Traditional Licence plate frames/surrounds.

Due to our over regulating government it means that I will have to put my front licence plate back on. I have never run a front plate and just thought that I would take the $50 fine if I got pulled over.

However , since we now have speed cameras that take photos of the front of the car, and also for the toll roads the government has changed the laws that its now a $150 fine and 3 points loss from your licence ( you only get 12 and it takes 3 years to get lost ones back).

so now Im stuck with having to try to make it look respectable. I have just added a socal headlight bar , the SS one that looks like the 40's style cut up headlight bar that crosses infront of the radiator.

I was looking at this last night and wondering what I could do. then I remembered seeing in Don Montgomerys books that guys with these headlight bar arrangements use to run frames with the plates in them hanging from the bar.

So... I was wondering if anyone knew of a place to get old licence plate frames from? something 40's-50's looking. Alot of people here run the plate off the spreader bar at the front, but I have a V'd bar so I cant use the original 32 set up.

anyone got any ideas? I just did a quick search on ebay but didnt find much at all.


this is what it looks like at the moment. I have just tied it to the grille until I sorted out something better that I can live with. I originally tried to making some brackets to mount off the spreader bar, but didnt like the look. I am happy to run it off the headlight bar, but dont want just the plate alone , it needs something surrounding it to finish it off.

thanks.

 

Mount it behind the grill insert.

 

that also results in a $150 fine for obstruction!

that would otherwise have been my first choice, but a guy in my club got busted for that.

 

Jeez, it's a shame to have to add that to your wonderfully simple front end. Especially since you've added the curved headlight bar, and the straight-edged plate competes with that.

I always kinda liked the ***ymetrical location of the front plate on '40 Fords -- mounted from the bumper, below the right headlight (and, of course, the rear plate location on top of the left taillight on many prewar Fords). Could you rig a mount on top of the frame rail but below the right headlight? Might be less obtrusive than a centered location.

 

try speedway, they do a plain chrome surround, dont know if your plates are the same size as the US plate though.. your government is getting a s bad as the UK government .. and to think i wanted to go to OZ to escape the petty politics of the UK..

 

least you escape the weather!

 

I've got the original rusted and dented spreader bar complete with the original licence plate holder that goes with MY ch***is that you've got under your car. You could replace that piece of stainless bling out front with something more original.
****-stirring aside I do have a brand new chrome plate surround that I bought back from the US many years ago. You still have the problem that our plates don't fit without a cut and shut!

 

Thanks Dad,

Might come up on the weekend and have a look. got to come up with something so it doesnt look ugly.

 

Can you louver it??

 

Current location is not good cos it's restricting airflow thru the radiator and you've got a big hunk of heat generating aluminium stuck on top of your "sidevalve"

Mounting it on your headlite bar would have the same problem. You need to mount it down low out of the airflow and clear of your indicators.
Maybe 50 Fraud's idea, below one headlite and mount your indicator off the plate- would definitely be different.

 

Just a thought:How about making a louvered cover plate to go between the rails (maybe even bare aluminum)and affixing the plate to that.Is there anything in the regs that say the plate has to be mounted vertically?

 

I can't imagine a cop pulling that car over other than to compliment you on it. Don't you have any meth labs or CEO's with their fingers in the employees pensions for the law to go after?

 

lay it down in front of the rad behind the spreader bar..it will act as a spoiler

 

I'd get a nice US one, and do a section job on the plate?
Even an original white on black colourscheme plate would show up less against the black insert?

The slimline plates are pretty modern looking...how about the euro plates...do they do a mini?

Congrats on getting her all together corey!

Cheers

MAIKI

 

Hey still havent got around to staining the trim above the seat!

Still offering....just stained another two rooms (floor) 2 weekends ago!

=]

 

Corey perhaps look at what Carps did. He got a plate for a Bike Rack and has placed it on the RH side of his car off his front bar. Perhaps on yours putting it under one of the lights might be ok, they are nice and small and I guess legal if Vicroads issue them..... Definitely less obtrussive.

