The Law vs Magnaplate

[Nosken]

I have The Law on my 2015 and it works great.
Possible future good news for California owners. I just heard from a fairly high up CA DMV employee that they are looking into a front license plate "wrap" that would be the equivalent of a full size sticker as an option for a front plate. I am not holding my breath for this, we all know how large bureaucracies are, but it will be nice if this comes to implementation.

 

[Nirenk]

Thank you all for your comments. I just placed the order.

 

[Fcurvetweaker]

Thanks. It is 2015 Model but the front looks no different than mine and the plate looks good in those pictures. May be I will go ahead and order and try it out.

That's pics of my car. I like The Law. I took it off after a road trip to properly wash the car. When I did so I noticed that during my road trip the plate had come in contact with the front of the car. I have since added rubber to the back of the license plate to make sure the metal doesn't touch the car. So before you mount it, consider doing that.

 

[Nirenk]

That's pics of my car. I like The Law. I took it off after a road trip to properly wash the car. When I did so I noticed that during my road trip the plate had come in contact with the front of the car. I have since added rubber to the back of the license plate to make sure the metal doesn't touch the car. So before you mount it, consider doing that.

Good to know. Will definitely take your advice. How did you add the rubber ? Just glue it in ? I was wondering if simple "felt pads" you get at Home Depot would work.

 

[BertL]

Good to know. Will definitely take your advice. How did you add the rubber ? Just glue it in ? I was wondering if simple "felt pads" you get at Home Depot would work.

I stuck a couple of the tan-colored hard felt pads like I use on the bottoms of kitchen stools to the back of my plate. Worked fine, except I doubt they will stay on forever, so you sort of take your chances with them aging and falling off. Putting those same pads on the back of the plate with some gorilla glue or similar, after first removing the adhesive, may be a lot better choice.

 

[RichardP]

I was researching all the options for temporarily mounting a front license plate without drilling into the nosecone (after getting a fixit citation from a meter reader). The option I liked the best was the Magneplate, but they're not shipping it any more. I didn't want to pay for The Law, so I created my own solution.

I bought two 3" J-bolts and two suction cups (hardware store). The J-bolts simply slip through the egg crate grill to hold on the plate holder and license plate. I drilled out the two lower license plate screws in the Tesla front plate holder to accommodate the larger diameter of the J-bolts. I drilled a slot into the two outer tiered holes (there are two outer and one central higher than the two outer) to allow the base of the suction cups to be inserted and then not pop out. I put Velcro tape (the fabric side, not hook side) on the outer edges of the plate holder where it might touch the nosecone.

Once everything was positioned, I marked where to cut down the J-bolts to allow the nut to hold the actual license plate and added double stick tape behind the top of the license plate to hold it in place (although the lower nut and bolt hold it securely without the tape). The whole installation took maybe 30 minutes, including drilling the plate holder and cutting down the J-bolts with a hacksaw. The total cost was about $8. I drove over to the local police station and got it signed off easily.

 

[Eslee]

Magnaplate is shipping again for AP equipped Teslas. Check their website.

 

[Andyw2100]

Magnaplate is shipping again for AP equipped Teslas. Check their website.

I have been a proponent of Magneplate in the past, and I've made several posts on TMC recommending it. It is the only mounting bracket I have used on my P85D to date, since receiving it in December 2014.

In my posts, I have mentioned that one negative was that the suction cups did not seem to adhere well, and I did say that it might have been due to Opticoat Pro having been applied to my nosecone, though I don't know if that was the case or not.

Earlier this week my car was being taken in for the second annual service and Ludicrous upgrade, and I had removed the Magneplate because I also have my EZ pass transponder attached to it, and I didn't want to pay tolls, as I have in the past, as the car was transported. When the Tesla rep inspected the car for damage, he noticed indentations in my nosecone, from the suction cups. So the bottom line is that the nosecone I was trying to protect from drilling with the Magneplate was actually slightly damaged by it. When my car returns, I'll take some pictures and post them.

I'm not trying to bad-mouth Magneplate, and I'm not suggesting anyone not buy it because of this. I am just urging caution. If you have a Magneplate, or if you get one, I'd pay very close attention to whether or not the suction cups are attached to the nosecone and whether they stay attached consistently.

