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Front License Plate

JohnnyC

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 5, 2002
Messages
262
Location
NJ
Corvette
1996 Black Coupe - LT4
I am sorry for this really stupid question, but how do you remove the front platic "Corvette" thing that the front license plate in the bumper goes in.

I saw some Torx screws on the bottom, but couldn't find anything in the owners manual or repair books I have. I couldn't initally see how it comes off... and I don't want to break anything.

The reason: NJ requires two plates, and I got pulled over last week for not having one in the front. No ticket, but the office said I needed one. It's been this way for a year. It looks retarded with the plate in the front, but better than a fine or ticket.

Thanks,
John
 
I will pay the fine if I ever get one........I refuse to use a front plate. However, if you want to remove the cover and put a plate in, it has torx screws at the top and bottom, kinda hidden behind the cover. Just push your finger in on the top and bottom (at different times) to wedge yourself some room to get a tool in there and unscrew them (you could use your roof tool, if its the same size.....I'm not sure)
 
In 96, they wanted to make everything difficult......torx screws everywhere.
 
JBolanowski, check your traffic law books. Maryland has the same law requiring a front plate, but I did some further research after getting pulled over (also no fine) and if I read it correctly you're only required to display a plate visible from the back and visible from the front, that cannot swing, must be horizontal, and not obscured (ie, all letters/numbers legible). There are no rules regarding how far above the road the plate must be, where it must be located (only "in front" and "in back"), nor what it must be attached with. I have mine sitting in the front window and will attach it with Velcro or something. Or I saw a neat Ricer thing - a license plate frame with suction cups that attaches to the inside front window and dashboard.

[RICHR]
 
rrubel-

Your plate in the front window? I'd hate to have to stare at that all the time! Wouldn't that look kinda" yahooish? :)

Why doesn't some black market dude invent a James Bondish plate swivel. See a cop, swivel from "Corvette" to "Plate". Cop goes away = back to basics.

Ted
 
compyelc4 said:
rrubel-

Your plate in the front window? I'd hate to have to stare at that all the time! Wouldn't that look kinda" yahooish? :)

Why doesn't some black market dude invent a James Bondish plate swivel. See a cop, swivel from "Corvette" to "Plate". Cop goes away = back to basics.

Ted

Hmmm, I see a money making opportunity for someone here!:L

I don't like the front plate look, but I have one anyways to keep the police away.
 
My plate's off in the far lower corner of the passenger side dash - you can't really see it unless you're looking from the inside, but it's visible from the outside. IMHO, that covers the law...
[RICHR]
 
Maryland sucks...I need to rant

I work right next to the BWI airport. I got pulled over once within 1/2 mi of work for the not displaying the plate. And he gave me the fine.

This cop was looking for a handout. Can you say "Revenue?" Our taxes are not HIGH enough. More taxes, poorer service (ok, that really can't be done),I need it, I want it, I've got to have it,
tax me, tax me, ticket, ticket!

I see the same transit authority cops there again and again giving out tickets, late in the month. They are new and agressive.

The worst part is, I put the damn painted "Corvette" tag in back of the passenger seat. Then, when I had a tall passenger and he adjusted the seat...

CRUNCH!!

I hate Maryland. Everybody here thinks it's so great because he have the Orioles and we finally have a football team. There's virtually no industry because the taxes and living expenses are so high, why come here?

So they tax residents more and give it all to the schools (not the roads), whose teachers spend 60% of their time punishing instead of teaching.
 
SothPaw... Cops are a completely different posting ;)

Sorry to hear about your work area. The cops have nothing really to do, I think they are actually afraid of crime. I once got a pre-Corvette ticket for going thru a yellow light (kinda turned red) and he gave me a speeding ticket to boot. If we went two blocks down... drug dealers, prostitutes and gang members. Not a neighborhood I wanted to be sitting at a red light at midnight. I know where, everyone ones where they are... but instead of busting some heads, pulling over innocent Corvette drivers for not having a front license plate. Makes no sense.

I know the cop that pulled me over, went OUT OF HIS WAY to get behind me and flash his lights.

I really like the rotating front license plate idea.

I would think the license plate looks worse in the window than in the bumper?

Anyways, I am going to the auto store today to get big screws to attach my front license plate.

