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Front license plate Model 3
- Thread starter neilya
- Start date
John Beans
Member
In California, front plates are the law. Unless you think it makes your car look less pretty, then you can leave it off.*
*May require you to temporarily stick one on and slink to a local police department every few years if you get a ticket for something else or a meter maid targets you in an urban area.
*May require you to temporarily stick one on and slink to a local police department every few years if you get a ticket for something else or a meter maid targets you in an urban area.
I did it myself ($150 for the front bumper precut). I've been seeing about $500 for the front bumper professionally installed. After my experience with the diy route, pros are definitely worth the money.
chadcristi
Member
Yah, same here in Colorado. The meter maids are notorious for writing tickets. Now they're doing it at the airport when you enter. Those new license plate recognition cameras are popping up all over. I hate the thought of having to pay a $100 ticket and not have anything to show for it. I just don't want to give the cops another reason to stop me - would definitely ruin my day.
chadcristi
Member
I don't see it in your car photo. Is it one of those that is clear off to the side?I'm using the CravenSpeed Platypus. It doesn't require drilling any holes, it doesn't stick to the paint with tape, it doesn't block airflow through the radiator inlet, it's economical, and it can be removed in a flash if necessary.
-Mark
The key difference being that The Bandit sits higher up and thus blocks less airflow to the batteries than The Law. But either one is still exorbitantly expensive for what they are.
Plan to dirty up the adhesive on the frame, keep it in my back seat and say it fell off. Think it will pass in California?
Not sure suction cups would survive winter and freezing temperatures. Happy to be proven wrong about this.
eprosenx
Active Member
I need to install my front plate here in Oregon and I have to say, the concept of stick on adhesive for the factory solution is asinine. It rains here a lot, winters are somewhat cold and summers are somewhat hot. People bump each other parking, etc... Car washes are likely to pull it off.
I am positive the plate will fall off at some point. Best case is you are able to recover the plate intact. Middle ground is you lose the plate and have to deal with the DMV to get a new one. Worst case is it comes off and you drive over it and damage something else.
My opinion is that this is a half baked solution from Tesla. Adhesive is a bad idea. Give me screws any day. The plate is never coming off this car so I don’t mind having holes in the bumper.
I am positive the plate will fall off at some point. Best case is you are able to recover the plate intact. Middle ground is you lose the plate and have to deal with the DMV to get a new one. Worst case is it comes off and you drive over it and damage something else.
My opinion is that this is a half baked solution from Tesla. Adhesive is a bad idea. Give me screws any day. The plate is never coming off this car so I don’t mind having holes in the bumper.
Eno Deb
Active Member
It doesn't come off that easily if it's properly mounted on a clean surface. The front plate mounting base on the Model S (post facelift) also uses adhesive. I helped a friend remove his a while ago and it took a heat gun and some elbow grease and patience to pull it off. The tape they are using isn't your grandmother's scotch tape.
Well, in that case you should return your car since it is assembled with lots of adhesive, including some of the exterior trim.
eprosenx
Active Member
It doesn't come off that easily if it's properly mounted on a clean surface. The front plate mounting base on the Model S (post facelift) also uses adhesive. I helped a friend remove his a while ago and it took a heat gun and some elbow grease and patience to pull it off. The tape they are using isn't your grandmother's scotch tape.
Well, in that case you should return your car since it is assembled with lots of adhesive, including some of the exterior trim.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the car overall, but I think some of the decisions made have been poor. I worry about long term longevity of the vehicle.
They already replaced the drive stalk with a new one due to adhesive coming un-done, but the new one is already starting to have the same issue. They said there is a new part in the works but it was not available yet.
The license plate is a particularly silly place for adhesive if you ask me. Other places may be fine.
I purchased and installed the using the hardware in the link (above.) It works great. Just read the instructions. Easy and effective.
It's perfectly normal. How else do you think they attached badges? With adhesive.
Sure, after I saw how it was done. I could also figure out relativity works after Einstein wrote all the formulas down.
However, it is fairly cheap if you consider your time and the price of the hardware.GM used that same tape to hold the rear quarter windows on Pontiac Fiero GTs and I can tell you for certain that over 20 years later removing those windows was an absolute biyatch.
And I would say the first rule of not having a front license plate in states that require it is not to boast that you don't have one on a public forum. In California they are not supposed to stop you only for administrative infractions like burned out lights unless you are posing a safety hazard, and front license plates (and rear license plate lights) fall into that category.
I am not a lawyer and I have never played one in the media, but I do watch Perry Mason a lot.
I am not a lawyer and I have never played one in the media, but I do watch Perry Mason a lot.
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