front tag mounting location?

[5thhorsemann]

I removed my front bumper and do not plan on replacing it. Where do you think would be a good method of mounting a front tag?

[26th-Z]

I would imagine that your insurance company would not like you to be operating your car without a front bumper. I also imagine that Maryland has a law about the removal of bumpers. Suggest you check into the legality of your bumper removal and where your state requires the license tag to be placed.

[Arne]

Yeah, the insurance angle is a possible issue. But the legality of running bumperless might not be. I looked into this some years back for a different car. At that time, the only state I found that prohibited an owner from removing or modifying impact bumpers was Florida. The rest of the states didn't care.

[26th-Z]

Quick search of the all knowing internet turned up this from www.getinlane.com:

Here are some FAQs about what you can and can't modify on your car.

BUMPER

Q. I would like to take off my front bumper. Is this illegal and will I get fined? Also do I need to notify my insurance company?

A: It is not illegal to remove the bumper but you must ensure that all surfaces are then smoothed down and there are no rough edges. You must also ensure that the lights and registration plate are properly positioned. Your insurance company needs to be informed as this is a modification.

[Willoughby Z]

Without a bumper, the locations are limited. I would think the grill area, which is the most obvious, would potentially block air flow. Maybe not. Below the grill, ground clearance issues.

Personally, I dislike the look of a plate on the front of the Z, particularly being off-center. I wish Virginia didn't require front plates.

[5thhorsemann]

Okay, I've done a bit of research on the maryland laws RE the front tag and bumper issues that were suprisingly brought about herein. I was simply hunting for some pictures of ingeanious tag mounting options.

First, as stated above, there is PRESENTLY no law against removing the bumper(s), as long as the body is smoothed accordingly. Not an issue with an early Z car. I do not forsee this ever becoming a problem with the integrated nature of newer bumpers on cars.

The tag, on the other hand, is a bit more of a "sticky" issue. I found that there is actually a petition circulating to have the law repealed. http://www.petitiononline.com/mdplate/

In reading the law, which was hard to find online, it seems to be open to alot of interpretation (by law enforcement) as to what is compliant and what isn't. The law states that the registration plate must be displayed on the front of the vehicle, and shall not be obscured from view or mutilated in any way. There is also a subsection that deals with historic cars and trucks that basically states that I can put a tag from the "build year" on the car from any of the 50 states as long as I carry the valid Maryland plates on board with me. This will surely get you pulled over by Buford T. Justice every time. So I called the good tax collectors at the DMV and asked about making a Euro style Tag reading MD-123456 in the same font size as their issued tax stamp (tag) and was suprised by her response. She said "I suppose it would be okay as long as you carry the issued plate with you while opperating the vehicle on the road." Also stated "If the (historic/ antique) vehicle has no accomodation for a forward facing tag, you may display the tag in the windshield by placing it on the dash."

So, my solution will be to fabricate a panel that fits between the bottom of the grill and the top of the cowl (the void in the grill where the bumper was located. roughly 4 inches tall.) laminate it with 3M reflective white vinyl and apply ploted black text and boarder to make it look lajit. I'll post a pic when I get done with this little project.

[mazdatsun428]

Here's an interesting website: http://www.licenseplates.tv/1969-california-stat-1569.html

You can customize your own replica plates - state/year/numbers and letters. Cost is about $80 delivered.

[5thhorsemann]

I like the German plate, it's exactly what I have in mind, size and all. Thanks for the link John.