Front license plate required in Oregon

[Cueball1]

I'm finding it difficult to find pics of 7s with North American style front license plates.  Others here must be in some states requiring them.  How and where are you mounting them?  Would love to see your solutions! 

[Croc]

Ignore it and carry it in the car?

 

 

I did this a long time ago

 

 

 

 

Bracket came up from underneath nosecone.  Two strips of aluminum with some spacer strips to hold them parallel.  Two mounts off the chassis tube, one hole in the underside of the nose cone (can be seen inside grille in second photo) for a third hold point, then the two arms floated upwards around the nose cone (without touching) to which the plate mounted.  No visible holes in the nose cone this way.  

 

 

[wemtd]

Iirc. I’ve seen pics of a plate cut down (top/bottom) trimmed to fit on bottom edge of Nosecone. Another bent the plate around bottom of nosecone.  Croc’s version is easier.

[scannon]

 

 

 

This Colorado plate is bent and rolled under and attached to the chin spoiler with two pop rivets.  The complete plate is there.  Never a problem with the cops even when getting a speeding ticket.  I have asked many cops at C & Cs if they had a problem with it and the universal answer is as long as I can see the number its not a problem.

 

I've trimmed the top and bottom of many  plates since then and never a problem.  On my Miata the top is cut off and the white outer border removed.  The pop rivets are painted to match the plate numbers.

 

People kept asking me what is the ST2 that you sunk so I added a small "i" between the K and the the S and never again asked what I had sunk.

 

[Vovchandr]

Some of us choose to ignore this requirement

 

At any point in time my car is in violation of at least 6 different regulations. What's one more to the list?

 

Been pulled over twice so far, got one misc unrelated ticket. 

 

In my experience 7s get treated like a hot rod and very lenient on, unlike some tuner car with a youngster driving it. 

 

Or maybe I just aged myself out of the ticket age and now I'm that old fart that cops go easy on. 

[panamericano]

Check with some cops in your area.  Texas cops had a fit a fews ago about brackets covering the state name or even slogans on plates.  Some folks had to get new brackets.  I have not heard anything since.  Texas requires front plates and in 20 years with a Miata and the Birkin I have never put a front plate on.  Neither car ever pulled over by a cop.  Talk to some.  

[Cueball1]

@Crocwill have to try something similar.  Not having the car yet I didn't know if there was anything under the nose sturdy enough to fasten diy brackets to. 

 

On my miata I used to use a hinged bracket at the top opening of the mouth.  This allowed the plate to swing backward at speed and not block airflow.  I was pulled over on the freeway with that.  Cop says "there's no front plate" i said "yes there is, look".  Walked to the front and shook her head.  "I swore there was no plate there".  Once she figured it out?  Said to change it asap or she'd ticket me next time.  I created a bracket that held it offset from the mouth after that. 

 

Tried putting my plate in the front windshield for a while.  Got a ticket for that, while parked!  Parking enforcement is authorized to give out tickets for vehicle violations.  Oregon is way too uptight about front plates! 

 

 

 

 

[Cueball1]

@panamericanogood idea.  Will definitely ask some.  Will also ask at the dmv.  OR Laws list some exceptions for requiring front plates.  Sevens don't exactly fit those rules but with the limited area in the front maybe I'll get lucky. 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Cueball1

[Kitcat]

I never had a problem running without a front plate in Ohio. In fact I always ran my untitled track-only Caterham on the street without any plate, front or back. I was only stopped once: “Sir, I like your car a lot but now you have to drive it home and park it”. No ticket. 

No guarantees, of course.

[7Westfield]

In Nebraska, they put in a loophole a few years back, that says if your car did not come with a front bracket, you can pay $50 a year to only run the rear plate

 

so you pay an extra 50/year and get one plate plus a windshield sticker

 

typical govt scam    pay more, get less

[panamericano]

"typical govt scam    pay more, get less"

 

I suspect they learned it from Porsche.

[MV8]

In Oregon, "Antique" vehicles are only issued one plate, but instead of a reasonable rolling cut-off year, they were very creative. If memory serves, to fit the category, it must be older than half the years between the current date and 1900. Right now that means nothing less than 62 years old is an antique (1961 model). A 1969 model won't be considered an antique until 2038 at nearly 70 years old.

[Cueball1]

@MV8I had read that law too.  Horrible rule.  Will be interesting to see how the titling and registration process goes.  As you can tell by that law the OR dmv isn't the easiest to deal with.  Logic takes the day off when you walk in the building. 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Cueball1

[MV8]

DMV is typically within the purview of DOR and the Assistant Gov.

There's always Ohio...

[Saudio]

In Virginia, I have been questioned twice (no yet in the Caterham).  In both cases I showed my front tag which I kept in the car, and explained that I had ordered a special front plate bracket from Europe and it was on a boat somewhere on the way.  Both times I got a friendly warning.  

 

That darn bracket is STILL on a boat.  Somewhere.  ;-) 

[jbcollier]

As noted, many people just carry the plate with them and produce it if asked.  I have also seen people make up a sticker of the plate and attach it to the nose cone.  An original Seven had a bracket like the rear spare tire/license bracket that slide into mounts on the front of the chassis.  I have one for mine.  It's very ugly but fortunately there are no front plates in Alberta.

[Davemk1]

A few simple folds and a Montana plate becomes part of a splitter.

 

dave

[LoTusH]

My old 7 had to have one in the UK so looked like this:

 

Less than ideal…

 

[Cueball1]

Spoke with a friend who's a cop here in Oregon.  Said Oregon is still as my experiences taught me.  No leniency at all on a front plate.  I'll have to figure out some sort of bracket and how in the world I can mount it without interrupting air flow to the radiator. Ugh. As you said LoTush, less than ideal.  😑

[Cueball1]

@Davemk1i am hoping I will be able to get away with doing something exactly like that!