When I purchased mine the bracket was already installed by the dealer. Front plates are required by law in Illinois but I hate the look, so I asked them to remove it. They told me that it was attached by rivets and that there would be large holes in the bumper. Does anyone know if it would be possible to remove it without damaging the bumper.

When I purchased mine the bracket was already installed by the dealer. Front plates are required by law in Illinois but I hate the look, so I asked them to remove it. They told me that it was attached by rivets and that there would be large holes in the bumper. Does anyone know if it would be possible to remove it without damaging the bumper.

I can't help you with this, but I was just thinking about this last night. I plan to tell them to keep it off when it comes in. Not sure if it'll work out but if not I plan to drill out the rivets and fill them with black hole fillers since the car is black anyway. I have had mine off my Vue redline since new in 2005 and even though it's a law here, I haven't had any issues.:bootyshake: The Vue's was just screwed into the plastic bumper so there are screw holes there but it's black so it's not too noticable...

I'll be watching this thread!

I say try drilling them out! You can always put it back on right?:confused:

Thanks, but I would rather let someone else screw up there bumper first. Someone on this board will be brave enough to try and post a how to.

When I purchased mine the bracket was already installed by the dealer. Front plates are required by law in Illinois but I hate the look, so I asked them to remove it. They told me that it was attached by rivets and that there would be large holes in the bumper. Does anyone know if it would be possible to remove it without damaging the bumper.

.I chose not to have front plates on my 888 no 192G8 gt magnetic grey.

.I chose not to have front plates on my 888 no 192G8 gt magnetic grey.

Does anyone know of a person who ever got a ticket (or even a warning) for not having front license plates in a state that requires them?

I am a cop, and yes it does happen but its mostly used as probable cause to stop a car for some other unrelated reason.

Does anyone know of a person who ever got a ticket (or even a warning) for not having front license plates in a state that requires them?

yep, here in Virginia. $60+ fine. I had the plate inside against the windshield.

yep, here in Virginia. $60+ fine. I had the plate inside against the windshield.

a buddy of mine is a medic and he said he arrived at a crash once and some guy had been decapitated because he had his plate in the same place.

Texas "requires" a front plate, however I have never put one on any car I have ever owned. The G8 front plate does rivet to the bumper. Requires 5 or 8mm holes for the rivets. The dealer that sold me my car did not put the front plate on my car.

I have only been stopped a couple of times for no front plate. usually late at night and it was, like GBCOP said, just a reason to see what i was doing.

D'Oh! I did not mean GBCOP, I meant Odog...been a long day...already.

Does anyone know of a person who ever got a ticket (or even a warning) for not having front license plates in a state that requires them?


My father has been pulled over for it. It was 4:00 am and he was going to exercise so the cop thought he was suspicious and pulled him over for it...

The cop said "it looks like you might have just got your car back from the body shop." Dad said... Yep! That's what happened too it... :patriot:

I'll probably just leave the plate there. I guess its better to have a front plate than 4 holes in the G8's handsome face. Thanks for the info.

I am a cop, and yes it does happen but its mostly used as probable cause to stop a car for some other unrelated reason.

Makes sense. But it seems rare. What would happen if you previously busted a guy for not having a front plate and he continued not to have it? Just another ticket? Perhaps that is the "extra" price for not having a front license plate if you ever get caught?

Of course, another solution is to simply get vanity plates that say "1st 888." Then you can make people jealous from the front and back of your car!

Here is some more discussion, plus a solution (if you have not drilled the holes in the front yet):
http://g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?t=978

Damn. You beat me to it. I was going to post the Solstice Forum site 'cause I forgot it was on here. Nifty solution though, if required. Thankfully, it's not in MI!

When I buy a new car, I will tell the dealer that if they install the front plate, I am not taking the car. It's a waste of money to have front plates. The state you live in would save so much money because they only need to produce 1 plate. Also, I heard from my police department in NJ, only reason they require front plates is because when cops use radar, it bounces of the license plate in the front better and quicker. I'll take the $60 ticket to keep my car looking like crap

I told them after buying mine that if they installed a plate in clean up the deal would be off.. the guy bolted to clean up to spread the word.. Nothing looks like trash than big holes in a fresh new car.