John
 
rrubel said:
you're only required to display a plate visible from the back and visible from the front, that cannot swing, must be horizontal, and not obscured (ie, all letters/numbers legible). There are no rules regarding how far above the road the plate must be, where it must be located (only "in front" and "in back"), nor what it must be attached with. I have mine sitting in the front window and will attach it with Velcro or something. Or I saw a neat Ricer thing - a license plate frame with suction cups that attaches to the inside front window and dashboard.
I don't know, to me a plate on the dash or in the windshield would look much worse that one in the designed place on the bumper. The windshield is just a bit too Bubba for me.

tom...
 
In Finland you are also required to have both front and rear license plates. In my '84, the plate is attached to the front spoiler as in the red coupe in picture http://www.corvettefinland.com/ccof/kuvat/kuvat6/pages/tre06.htm (well, you can barely see a little bit of the license plate under the front bumber, but you know what I mean....).
It seems that this is very common location for the front license plate for Corvettes in Finland.
 
Front license Plate

I removed the plate on my '85 and installed the license plate. Like the others said, couple of torx screws underneath. Not much of a job. But it aggravated me to have to do it. I notice most Corvettes in Oregon have no front license plate. But my son in law told me that a cop told him it was a $500.00 fine if you get caught withoiut one. I don't want to test it. :) But I agree that a front license plate on a Vette looks dorky. But if I have to have one I prefer it being where it belongs.
I had a Fiero several cars back and the front plate hung from hinges undereath the front spoiler. That worked okay but it took a lot of hits. The Fiero is no higher then the Vette.

.........
 
Front License Plate Cover

I bought a '92 white vette this year that already had the license plate cover removed. Only need one plate in Michigan, so, if anyone wants to get rid of their cover (and if it's white), I'd be interested!

Thanks ;help
 
The plate on the dash looks fine to me (obviously...). I have the whole red bumper with no break in it, and the plate really isn't that different from having a book or map or CD on the dash. I'll snap a picture or something later. It's a bit ricer (lots of locals with body kits don't have places for plates) but WTH.

What annoys me about the cop who pulled me over - she was behind me the whole time. If she hadn't seen the plate reflected in the front window (my complying with the law) she'd never have known it wasn't there.

[RICHR]
 
Looks "ok"

Hi all,

I put the license plate on in the front and it didn't look as bad as I feared. The NJ plate colors are black letters on yellow background, my Corvette is black so doesn't look too bad.

I perfered the "seamless" look with the plastic piece in there, but I gotta do, what I gotta do, what I gotta do.

John
 
Re: Looks "ok"

jbolanowski said:
I perfered the "seamless" look with the plastic piece in there, but I gotta do, what I gotta do, what I gotta do.
John,
They make a clear cover that helps to maintain the flow of the bumper lines. I have it on my '90 and think that it does help.

tom...
 
After 8 years of driving a C4 in Texas, without the mandatory front plate, I've had no problems.
Acquaintance of mine, and a Corvette owner, several years ago told me that all he did was to carry the front plate with him. Cops here just want to know that you haven't put the front plate on another car! So he shows them he HAS the front plate, and they let him go.
I've never even gotten a second look, though, and it seems few Corvettes around here have front plates.

Y'all have GOT to escape those fascist Eastern dictatorships!
- R
 
I never even considered placing my other license plate on another car. I guess that's just how innocent my mind works. I did always carry the other plate behind my seat, just in case. But the cop that pulled me over just drove next to me and said I needed one in the front.

I looked up the info and fines are $500 (like boblx2a said). I was more than happy to pay $2 to get screws from the auto store. Thats $500 I could use for gas anyways

I have seen alot of C4-C5's driving arround without the front plate now. I never really noticed before.

John
 
Well, a friend of mine here in TX. actually got a ticket for not having his front plate mounted on his C5.

My car had the CORVETTE cover missing when I bought it, so I just put my TX plate on.

But what's retarded....
I had to trim it so that it would fit!
:bang


C V Man
 
C V Man said:
Well, a friend of mine here in TX. actually got a ticket for not having his front plate mounted on his C5.

<snip>

C V Man

Maybe that's the big city:small town difference. Like I said, I never get a second look, but that could be the difference from living an hour north of you.
- R
 

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