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E46 Front license plate mounting options


Boris3

Question

So as you can see in the FS thread I ordered the wrong license plate holder for the 330izhp. Before ordering the correct one I was wondering what other folks have done to mount a front plate without drilling into the bumper. Just wanted to make sure I'm not missing something obvious. 

Options I've seen on forum threads:

-double sided tape/industrial velcro, destroys paint on the bumper?

-zip-ties, toggle bolts or other DIY through the plastic lower grill

-drill holes on the underside of the bumper (https://skenebrackets.com/index.htm), costs a bit more than OEM plus backordered

-tow hook style mount (GMG, other "no holes" mounts, etc): don't really care for the offset look plus costs much more than OEM

- just run no front plate and accept a ticket, should you get one, as the price of a pristine front end

Insights welcomed

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I had the "no front plate" trim installed on my e36 and drove it for 50k miles in Wisconsin and never got stopped for it once.  On my current beater e36 I screwed it right to the bumper with self tapping screws to keep with the previous owners pattern of doing everything with self tappers.  

I would just run without it and the first offense is likely just a "fix it".  If there is no holes in the bumper you can claim stupid "there was nowhere to put it so I didn't know what to do"

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Thanks guys! The goal with this car is ideally to avoid the ??? DIY where possible, already been removing some of the existing self-tapping screw work. I'll also hold the "claim stupid" defense in reserve...for when I really do stupid.

OEM plate holder ordered, this time the right one. 

If anyone has used up their "claim stupid" for the year, has a LEO that hates them, or just wants their e46 to be legal pretty I've got a nonZHP/M-tech II plate holder (51117030593) listed for sale.   

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