I am a cop, and yes it does happen but its mostly used as probable cause to stop a car for some other unrelated reason.

Where at? Your profile says Chicago....are you CPD?

South Suburbs of Chicago

When I buy a new car, I will tell the dealer that if they install the front plate, I am not taking the car. It's a waste of money to have front plates. The state you live in would save so much money because they only need to produce 1 plate. Also, I heard from my police department in NJ, only reason they require front plates is because when cops use radar, it bounces of the license plate in the front better and quicker. I'll take the $60 ticket to keep my car looking like crap

What if your dealer not only puts on a front license plate without asking you, but also drills holes so they can put their ugly dealer name logo on the back of the car?

a buddy of mine is a medic and he said he arrived at a crash once and some guy had been decapitated because he had his plate in the same place.

I have since mounted it on the front valance.

before
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v340/sharper8259/1998%20Dakota/DakotaFall032.jpg
after
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v340/sharper8259/1998%20Dakota/DakotaGrillConsole002.jpg

Here in Missouri, you'll get stopped very quickly w/o a front plate. Reason is because out here in the low rent district, many people own two old junker cars and license only one. Then they can run "split" plates, one on each car. It's one of the best PCs for stops we have.

I got an even better idea to get rid of my front plate. I will keep my fingers crossed that somehow somebody will produce a front end similar to the HSV (olly's avatar). After seing the GXP I am not very impressed with Pontiacs offering.

Damn!! It will leave holes! one of the perks of working at the dealer I made sure the mechanics did not install it!!!

http://xs125.xs.to/xs125/08125/g8momo4424.jpg (http://xs.to)

Already have aftermarket Rims?

wow that didnt take long. Do you know if you can order the GXP rims for the GT

There are several places where you can buy bumper plugs. Drilling out rivets is pretty easy. Start small and work your way up till it comes out easily.

Does anyone have pics of these "bumper plugs"?

Does anyone know of a person who ever got a ticket (or even a warning) for not having front license plates in a state that requires them?

In 1998 I got a ticket east bound on I-70 just on the other side of 270near the 71 exchange. I saw the fuzz in my rear view coming hard, I thought boy this guy wants someone weaving in and out of traffic in a manner that would make you think they were after a ten most wanted. Turn out to be me for my front plate, plus the guy was a prick and I had the plate in the car on the floor attached to the torn off bracket that happened just several days prior.

Sign the petition 6720 sigs so far.
http://www.petitiononline.com/ohplate/petition.html

Here is the link to the petition in TX:
http://www.petitiononline.com/txplate/petition.html

Does anyone have pics of these "bumper plugs"?

I know, it seems kinds weird. But, bumperplugs.com worked. LOL

http://www.bumperplugs.com/BPindex.html

I know, it seems kinds weird. But, bumperplugs.com worked. LOL

http://www.bumperplugs.com/BPindex.html

U may be my new best freind. That is a cool solution to my litle problem.

Has anyone placed their plate in the lower mesh grill yet?

What if your dealer not only puts on a front license plate without asking you, but also drills holes so they can put their ugly dealer name logo on the back of the car?

I will punch every sales men in the face and then burn down the dealership. I only thought they put a decal or sticker on the back trunk. Never knew they bolted something to your car. What dbags

Has anyone placed their plate in the lower mesh grill yet?That's my plan to take it off the dealer lot without the front plate bracket as they say it must leave the lot with it on in my state........could be bs though.

In 1998 I got a ticket east bound on I-70 just on the other side of 270near the 71 exchange. I saw the fuzz in my rear view coming hard, I thought boy this guy wants someone weaving in and out of traffic in a manner that would make you think they were after a ten most wanted. Turn out to be me for my front plate, plus the guy was a prick and I had the plate in the car on the floor attached to the torn off bracket that happened just several days prior.

