front license plate

For those who obsess about exactly how their 356 left the factory!
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Helge Tielker
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front license plate

#1 Post by Helge Tielker »

hi there,
may be a strange question to us citizens - but how do we have to fix the license plate on the 356BT5 models on the front fender. there are two tiny holes on the underside but I cannot find any information an a bracket or something else.....
Who can help me out .....

cheers from Holland
Helge
356 B Coupe 12/59 ruby red/ black
"REDMAXX"
356 C Coupe 64 BaliBlue
(under restoration)

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Martin Benade
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Re: front license plate

#2 Post by Martin Benade »

The holes are probably water drain holes or from a non-factory bracket. I think Albert Tiedeman makes a no-drill clamp on bracket. Or you can go period correct and add some kind of old aftermarket bracket like the dealers usually did. With all the repairs that most of our cars have been through in the last 50 years I feel like it is no crime to drill a pair of holes, but many would disagree.
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Doug McDonnell
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Re: front license plate

#3 Post by Doug McDonnell »

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=36480&hilit=front+ ... t&start=15 John Copello has made them in the past. Unsure if he still does. Here is his current Facebook list showing what he has: https://www.facebook.com/copellosnew356 ... NE&fref=nf His clamps to the lower edge of your front bumper.
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1965 356C 2000 BMW 740i Sport 1967 Honda CL77 There is never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it over.

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Doug McDonnell
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Re: front license plate

#4 Post by Doug McDonnell »

Elevenparts also has something that will work. Maybe others as well. https://www.elevenparts.com/index2.php? ... Photo/100/
1965 356C 2000 BMW 740i Sport 1967 Honda CL77 There is never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it over.

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Helge Tielker
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Re: front license plate

#5 Post by Helge Tielker »

Guys, thanks for the tips .. I guess I go for the elevenpart piece which can be mounted upside down on the B ;)

cheers from Holland
356 B Coupe 12/59 ruby red/ black
"REDMAXX"
356 C Coupe 64 BaliBlue
(under restoration)

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Adam Johnson
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Re: front license plate

#6 Post by Adam Johnson »

I liked the look of the factory style mounts (like ElevenParts and others sell). I mounted my plate so it look like it uses factory mounts, and I didn't need to drill any holes in the bumper:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=32397

Adam
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Gary Koehler
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Re: front license plate

#7 Post by Gary Koehler »

slightly higher mount
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Alex Mestas
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Re: front license plate

#8 Post by Alex Mestas »

Helge
The low cost simple approach to mounting your front license plate.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=25931&p=133043&hili ... te#p133043
1963 356 T-6 Coupe Signal Red.
1973.5 911 T Coupe Ivory.
1989 911 Carrera Targa Grd Prix White.

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Mike Wilson
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Re: front license plate

#9 Post by Mike Wilson »

Helge: your license plate is probably the long, narrow one, correct? If so, if you just used the two drain holes in the bumper with some type of bracket, the ends of the plate are unsupported and might flex into the body and/or bumper. The bracket made by John Copello is for plates as used by the U.S. and possibly other countries.

You might have to use the bumper drain holes and drill two additional holes and add brackets to support the plate. The plate would have a bit of a bend in it matching the contour of the bumper.

On my car, I used aluminum angle bracket and attached it to the drain holes with rubber bushings to protect the paint. The U.S. license plate holes are 7 inches apart. The drain holes are about 6 inches so I used threaded fasteners at 7 inches on the angle bracket and attached the plate with allen head bolts. The bracket is painted the same color of the bumper so it is not visible if I chose not to display the front plate. In your case, a longer bracket might work.
Mike Wilson
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe

Jon Bunin
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Re: front license plate

#10 Post by Jon Bunin »

Helge Tielker wrote:hi there, may be a strange question to us citizens - but how do we have to fix the license plate on the 356BT5 models...
Helge, on early B models, if the front plate was installed at the factory, it was often attached through the bumper deco.
The factory made special rubber brackets for this purpose. Reproductions of these are available... http://www.stoddard.com/64472355305-nla.html
It was done this way too for temporary "tourist" plates, even into the 911 era. However, not everyone likes this method today.

Here are some original rubber brackets. The earlier versions were solid, the later ones hollow. The bottom photo is from a 1960 road test of a factory demo car, with Stuttgart plates.
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Mike Wilson
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Re: front license plate

#11 Post by Mike Wilson »

Thanks for posting those, Jon. I've never seen them!
Mike Wilson
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe

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Helge Tielker
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Re: front license plate

#12 Post by Helge Tielker »

Wow, I was wondering how they did install those plates. Couldn't imagine only with screws. Thanks for sharing, but I am not keen to drill holes in the bumper either.
356 B Coupe 12/59 ruby red/ black
"REDMAXX"
356 C Coupe 64 BaliBlue
(under restoration)

Brad Ripley
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Re: front license plate

#13 Post by Brad Ripley »

For license plates on the front of the car, some states do not require a plate if the car manufacturer did not provide for a mounting fixture. See below for the law in Nevada.
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Mike Wilson
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Re: front license plate

#14 Post by Mike Wilson »

Interesting, Brad. I'm sure we will all now be checking our state's vehicle codes as they relate to displaying license plates.
Mike Wilson
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe

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Mike Wilson
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Re: front license plate

#15 Post by Mike Wilson »

A search of California's vehicle code indicates no provision for cars without a front plate mounting location. Simply, two plates are issued and two must be displayed, front and rear.
Mike Wilson
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe

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