits who can paint a totally aerodynamic number on the front.