Sign the petition 6720 sigs so far.
http://www.petitiononline.com/ohplate/petition.html

Is there one of those petitions for New Jersey?

I know, it seems kinds weird. But, bumperplugs.com worked. LOL

http://www.bumperplugs.com/BPindex.html

Ok I ordered a set.

Did you get your color, or do you need to paint them?

They have a similar color that should be a match. Titanium Silver metalic (BMW).

My bumper plugs were delivered, but they were not a color match. They were a very light shade of silver. I will be sending them back and trying to find a better match.

Does anyone know if there is a place for a tow hook up front? Often it's possible to fashion a licence plate bracket that screws into the hole, leaving the body unmolested. The tow hook hole is usually behind a tiny circular cut-out, maybe in the grill or above it slightly. I refused to run a front plate here in VA myself, risking the ticket. Even getting pulled over for speeding, it wasn't caught or tacked on.

Does anyone know of a person who ever got a ticket (or even a warning) for not having front license plates in a state that requires them?

Yes, in Ohio.

Way back in when I was in high school I didn't have a front plate on my pickup. My mom borrowed the truck to go the greenhouse. She was given a ticket. It turns out she was speeding but the LEO gave her a fixit ticket for the plate instead of the speed.

My Wife's 02 Grand Am GT has been without a front plate since new, still in Ohio never had an issue.

My Gt had the plate frame inside the glove box.I was told by my salesman it's only installed by request of the customer only. I'm thinking about it so I can put my Stainless "Pontiac Performance" plate on it that was donated by my departed 2005 GXP.

After further contemplation, I have two more ideas about how to install the front plate, "pain free" (ie: no holes).

One thing I thought of is velcro (the industrial strength kind). It comes in black, white and gray. While it does involve sticking something sticky to the paint, it would be better than drilling holes. Plus, if I use black (my G8 is black) I can remove the plate and the remaining velco would be relatively unnoticed.

My other idea was to use the factory supplied front plate bracket and mount magnets to it. I would then mount magnets at the corresponding locations on the backside of the bumper cover. I will assess access this weekend. I know that there are a variety of magnets available. Anyone know of a good source?

Any thoughts or other ideas? I like the magnet idea the best as it would be totally undetectable with the plate removed.

I was thinking of mounting it on the driver's side lower grill. I held the bracket down there upside-down it looked a little better than the stock (IMO of course). I'm not incredibly confident that it will hold well there. I figured I could fabricated something for the back side in-between the bracket and the grill to spread the load over the entire grill or I suspect that zip ties would work too, but I'm afraid of the long terms effects.

I don’t want to drill into my bumper, but I also don’t want to rip out the lower grill too.

One other idea that me and some of my co-workers thought about is making a mounting bracket out of metal tubing or the like that passes through the lower grille and attaches to the bumper support structure inside. I will take a look this weekend. This would eliminate the possible accidental plate loss possible with magnets and velcro.

hate the front bumper with a plate on mine. I plan to remove the dealer-installed front plate clip and buy one of those hide-away brackets.

We need a solution like this for the G8s:

http://www.slponline.com/view_product.asp?P=59300

We need a solution like this for the G8s:
http://www.slponline.com/view_product.asp?P=59300

That is similar to what I had in mind, although the routing will have to be different for the G8. $165 for a little bit of bent up steel is pretty high. I guess they figure Vette owners will pay for it.

Youch! How many tickets would it take to come up with the $165 plus shipping?

I ran without a front license plate on my GTO for 2 years with no trouble. The G8 has a nice spot with the lower grill. I'm excited to see what Kaiser can come up with. :)

Kaiser - we wish you lots of luck on your design

No luck at this point. Due to the way that the front end is assembled, I cannot get the piece with the air-dam out.

To get access to the area I wanted to screw my bracket to (the plastic on the bumper support structure), I would have to remove the entire front bumper cover, which at this point is something I am not willing to do. It will just be driven without the front plate until we get pulled over and then decide what to do. One other option I have thought about is popping the lower grille pieces out and getting access that way. It would require a 90 deg drill / driver, however.

