07-21-2018, 11:21 PM | #1 |
Major
1402
Rep 1,466
Posts |
Magnetic Front License Plate Mount
I've wanted to do this for a while...
Since moving to the US (California), I've never been a fan of front license plates. In my part of the state, you can pretty much get away with no front plate, but in San Francisco, you can get a ticket if you're parked. Down in Southern California I've also heard that the police will sometimes give you a ticket as well. My goal therefore, isn't to have a front plate without drilling holes, it's to have no front plate 95% of the time, and a very quick and easy to fit front plate for that 5% of the time that I might need it. I also want a solution that looks stock so that if I get a fix it ticket, I can show a cop, and they'll be easily satisfied. So with my first car in the US, I came up with a solution - Magnetic plate mount. My first car here was a 2012 Jaguar XF, I've also done my wife's 2016 Honda Pilot, which was by far the easiest, and now my M2. Details below: The basic plan is mount 4 or 5 rare earth magnets to the inside of the front bumper, and affix 5 corresponding rare earth magnets to the factory front license plate that match up. The biggest challenge is that you usually have to remove the front bumper to get the magnets in place. In my wife's Pilot that wasn't necessary, but it was in the M2: I really love how easily these cars come apart. The bumper came off very easily, but as you can see I put some masking tape around the areas where I thought I might be in danger of scratching adjacent panels. In actual fact it was so easy that the masking tape may not have been necessary, but better safe that sorry. One interesting thing I found under the bumper cover, was that the foam support is specific to the US model: This is because there are moulded indentations for the location of the screws that would be used to mount the factory front license plate. This was actually a bit of a relief for me, because sometimes the support foam is so close to the bumper cover that magnets installed there might cause the bumper cover to not fit correctly... no issues on the M2 though! As you'll see later, my plan was to use Loctite Plastic Epoxy to stick the magnets to the license plate frame, but to get the alignment correct and allow me to put my car back together while the epoxy sets, I used double sided foam tape temporarily: Using just two of the 5 magnets initially, I lined up the plate mount carefully. I found it easier to move the bumper cover away from the car a bit at this point, which required pulling some of the headlight washer piping out of its clips: Once aligned, I peeled off the release and stuck each magnet in place. Ignore the 3M tape on the back of the magnets, I actually used 3M high strength foam tape on the other side: Before putting the bumper cover back on, I put some spare magnets on the outside to keep pressure on the foam tape holding the internal magnets in place. This probably wasn't necessary, but I had some spare magnets so decided to do this while I put the bumper cover back on and glued up the plate mount: So here is the plate mount with magnets glued in the location of the 5 screws that would normally be used. The glue isn't pretty but it's very strong. I also put some rubber circles over the magnets to protect the paint when it's installed. I have PPF on the front bumper anyway, so again, probably not necessary, but I like to go the extra mile to be safe: And here is the end result, which should, of course, look factory!
__________________
2018 ///M2 LCI, LBB, 6MT...
Current Performance Mods: CSF FMIC, ER CP, Fabspeed Cat, Aquamist WMI, GFB DV+, NGK 97506, BM3 (Stage 2 93 OTS), CDV delete, UCP, M2C/M3/M4 Strut Brace, M3/M4 Reinforcement Rings |
07-21-2018, 11:29 PM | #2 |
Colonel
2349
Rep 2,828
Posts
Drives: E36M,E46M,E90M,X5M,i3,M2,i8
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SoCal. in the hood!!!
|
Wow to0o much work, how come you didnt buy a tow plate ?
__________________
BMW I12 i8 Frozen Yellow- H&R springs, 22" Radenergie F10 Monoblock Forged /// F87 M2 Aw -Vorsteiner Aero Kit, VFF-107,Macht Schnell-Springs,VF-Engineering/Hex tuning Stage Two,ER DP,Stock Exhaust,Drop-In Bmc Filter,AA Intercooler,FTP Charge pipe+boost pipe/// Wish list :Mexico delivery 2024 BMW M2 (G87) |
Appreciate
0
|
07-21-2018, 11:33 PM | #3 |
Major
1402
Rep 1,466
Posts |
Doesn't look stock, and I've seen a few on cars that are at odd angles etc.
If I was going to leave the plate on, then I'd probably do for a tow hook mount, but I wanted something stealth. Actually, to answer your question honestly... I love working on the car, and this was just another excuse to spend a few hours doing that. I'm happy with the end result of course, but the fun was in the doing!
__________________
2018 ///M2 LCI, LBB, 6MT...
Current Performance Mods: CSF FMIC, ER CP, Fabspeed Cat, Aquamist WMI, GFB DV+, NGK 97506, BM3 (Stage 2 93 OTS), CDV delete, UCP, M2C/M3/M4 Strut Brace, M3/M4 Reinforcement Rings |
Appreciate
0
|
07-22-2018, 12:18 AM | #4 |
Second Lieutenant
360
Rep 289
Posts |
Excellent job!
