ddsmith

The car came from a state not requiring a front plate. I've notice several car pictures with the front plates which look like it is attached to the front bumper trim piece. Can someone tell me the stock mount for the front plate? I'm considering making a stainless steel bracket which bolts above the radiator air inlet and comes up in front of the bumper for mounting the plate. Has anyone fashioned a custom bracket for this purpose?

Don

Directfreak

iTrader: (2)

Mine came as a factory part. I promptly removed of course. If I still had I'd give it to you. Check with Mazda.

NOTA V6

My custom bracket is on my workbench in my garage.

mwpayne

I'd like to know how to put a plate on the front too. My kid got me a plate for fathers day that says "Dad's Rex".
All together now: AAAAAWWWWwwwwwwww!
I gotta install that quick, he keeps looking for it, but I don't want to drill holes in the front bumper.

Max7

I just zip tied mine on, no permenant damage.
http://max7.rx-7.org/images/Max7-SpringPix1.jpg

Manntis

Have one on my parts car - it's a factory piece that, sadly, puts holes in the bumper to mount.

GOt a new front clip for the GSL-SE after a head-on collission and told the body shop (with a wink) "Don't bother mounting the plate support bracket - I'll do that part myself".

No tickets for my unadulterated front bumper yet.

ddsmith

Thanks all for your replies. I decided that damaging the bumber was unacceptable. So I made a custom bracket from seamless stainless steel 1/2" tubing that was hammered flat. Then two pieces were formed into "L" shape. A cross piece was fashion from another piece of flatened tubing and the cross piece was welded to the two "L". This is then bolted up under the bumper using preexisting holes. All hardware is stainless so nothing will get ugly and the bumper is unmolested. I've seen several plates mounted down low but didn't want to interfer with air flow to radiator so this one centers the plate numbers on the center of the black bumper strip. Making stuff is cool because it gives me a chance to play with my toys(tools).

Don

ddsmith

Here is a picture from the bottom. I took one from the front but it is to dark outside to get a decent picture.

Manntis

An innovative solution.

Next time, though, buy flat metal stock instead of hammering a tube flat Save you some work.

Barwick

I'm pretty sure every car had to have some way to mount front plates.. you can buy mounting kits from like autozone or something.

85gs

For a mere $34 you can still get a brand new one from the Mazda dealer and mount into existing holes on the underside of the bumper. There is no reason to damage the bumper. They actually look alot like the one that someone fabricated in an earlier post.

WackyRotary

I got pulled over for not having mine on! It was a stupid $46 ticket. It is ilegal to not have it on in MN, but the thing that pisses me off is I didn't get pulled over for that in 5years of not having the front plate off! The other thing that pisses me off is that I got pulled over for speeding once and tint on seperate ocactions during the 5year period, and they didn't even care that I didn't have the front plate. Now I have it on, but I NEVER clean it and its got lots of bugs and crap on it. I'm not cleaning it for spite. Its all banged it all up too because I was enraged when I HAD to put it on.

NOTA V6

Dude, F 'em. Pay the $46 and call it a beauty tax.