I'm going to be trying "The Law", and I'm hoping that a plate mounted in it will cover the spots that the Magneplate has made on my nosecone. To be fair, I'm also going to put padding of some kind on the back of my license plate, to avoid having it damage the nosecone further, as I have read that the plate itself can hit the nosecone when mounted in The Law.

 

[BertL]

...I'm also going to put padding of some kind on the back of my license plate, to avoid having it damage the nosecone further, as I have read that the plate itself can hit the nosecone when mounted in The Law.

Yes, I'd suggest something like the larger hard stool pads you find at Home Depot or Lowes; Remove the adhesive that comes on the pad, then apply some gorilla glue or similar to the pad and stick those to the back of your license plate -- they come off too easily otherwise.

 

[Andyw2100]

Yes, I'd suggest something like the larger hard stool pads you find at Home Depot or Lowes; Remove the adhesive that comes on the pad, then apply some gorilla glue or similar to the pad and stick those to the back of your license plate -- they come off too easily otherwise.

Thanks, Bert.

I've ordered some 3M automotive double-sided tape, to mount the EZPass toll transponder (which had been on the license plate bracket) behind the nosecone. I imagine that tape would be a good solution for sticking some heavy furniture pads to the back of my license plate.

 

[Maximus8]

To be fair, I'm also going to put padding of some kind on the back of my license plate, to avoid having it damage the nosecone further, as I have read that the plate itself can hit the nosecone when mounted in The Law.

You're exactly right. I have The Law mount and it's obvious that the upper portion of the license plate will hit the nosecone at high speeds. I placed a thick 3M foam dual sided tape. It seems to be doing well.

 

[wanaxnow]

I just ordered the law plate for use here in Illinois - meter maids definitely always look for front plate as a reason to help out our bankrupt city! It says it is autopilot compatible now so that is the one I ordered.

So, 100% have you had any issues with it? It doesn't block autopilot radar at all or any of the front parking sensors?

Thanks!

I need to purchase something to mount our front plate as well. I am thinking about purchasing the Law. Have you been happy with the results over the last few months? It does not interfere with the front autopilot sensors correct?

 

[BertL]

I need to purchase something to mount our front plate as well. I am thinking about purchasing the Law. Have you been happy with the results over the last few months? It does not interfere with the front autopilot sensors correct?

The redesigned "The Law" they've been selling since IIRC late last year, is specifically designed to not interfere with AP. I have one, installed it on my pre-2016-refresh MS with AP, and it works just fine.

 

[wanaxnow]

The redesigned "The Law" they've been selling since IIRC late last year, is specifically designed to not interfere with AP. I have one, installed it on my pre-2016-refresh MS with AP, and it works just fine.

Thanks Bert. We have a model X and although all the info says it doesn't block AP in the X just want to be sure before I plunk down the cash.

 

[travwill]

Thanks Bert. We have a model X and although all the info says it doesn't block AP in the X just want to be sure before I plunk down the cash.

I used the law plate on my MS with Autopilot, loved it. Ordered one for new MX that arrives in few days. Will report back but looks like it'll work fine also, mounted a little lower than the factory plate.

 

[wanaxnow]

I used the law plate on my MS with Autopilot, loved it. Ordered one for new MX that arrives in few days. Will report back but looks like it'll work fine also, mounted a little lower than the factory plate.

Just confirming, on the MS one of the autopilot sensors is front middle of the lower grill. I can't find anything stating that the MX has the same sensor nor can I visually find it. Is that a correct assumption?

 

[Blurry_Eyed]

I installed the Law on my Model X and have used autopilot extensively with it. I have experience no issues with where the plate sits. I think I've had in on the X for about two months or so.

 

[BertL]

Just confirming, on the MS one of the autopilot sensors is front middle of the lower grill. I can't find anything stating that the MX has the same sensor nor can I visually find it. Is that a correct assumption?

You may want to try posting in the MX forums. Most of us here are MS owners, and only some have experience or ownership with the X. Good luck with your new MX!

 

[wanaxnow]

I installed the Law on my Model X and have used autopilot extensively with it. I have experience no issues with where the plate sits. I think I've had in on the X for about two months or so.

Thank you Blurry. Exactly what I wanted to hear. I appreciate it.