I just bought a 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible (the second I have owned). My state, Connecticut, requires two plates, but I cannot find a mounting point or bracket. Do I just drill holes into front bumper? Where, In Center or to one side or other? Do I need to buy a Mazda bracket?

This may be dumb question, but car is practically new (less than 20K original miles), and looks it, and I don't want to mess it up.

Thanx for any ideas.

 

It's supposed to have that L shaped thingy where you can put the licence plate.
Mine came with it but I removed it!

 

It has a bracket that bolts to the underside of the front bumper area. Good luck finding one- I suggest a junkyard.

Brad

 

Thanx, folks. I'll find bracket somewhere, I just could not remember it from my first Rex convertible.

 

call and ask your options. there should be no need to drill ur car. they have no right to tell you to damage ur car just to put a plate on.

just tell em ur car didnt come with the capability of front plate mounting and see what they say.

 

I got a bracket... how much you willing to pay for it???

 

Just go to a hardware store and get some brackets and bend them to fit. My state, Virginia, requires two plates also. I turned my front bracket upside down so the plate hangs below the bumper and tilted in at the bottom. It looks much better than being bumper height.

 

do the cops really care?
I think it's required here too, but almost no one has them on.

 

put it in the front window ont he passenger side.

in ohio you can get a special form filled out and have your car inspected and they can give you a special authorization that doesnt require you to have a front plate. these are for special vehicles that need maximum cooling, etc etc...

-scott

 

Cop: I pulled you over because you don't have a front plate.

Me: My car didn't come with a bracket for one.

Cop: I don't care, you have to have one. Here's your ticket.

Me. *inaudible grumbles*

That didn't work out so well for me.

 

Jersey same way. Front plate or ticket!!

 

hehe, yeah the law is the same down here, but look out at the those new fords trucks 1 out of 3 down here don't have a front plate......I just put mine on tha passenger part of the windshield

 

I just keep mine under the seat. When I get pulled over I just tell them I have it, I just dont have the bracket to mount it. You could also use hinges and a spring, so the plate moves back and up when you speed up.

 

your supposed to have bolts sticking out from under neath if you go to the mazda dealership i paid 16$per bolt Can \anadien and about 30 for the l shaped bracket althought i bought this about 6 month ago i still havent put it on and the cops have never bothered me

 

Wow.. Mentor. I didn't know we could do that in Ohio. Ima have to get one of those exemptions.. maybe get an EGT and show them the temperatures it runs at, and they'll be like YEAH you need a lot of cooling!!!

 

I wish it was that easy in Ontario.... maybe they'd let me take off my rear plate too... for maximum, uhmm... cooling, or something.... lol...

 

Are you sure that CT requires the front plate? I wasn't aware of that. I used to live there for like 20 years. Is it a new law or something? I know MD does (been yanked 3 times in the past 3 months cause of it). I refuse to put a front plate on my car and mess up the beautiful lines...it's only $50 and no points on the license. F the police!

 

I live in Mass i have the same problem
What i did though dident require any ugly driling or bolts i simply put the license plate in the front window inside my car. Havent had any problems wit the po pos yet-

 

LOL

I've been running the Bonneville for over a year without a front plate - damn thing fell off in a car wash in TN last June. It's still in my trunk

The front plate came of the RX about the 3rd day I owned it and sat in the basement for about 8 months. I put it in the windshield on the way to an autocross in June- good thing I did as it was radar alley going up to Mosport. I've been nose to nose almost with cops doing speed traps and never had a problem.

Although I'm leaving it the window for the rest of the radar seas...erm summer.

 

That's funny that this thread came up. I just got pulled over last night by a cop for not having a front lisence plate. It was 1 am and I was coming home from a friend's house in town, goin' real slow taking it easy. Cop across the street sees me turn, and follows. pulls me over, and comes up and says I pulled you over for not having a front plate and I act like "oh...!!! That's right....!!"
cop: is there a reason for that?

me: yeah, I just got it back from the shop recently and haven't put it on, I have it with me here in the car"

cop: you have it with you?

me: yeah, it's right here behind my seat
(it really is back there in the bin)

so he checks my lisence, I ask if he wants my registration, he takes it, checks it out, comes back and says just put it up in your wind shield if you don't mount it on the front of your car. and I said okay, will do. He says have a nice night, and I say you do the same. that was it. It really pays to be polite people. That's the biggest thing. If you're nice to them, they're nice to you. Not to mention my record is clean. That's the first time I've ever been pulled over for it though. And I've had my car for like... well, a couple of months now.

what makes it even worse is I actually HAVE a bracket, but I hate how it looks on the car, so I don't put it on.

-Kanaida

 

I keep mine on my daily driver...

sometimes I have 4 or 5 beers at the GF's house and drive home later. I am by NO means drunk ... and I live 2 miles away on a 30 mph speed limit road so its nothing dangerous ..

But how pissied would I be if I got pulled over for a front plate and ended up with a DUI for blowing a .08

 

My father likes to say the same thing: "I'm fine. I can drive." There's no way in hell I'm going anywhere near a car he's driving after even just a couple of drinks. He feels great, but stumbles while he walks. For the sake of your car, please rethink that attitude. I'm sure you feel fine, and haven't had any trouble, but how will your reactions be in an emergency situation (ricer coming toward you in your lane). It may be his fault, but you're not going to able to react properly, and you'll get dinged for it.

 

i've just recently seen two cars, one parked near my girlfriends house, another driving, that had normal maryland tags on the back, but had real-looking, metal, euro-style tags on the front with the same number. does anyone know if they're legal or where to get them?

 

I never said it was bright, nor do I condone drinking and driving at all. But it’s a poor choice that I sometimes make, I don’t even know if I am over the legal limit (California has got a low limit of I think .08)… I mean I am 6’ 4” ~215 Lbs. I have 4-6 beers in a matter of a couple or three Hrs. But I will be damned if I am going to give of my god given right to a cold beer or 6 when I am watching a ball game after work. I have played softball after 12 beers I think I can drive 2 miles at 30 MPH after 4 or 5 … over a 2-3 Hr span.