Bummer. Thanks for trying!

I told the dealer not to install the front bracket and to my surprise they complied with my wishes. In OR we're required to have a front plate but I'm going to take my chances. I see plenty of cars without front plates. (Maybe they're becomming more strict due to photo radar where the front plate is needed to nail you.)

I'll keep the front plate and bracket in the trunk and if a cop get's mad I'll tell him I was planning to get it installed next time I visit the dealer.

I think it's a "get it fixed" ticket for any violation with a photo as proof it's fixed. (bubble gum, take picture, then remove and wait for the next time)

The G8 looks so much better without the front plate.

I've heard that in most instances cops like to use it as probable cause. There are a couple of small towns around here that will pull you over for it (free money for the town). From what I understand it isn't a "get it fixed" ticket.

I think that it would look descent down on the driver's lower grill, so I wouldn't mind putting it there. I just don't want to tear anything up.

NSFW!! - bumperplugs.com

JK! Couldn't resist.

Does anyone know of a person who ever got a ticket (or even a warning) for not having front license plates in a state that requires them?

If they do, dumbest ticket ever!!!

I haven't had a front plate since 1997, I got stopped once for it, but he gave me a warning and that was a long time ago. Thanks for the reminder, must let dealer know in advance not to put that ugly crap on my G8.

I screwed up and told the dealer what exactly I wanted them NOT to do and I forgot about the front plate bracket... sure as **** is was already on. I'm mad but I can't be mad at them because I didn't specify...

anyway, I just ordered the Bumper Plugs... it'll have to do I guess...

I wonder if there is a way to modify the factory bracket to fit the center of the lower grille. If the bracket uses threaded ends, you could use some small nuts to hold them onto the grille sections. Just a thought.

http://www.g8board.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=723&stc=1&d=1208107435

not sure what the laws are in different parts of the US. but in Australia you have to have front and Rear plates. They are used for Red light and Speed cameras and seriously at least in Illinois the police need to enforce both speeding and Red Light running.

I personally feel that the police here do a extremely poor job of enforcement. I regularly see people running red lights and speeding. I would like to see Speed Cameras and Red Light Cameras in use. I think the downside of having a front plate is far outweighed by proper enforcement saving lives.

Double or Triple the fines and ensure compliance. Its really sad that police are skirting the law and admitting to it. you guys really should lead by example.

End of Rant

I have a litle inside info: Most states are going to step up the enforcement of these laws due the increased popularity of camera enforcement systems. Also I ordered from bumperplugs.com and the color they said would be a match was completely wrong. I inquired about swaping mine out for a better match and they have ignored me. So I picked up a can of Duplicolor that is a very good match. Hopefuly I will have time this week to see how the plugs turn out.

I personally feel that the police here do a extremely poor job of enforcement. I regularly see people running red lights and speeding. I would like to see Speed Cameras and Red Light Cameras in use. I think the downside of having a front plate is far outweighed by proper enforcement saving lives.

Double or Triple the fines and ensure compliance. Its really sad that police are skirting the law and admitting to it. you guys really should lead by example.

End of Rant

Oh come on now there are only so many cops per citizen to go around. We can't nor should we have to save people from themselves. U could put a camera on every light in town and some fool would still figure that they can not be caught and do something dumb. Sorry for setting a bad example but u have to look at the big picture. If I enforced laws the way that you think, every time anyone broke the speed limit by 1 mile they should be issued a ticket and pay a heavy fine.

Oh come on now there are only so many cops per citizen to go around. We can't nor should we have to save people from themselves. U could put a camera on every light in town and some fool would still figure that they can not be caught and do something dumb. Sorry for setting a bad example but u have to look at the big picture. If I enforced laws the way that you think, every time anyone broke the speed limit by 1 mile they should be issued a ticket and pay a heavy fine.

Honestly i don't think 1 or 2 miles over is a big thing. but down here i'll be doing 58-59 on a stretch of road that is 55 and people fly by me. they have to be doing at least 65. It was certainly a culture shock from when I moved from Australia.