I'm in Los Angeles, and also don't want to get a front plate. I've gone without it so far (4 months), but at some point I'll get a Carbonio Front License Plate mount... they look great, and supposedly only take a few seconds to remove and reinstall, after the first setup! License plate can be mounted low or high, and no drilling required! Also, they're perfectly centered! |
Appreciate
0
|
07-24-2018, 12:14 AM | #5 |
I INDIC8
611
Rep 1,282
Posts
Drives: 2018 LBB M2, 6MT
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Cleveland, OH
|
Here's a Carbonio plate mount installed, in the upper orientation... It's super sturdy, and is pretty easy to remove or install at will.
__________________
2004 Matrix XRS 6MT => 2008 VW R32 DSG => 2012 Audi TTRS 6MT => 2018 BMW ///M2 6MT
I'm an IT guy by trade and tech nerd by choice. I like HPDEs, parts of US Hwy 129, NC 28, and the Cherohala Skyway. I'm also a fan of aural pleasure. |
Appreciate
0
|
07-24-2018, 12:24 AM | #6 | |
Major
859
Rep 1,148
Posts |
Quote:
Nice work, Nezil - looks great and worth the effort since you enjoyed doing it.
__________________
2018 M2: BSM, Exec, 6MT (ED on 10/5/17, re-delivery on 11/30/17) My BSM M2 European Delivery Story
2013 335i M-Sport sedan: BSM, 403M wheels, walnut trim, 6MT (gone) |
|
Appreciate
0
|
07-24-2018, 08:15 PM | #8 | |
Lieutenant
265
Rep 443
Posts |
Quote:
__________________
2018 F87 LCI gone but not forgotten
2021 G80 6MT BSM |
|
Appreciate
0
|
07-25-2018, 08:33 PM | #9 | |
I INDIC8
611
Rep 1,282
Posts
Drives: 2018 LBB M2, 6MT
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Cleveland, OH
|
Quote:
I personally don't like screwing around with removing a front bumper just to setup for the "magic plate," but I get it. My time is worth enough that the Carbonio mount was worth the cost not to mess around.
__________________
2004 Matrix XRS 6MT => 2008 VW R32 DSG => 2012 Audi TTRS 6MT => 2018 BMW ///M2 6MT
I'm an IT guy by trade and tech nerd by choice. I like HPDEs, parts of US Hwy 129, NC 28, and the Cherohala Skyway. I'm also a fan of aural pleasure. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
07-27-2018, 08:27 AM | #10 |
Lieutenant Colonel
683
Rep 1,608
Posts |
Front mounts like this look like they would block or at least deflect a not entirely insignificant amount of airflow. Anybody able to instrument this?
__________________
Boostm3
'18 LBB MT M2 Exec pkg, Moonroof, Production 7/6/17 |
Appreciate
0
|
07-27-2018, 10:01 AM | #11 | |
Major
1402
Rep 1,466
Posts |
Quote:
The stock FMIC is complete junk. In high ambient, timing is significantly pulled even on the stock map. The bodywork was designed for a European long thin plate rather than a square us style one. I'm sure these mounts do affect air flow, and therefore IATs and therefore timing and therefore power. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
07-27-2018, 10:13 AM | #12 | |
Lieutenant Colonel
683
Rep 1,608
Posts |
Quote:
__________________
Boostm3
'18 LBB MT M2 Exec pkg, Moonroof, Production 7/6/17 |
|
Appreciate
0
|
08-03-2018, 06:18 PM | #13 |
Colonel
1879
Rep 2,923
Posts |
Front plates are just ugly
__________________
Currently: '24 Mercedes G63 | '24 Porsche GT3 RS | '24 Volkswagen GTI
Previous BMWs: 340i, 740i, 745Li, M3, M4 Previous Others: Audi, Ducati, Honda, Infiniti, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen |
Appreciate
0
|
08-03-2018, 07:29 PM | #14 |
Second Lieutenant
225
Rep 243
Posts
Drives: 2018 MGM 6MT M2
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Rockville, Maryland
|
Nezil This is an interesting idea. I bought the Carbonio mount but don't really like it (happy to sell if someone wants it). Currently using a tow hook mount but don't like it all that much either.
Is your magnet mount strong enough to leave the tag on while running at speed? Now that you have had it for a while, any down side? TIA! |
Appreciate
0
|
08-04-2018, 08:24 PM | #15 | |
Major
1402
Rep 1,466
Posts |
Quote:
Since I did this, I've only gone to San Francisco once, and that time I parked in a private garage so didn't need it. My next door neighbour bought my last car, and has been driving around with the front plate held on with this magnet solution since he bought it from me nearly a year ago. I did show him that it was removable, but he decided to just leave it on. I think that's pretty convincing evidence that it works for driving as well. Just make sure you get rare Earth magnets, and you'll have no issues.
__________________
2018 ///M2 LCI, LBB, 6MT...
Current Performance Mods: CSF FMIC, ER CP, Fabspeed Cat, Aquamist WMI, GFB DV+, NGK 97506, BM3 (Stage 2 93 OTS), CDV delete, UCP, M2C/M3/M4 Strut Brace, M3/M4 Reinforcement Rings |
|
Appreciate
1
randyt224.50 |
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|