License plates
 

Just got my new RX-8 in black and I live in NH where we HAVE to have a front plate. Anyone got any tricks or ideas of what I can do to avoid covering my front grill not to mention front plates are ugly!!!!

Thanks
Dan

Would an euro style plate (the thin but long ones, with your correct plate number of course) be legal? that might be an option, otherwise, offsetting it to one side (which might block one of your oil coolers, and foglamps) or lowering it to the front of the rotary accent (which might not be legal since in some states the plate has to be a certin distance from the ground) might be other options... you could also have the car registered in a state that only requires a rear plate, like FL (they cannot force you to have a front plate if the state in which you are registered only gives you one plate) just a thought

I think several people on the RX-7 forum are getting away with just one plate.

I just dont get what 2 plates do for you. seems like a good waste of metal.

I live in wayne, NJ and how come I see tons of cars mostly sports cars that don't have license plates in the front and have the chrome symbol plates..... how do they get away with it?????

Here, in Illinois, we are required to have a front plate. I ran without one for all most 2 yrs. The dealer never installed the front bracket. I have come close to getting a ticket for not having one several times. I finally installed the bracket and the plate.

Do a search on the forum for the EVO plate mount DIY. It lets you mount the plate down low and off to one side. I've been running it for almost a year, no trouble and no air flow blockage.

If you can't find the DIY PM me for a photo.

I lowered my plate so it sits in the grill and put a tinted cover on it. It doesn't show up so much but it's still ugly.

Bob

Decide if the look is worth the fine. I have not installed mine, but that's only been 4 months. Congrats, and nice color choice.

Looks like a great suggestion to me.

living in Texas I have been advised not to do the wishful thing of removing the front plate more than once by local troopers. My INGS front end looks nice without the stupid plate in the way and I plan to devize a 12 volt plate mechanism that tucks the plate out of sight behind the front nose cone and deploy with the flick of a switch under rare occations when faced head to head with oncoming peace officers in pursuate for justice ....heh,heh, cool eh.. :Peace:

My solution
 

I cut down my plate a bit and attached it using a $3 plastic license frame

https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...id=82258&stc=1

and these fasteners. (they fit right in the stock holes and are nearly flush)

https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...id=82259&stc=1

(You need metal shears and a drill to do this).

Edit: Sorry the car is so dirty!

NY you need a front plate too and i tryed to get away with only one,(i lost the other one) but it didnt work for me, 65 dollar ticket. i then got me a new plate, i passed by Kmart and grabbed one of those frames that sit on the grill. and lived happily ever after...

that sound cool got any pics of it?

Here in Spain. the fine for not carrying any of the TWO license plates in their correct size is 150 euro. This is a photoshop impression of how my 8 will look once I figure out how to do it...

They're required in Virginia too, but I've gone a long while without one.

It helps if you get one of those plate covers in a "smoke" color. That way it's a little less obvious.

Isn't it worse for the car to have the plate in the lower part of the nose since that's where the air intakes into the AC condenser/radiator? The upper part of the grill is covered by black plastic anyway, so a plate would make no difference to airflow.

The best place is off to the side & lower. Like this DIY here: https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...=license+plate

It's the law in CT too.

I actually got flagged down off the highway by a state trooper when I hit my exit ramp. I thought someone radioed ahead to him about me speeding or something, but suprisingly it was for having no front plate. I only got a warning, but he told me "If I see you again without a front plate, I'll write you a ticket".

I've gotten my 8 since then, and the first thing I did was take off the front plate when I got it home. It makes the car look like a buck toothed rabbit.

I continue to drive without one.

I'm also in Illinois and I have never put front plates in any of my cars. I currently have a wrangler and my 8 with no front plates, never had any problems. I've been ticketed twice recently ( 1 in the RX and 1 in the jeep) for speeding but the trooper never even bothered checking my front plates.

NH Police aren't that bad. If you're over 30 I'd say keep it in the trunk and say your wife broke it off on a parking barrier if you do get stopped.

If you're under 30 you're more likely to get a ticket.

I also have a black 8 and hate the front plate but optted for the smoke plate cover someone else mentioned. I have them front and back. It's not that bad. At least your plate says "Live Free or Die" Instead of something lame like "10,000 lakes" "The Garden State" or the worst, "Great Potatoes. Tasty Destinations"


More importantly:

Did you buy your snow tires yet, I know it's 100 degrees out?
Did you get clear corners yet? Rotary accents?
Track tires? upgraded suspension?

There's a lot of irony in a required-or-we'll-fine-you front plate that says "Live Free or Die."

^Now ask if he can smoke in bars. :mdrmed:

My final .02 - if you can afford the gas this car guzzles, you can afford the $50-70 fine to have your 8 look much better. You will likely get a warning first time; worry about it after that.

I wish I could. In MA. you also get 2 points tacked on to give a nifty increase in your insurance. I pay enough to the state now. I'll live with the plate.

Bob

:evil_laug I love my corrupt little state. The consideration of ??points?? never even crosses my mind.

"Live free or die" should be replaced with "Hey idiot, do you actualy think you don't pay taxes? Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha"

Jokes aside, I'd love to go without the plate. I took it off when I detailed the car and it looked SOOOO much better. Unlike most cars, there is no evidence that it should even be there once its gone. I love that.