Front number plate placement

[Cobra.au]

Hi guy's
I am looking for some ideas for the best spot to put my front number plate and not take away from the classic cobra lines.

If you have any pics on were you have mounted yours please post it.

Thanks
Craig W

[Bluesman]

I keep mine in the trunk with two plastic ties. I guess if pushing came to shove, I could be required to attach it to the front bumper. I have been pulled over more than once by the law. They never made a issue out of not having the front plate on the car.

[Len Hurlburt]

Hey Craig - I'm with Bluesman. I keep the front plate in the trunk (just in case). I'm from a state that requires a front plate but I haven't been bothered (yet). Len

[cobracrazy]

I live in Washington State. They require a front tag, no exeptions. I've been stopped 3 times since building the car and no one has even mentioned my lack of a front plate.

I figure it isn't a 'moving violation' so it won't increase my insurance rates. I have both plates sandwitched in the back so I dont loose the second plate. The cost of a ticket ($75) is cheaper than building a good looking bracket that I'd hate anyway.

[bnewell]

my license plate bracket attaches to the quick jack and turn signal. No drilling required and is easily removed.

Brian

[DavidWard]

I put it here. I don't see any difference at all in the cooling.

[Bryan Wilson]

Craig,
I have mine front and center and there is no effect on cooling even on our hottest summer day.
Cheers,
Bryan

[BANDIT 1]

Kansas doesn't require front plates, but Missouri does. I know several people with various musclecars (including Cobra's) that have not had any trouble with only having the rear license plate (in Missouri).

I would NEVER put a front plate on a Cobra. If I did get a ticket, I would pay for it and still not put the front plate on. If you had to, just have it in your trunk and tell the officer you took it off for a Car Show.

[rms427]

The original steet cars like mine have a spring loaded license plate bracket that attaches to the lower portion of the bumper hoop. It folds down as you drive and pops up when you stop. I have been stopped numerous times for a lack of a license plate while driving by police but have never been given a ticket.

While driving on our honeymoon (1970) we were stopped twice. We drove about 1400 miles from Southern California to Northern California and back. The first time the officer stopped us and saw the license plate up, after we stopped, he apologized and let us go. My wife started to tell him what happened and I just told her to keep quite. The second time the fellow watched us drive by and followed us for 20 miles to see if we would speed. He kept ducking behind trucks. He then drove past us and looked in his rear view mirror to make sure that there wasn't a front license. He pulled behind us and put on the lights. I was a bit pissed that he followed us for 20 minutes and to make sure the license would flip back up I jumped on the brakes. To avoid us he drove off the road. He was mad about going into the ditch and asked me where my front plate was. I told him it was right up front. When he looked there it was. He kicked it and it folded back against the spring. He asked if I thought I was being funny and I told him that's the way the car came from the factory (true) and he then told me since he was such a nice guy he was going to let me go. Ya, right.

[REDSC400]

My vote and actions are with the vast majority.... we just do not display the front plate. If you are nervous about this, keep it in the trunk with some visage of a "broken" hanger to use as an excuse. Frankly, I have driven about 11 years now with 3 cars in the family, each of them having no front marker (as their lines look better without the marker). None of us have had one single incident with those single rear plated cars to date.

Many of the original Cobras had an ingenious flat spring loaded area in the lower center front hoop bumper. The marker was attached to that. The gizmo allows the wind resistance of the marker to push the marker backwards and lay flat at speed. When you slow down, the spring makes the marker stand back up erect.

Unless, your car was supplied with one of those devices, I would NEVER go to that length for tag afixing, personally. Just leave it off. Virtually all police officers I have run into are thrilled with the Cobra, and have shown both interest and respect for the time and effort and appearance of the car. Couple that with the fact that I look the "mature" role and you get a pass every time. However, if you do crazy stuff with the car on city streets, or you look like a punk, I would think, all bets are off. Perception has alot to do with things.

My vote is to stow the front tag.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Hi,
After 35 years of driviing it is just plain easier to have a front license plate,it's the law here and Cops leave you alone. Also when I go through the border they can put your plate in the computer as you drive up and don't hassle you.
Perry.

[flipper35]

I was only asked once because the officer was visiting the house next to my friends house. He walked by and asked where the front plate was. I told him the bracket was backordered. Haven't been bothered since. I have had them follow me to work and talk to me about the car and none have said anything about the front plate missing.

[SPEEDEAMON]

I mounted it on my lower bumper. It is just lying flat and is not spring loaded. I figure if I get stopped, I will prop it up and tell 'em the vibration must have loosened the screws. Its better to have it than not. Yet, many law enforcement officers have seen my car including at a LAPD sponsored car show and they nevre questioned it.

[rdorman]

It is required here but I never run with it on. If I had to I would run it angled back inside the snout with the spring loaded setup. Fortuniatly ohio is looking at stopping the front license plate from being maditory. Besides, on out cars what good is it? Not as if you can mistake one for another cobra since you are probably the only one on the road!
Rick

[Al Bockman]

Front plates are required in Colorado but I keep mine in the trunk. I have a couple of spring clamps so I could attach it if I had to. I figure I'd take the ticket and could avoid being impounded if I at least had the plate with me.

I heard that Colorado was going to do away with front plates. The Governor was going to sign the legislation when driver in a fatal hit and run left his front plate at the scene. Gov said he couldn't sign it because of that.

I wonder why Colorado wants two plates on a vehicle when they only issue one temporary tag, usually taped in the very tinted back window of an SUV.

Al Bockman

[clayfoushee]

Click on the picture next to my name there's a picture of mine with vintage MD plates. They're strict about front plates here. Michael Everson makes a very nice inexpensive bracket that fits under the parking lamp assembly and is a 5 minute installation. Send me an e-mail, and I'll give you an address if you're interested.

[nanard289]

Hi Craig,
As you can see, there are many solutions. Here below is a new one. Don't smile, I have spend half day to find a solution and to made the supports (see sketch here attached). However, it is a cheap solution. You just need a piece of aluminum sheet (.08" thickness), a hammer and some rivets.
Happy new year and best wishes for your project.
Bernard

[nanard289]

Hi Craig (continuation)
Here the picture of the number plate

[mike geddes]

Like Perry in BC, Canada. here in Ontario Canada we also have to run with 2 plates.
And as Perry notes, and I'm in a similar position, living on the Canada/USA border....both the US and Canada Customs./ Immigration personnel need to see that front plate to log you into the 'big machine'.
When I'm in the States for any length of time....days...I remove the front plate....for cooling.
One of these days I'm going to buy one of those spiffy electric plate rotators that I've seen advertised in 'Street Rodder' magazine.
Those old Rodders seem to have a gizmo for everything.
My plate is presently mounted over the oil cooler opening on the 427......don't need to much oil cooling here in Canada.....only got it up to 142 degrees one time......it was then that I realised the oil temp gauge actually worked.
Mike

[Michael C Henry]

In the past I've read about plate brackets that were vacume operated.they used the vacume motors found on oem air cleaners. I used to have a 56 Bristle I made a hinged and sprung plate holder that layed down at speed. Iowa 1971 era. I now have a EM in Washington .My plate lays flat attached to oil cooler duct in nose.
Remember when the originals were done front plates were used so parking meter maids didn't have to walk around to rear. They have photo radar and the like now.They tried Photo radar and the red light stuff here . I twas a cash cow for Lakewood for a while. When the grants ran out and some of the tickets were reversed they abandoned it all.I think the only time that front plates are an issue is when they are using photo ticketing. It allways revolves around money.Cobras arenot beaters and anybody driving one is likely to pay a ticket,cha-ching.