I've had quite a few times where had I moved on the light turning green I would have been cleaned up by someone running a red light sometimes up to 10 seconds after my light turned green. Chicago doesn't seem to have the same problem as down here.

I know some people will always do dumb things. Its a pet peeve of mine that it feels like there is no enforcement at least in the area where I live.

I'm not perfect. I got done for speeding when on my P's a few times and let off more times. I lost all my points twice. Anyway I know its something trivial, but it can serve a very valid purpose.

Does anyone know of a person who ever got a ticket (or even a warning) for not having front license plates in a state that requires them?

In Texas about 2 weeks ago my girlfriend and I were going to Chilifest.
(Those of us from Texas should know of this.) Anyhow, my uncle sold the Crossfire to her. Mind you that it does not have a front license plate because it was originally a rental from Oklahoma where no front plate is required.

My GF asked why it didn't have a front license plate and his response was not to worry about it, no cop should pull you over unless they are a complete dickhead and want to write you up for something stupid. Needless to say we got pulled over by a State trooper for "you guessed it" no front license plate.

She pleaded that she didn't know any better and say im so sorry officer.*a total lie* He let her off with a warning for no front plate and she couldn't find her insurance card. If it would of been me behind the wheel i would be been given a ticket for sure.

So while no ticket was given yes she has been pulled over. However, that day we noticed a lot of people being pulled over for anything. The State Troopers were out looking for ANY reason to give tickets to people drinking, partying etc. Lucky for us we weren't.

Interesting video from some college kids...not sure if anyone's seen it. Was on the news about a year ago or so. They decided to see what would happen if they drove the speed limit. It's pretty funny.

1B-Ox0ZmVIU

Interesting video from some college kids...not sure if anyone's seen it. Was on the news about a year ago or so. They decided to see what would happen if they drove the speed limit. It's pretty funny.


Indeed it is pretty funny. the lower speed limits were another culture shock when i moved here. Most highways in Oz are 100Km/h or 110Km/h which is 62Mph or 68Mph, i would really like to see highways at 60Mph and interstates at 70Mph

I guess I should be thankful that I live where the speed limit is 70mph & everyone goes 85mph. :gr_jest:

Well, to get things back on topic, I found a solution for my front plate dilemma (without drilling holes in the car :D ) Here is what I came up with, tell me what you think:

Here is a view from the front:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d11/KaiserM715/G8/IMG_2393-blur.jpg

From the top:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d11/KaiserM715/G8/IMG_2396.jpg

From the side:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d11/KaiserM715/G8/IMG_2394.jpg

It still needs a little refining, but it will get the job done for now.

that doesn't look bad at all. You could def cut the bolts a little shorter and paint the bracket black to be a little more discrete. I'm just being picky but it looks great to me. Maybe even add some type of rubber backing on the actual plate itself in case the top of it will bend at speed. Nice job.

-Brian

that doesn't look bad at all. You could def cut the bolts a little shorter and paint the bracket black to be a little more discrete. I'm just being picky but it looks great to me. Maybe even add some type of rubber backing on the actual plate itself in case the top of it will bend at speed. Nice job.

I originally had a different idea for the bolts, but they are stainless, so I didn't want to put the effort into cutting them. It will be easier to get shorter ones. Right now they are pretty hidden, though. Actually, it IS painted black. The flash on the camera washed it out. I might put something on the back of the plate. That is a good idea.

Well, to get things back on topic, I found a solution for my front plate dilemma (without drilling holes in the car :D ) Here is what I came up with, tell me what you think:

Here is a view from the front:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d11/KaiserM715/G8/IMG_2393-blur.jpg

From the top:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d11/KaiserM715/G8/IMG_2396.jpg

From the side:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d11/KaiserM715/G8/IMG_2394.jpg

It still needs a little refining, but it will get the job done for now.

Very nice job!!