 

tried that, didnt like the look and the police could claim lack of visability

 

had thought about that one will look into it, but the full size one really suits the time frame better. I wonder on the legality, it wouldnt be unlike vicroads to have some clause that only when bikes are fitted to the car...

 

the wife did redo it, but its not dark enough for my liking. will catch up with you soon...

 

Just a thought but what are they going to do with motorsikles, get the riders to fit a plate braket to there helmets? Nip down the nick and have a blether with the chief of the traffic dept.. tell him how few of you there are and seek some slack.. write to him first though so they dont bust yah on the way from the office..

 

Corey, if you get a nice american surround you could get someone like Phil Berry, sign writer in Ballarat, to paint a number plate up for you.
I know a bloke here who supplies him with aluminium cut to the right size to suit the american cars that he registers here and Phil paints the new rego numbers on them.

Binga

 

Corey I just found this surround..I don't know if this is what you were looking for?



Binga

 

I'm not 100% sure but I think according to Vicroads you can run a plate that is a replica of the original (eg, colours). I will have a chat with Jason as he is running an American Frame and home made plate (Vinyl stickers on black) but original on the back.

 

Limeworks do a couple of vintage style surrounds. Call them on 001 562 698 1227 and I'm sure they'll tell you the measurements.

http://www.limeworksspeedshop.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=detail&id=347728&product=5

 

The front plate blues is true in Finland too and I suppose in most countries...
But when one conciders the amount of energy it takes to build and to register a hot rod due all the red tape at least here I´m proud of my plates and not so shy to show them.. although they are ugly. I prefer the forties cal type round corner frames in back. In front I think they make the car look heavier and just put it below the spreader bar.... Real cool ride you´ve got Flatoz !

 

Dude you know I my *** busted for the same deal so I had to mount mine like this. I just laid it back so its less obvious and hey, maybe the cams won't pick it up at this severe angle lmao !!

I really didint want to mount it on the spreader bar nor did i want to piut it behind the insert.....kills the lines of the insert IMO.

In fact the plate anywhere on the front looks like **** IMO but what do you do mate?

Pic....

S***bags.....

Rat

 

I like the old Ford accesory style. Being expandable makes them cool for me. I think they may be repoping them now.



I really liked this one. My guess is 40s.

If I were forced to run one, I'd be checking industrial hardware suppliers for some kind of very small quick disconnect fitting. Maybe a pair of small spring loaded recievers with the male pieces attached to the tag. Something similar to an air hose fitting. Snap the tag on, drive to the show and pop it off at the show. If small enough, you should be able to hide them. I have my rear tag mounted to a used car demo tag magnet for the same purpose. Fake tags displayed at the show...legal ones on the road. Not such a grand idea for a painted hot rod like yours but you get the point.

 

Thanks all, those lime works ones might do the trick, simple but effective. Tommy, I do like your aftermaket ones some cool old holders there.

Binga,

stop showing off!

 

If you can't find anything that works, i've got a few old ones here.

I've got one of those Ford accessory ones, and a similar one that's a bit more ornate, both expand out to be friggin' huge.

Plus a plain one like Limeworks sells and a 3 piece one with a plastic shield on it and a spring loaded backing plate, which were popular on 60's show cars.

Pretty gay that they're making you run front plates. We're supposed to also here in Wisconsin but I don't on anything nice and they dont' h***le me. Plates look OK on cars that were designed to have one (lots of 60's cars have front bumpers that were indented in the middle to take a plate) but some cars were designed to run without them and look so much nicer that way.

 

Corey, just a thought mate.

The Yank plate frames wont fit the p;ates you have. Being that u have a 6 letter plate, you prob wont be able to trim enough off the ends of the plates to enable them to fit the frames.

Mine were 5 leeter, and I trimmed them and they just fit. Youll most likely be cutting into the letters / numbers at either end of the plate.

Rat