Have you tried mounting it in the top license plate holes so it's even lower. Would the lower edge hang much below the front cowl? A little more angle may also be in order however if you go too extreme the cop will probably get mad. If you lower it to slightly below the cowl it might warn you of a speed bump or parking curb before you damage your cowl. The only problem I see is that if anything contacts the plate it'll likely bust out the plastic honeycomb grill. (ex: someone that taps you while parallel parking)

Much better then factory!!! This is what I'll probably do if the cop catches me and makes me mount it.

Looks good, Kaiser. :thumbsup:

Thanks for the compliments!! I already have been thinking of some improvements for v2.0.

Have you tried mounting it in the top license plate holes so it's even lower.

This is about where I wanted it. I wanted it to be in a similar location to stock.

The only problem I see is that if anything contacts the plate it'll likely bust out the plastic honeycomb grill. (ex: someone that taps you while parallel parking)

Yep. I have already had a "discussion" with my wife to be careful of that. But, replacing those two pieces would be cheaper than replacing a bumper cover. We will see how this part of it goes. Fortunately, we do not have to parallel park very often.

Looks great, do you have to remove the lower cover (under the bumper) to get to the back side and install the holding plates and screws?

Looks great, do you have to remove the lower cover (under the bumper) to get to the back side and install the holding plates and screws?

I had to pop it out far enough to get my fingers back there. There are four tabs on the inside for each cover that you can reach through the holes (unless you have huge meat hook hands). There are more tabs if you wanted to remove the entire part, but you cannot get to them without significant disassembly (i.e. removing the entire bumper cover). I slightly bent up each tab while pulling out through the front. After I was done (before I tightened all of the bolts), I snapped it all back in.

Has anyone attempted to put the plate on the bottom behind the grill yet?

Much better then factory!!! This is what I'll probably do if the cop catches me and makes me mount it.

x2

But they'll never catch me! :)

That's a perfect solution for me here in CT. Plus it means no dealership hacking up my car to install the front plate.

Good job!

Ok I'm done trying to find a solution. I will just leave the damn front plate on. I tried to match the color with my bumper plugs with negative results.

Ok I'm done trying to find a solution. I will just leave the damn front plate on. I tried to match the color with my bumper plugs with negative results.


Ditto for me. I must have gotten used to the plate in the front - it isn't bothering me as much now. Still isn't my first choice but the last thing I need is to give the police a reason to pull me over.

BTW, my last car was a 2001 Mustang GT. Still miss the sound. . .but the G8 fits my life better. I'll probably go back to a stang once the kids get older!

Ditto for me. I must have gotten used to the plate in the front - it isn't bothering me as much now. Still isn't my first choice but the last thing I need is to give the police a reason to pull me over.

BTW, my last car was a 2001 Mustang GT. Still miss the sound. . .but the G8 fits my life better. I'll probably go back to a stang once the kids get older!

I'll bet that this car sounds a lot better once you get some aftermarket mufflers on it.

I've always appreciated the sound of the GM small blocks more than that of the Mustang GTs I hear all around.

I'll bet that this car sounds a lot better once you get some aftermarket mufflers on it.

I've always appreciated the sound of the GM small blocks more than that of the Mustang GTs I hear all around.

I seriously doubt it will sound better, but I hope you are right! I'm a huge fan of mustangs and the cooresponding sound they make with a good aftermarket H-pipe and catback!

We'll see - I'll be changing the exhaust on the G8 in the future but I won't be making it nearly as obnoxious as my old stang was!

Looks like if you turn the front bracket upside down, and hold it up to the body colored vertical piece between the lower grills, it would fit perfect with just a little grinding/modification to the bracket. This way at least it'll line up with the lower grill area and look much better.

Looks like if you turn the front bracket upside down, and hold it up to the body colored vertical piece between the lower grills, it would fit perfect with just a little grinding/modification to the bracket. This way at least it'll line up with the lower grill area and look much better.

Yup, it will! Very little trimming is necessary. I posted a thread with pics of it mounted this way on my black G8 a while ago. Do a search for 'New Way to Mount Front Plate' or something like that. IMO it looks much better than the higher position that looks like a big front tooth. No plate looks the best but mounting it lower looks better if you must mount it.