[Joonsup]

Here's something different to talk about. Just picked up my car last week and not sure if I should either leave the dealer "fake" plates on that shows the dealership, or whether i should leave it bare, revealing the vin number. I guess I can dish out 30 bucks or so to buy those background that are shiny with a bmw logo on it while I wait for my plates, but i dunno. Just want to get your guys' opinions. Hopefully by the time i get back from lunch there will be lots of opinions so that I can waste more time at work. haha. ready set go!

[Pimp Star]

I would get a chrome license plate from BMW that has their logo. It can't cost more than $30 and it makes the car look better, in my opinion.

Pimp Star

[n5160u]

Your VIN is also on a metal plate under the windshield on the drivers side visable to anyone all the time so whats the point about leaving the plates off?

[UncleWede]

off, unless the dealer is paying you a fee of some sort for advertisement

[Eberhard]

A few weeks from delivery of my BMW – but I’ll throw some advice in regardless.

Get rid of the front license holder if mounted, Store it if needed later and issued plate directly. It is illegal here since it is part of the enforcement cameras, but I have never been cited in a decade for any of my cars, And if I was - I would install it - get the "fix-it" ticket signed off and remove it immediately thereafter. I have heard of some dealers drilling mounting holes in their delivered cars for the front plate (maybe they already exist). But I made certain that if this processis performed by the dealer, it would not take place on my car and any existing mounting holes would be patched

As far as the temporary dealer plates, I just remove mine, spray paint the unmarked side if necessary and re-install them until the official plates arrive as there are generally poor looking stampings underneath the rear plate(remember to store one with the removed front plate holder). There is no reason to advertise for them unless they pay you. I would never stick a tag on any of my racing motorcycles unless there was a financial or support incentive.

And the aftermarket frames are nice unless they say "BMW". Crap, the BMW badge is directly above it. On my infinity G35, I "debagged" just the "G35" stick-on chrome-like letters using some fishing line and replaced the license plate frame with one that was engraved "G35" only - kept the infinity appliqué, No redundancy and a cleaner look.

But everyone has his or her own ideas like the Mercedes of Lexus owner that go for the gold trim package (when I see it on the edges of a Mercedes fender I start imagining what the owner is trying to prove).

And my feelings about locking plate bolts are mixed. They might deter an honest fellow but a thief will get them off in a second.

My 0.2 Euros worth.

Eberhard

Addendum: My 335i day two after tinting and de-badging. The two-bolt license plate has 335i in lightly brushed inlay. A clean look by just flipping the dealer's plastic insert.



Badges? We don't need no stinking badges! .…

[Joonsup]

i had it off this morning, but it looked kinda weird showing the vin, so what i did was put the dealer plate back on, but flipped the inside part so it's plain white, instead of showing the dealer info on it. haha. I'm leaning towards the bmw background plate, but we'll see.

[Sedan_Clan]

I'm one who never puts on my plates, even after years of ownership. I just leave the dealer plate on. On my ///M3's, however, I used the BMW Marquee plate that has the ///M logo on a flat black plate. As far as the license plate frames are concerned, I just leave the dealer frame on, which in my case happens to be Shelly BMW.

[Chowbow]

I take the plates off. I leave them off and don't run my plates for a long time. I guess I don't want the identification and the ticket is only a $10 fix-it ticket and I have the means to get those signed off without issue... If the car gets stolen, then there's BMW assist, and the plates being on there are meaningless...

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by Eberhard

A few weeks from delivery of my BMW – but I’ll throw some advice in regardless.

Get rid of the front license holder if mounted, Store it if needed later and issued plate directly. It is illegal here since it is part of the enforcement cameras, but I have never been cited in a decade for any of my cars, And if I was - I would install it - get the "fix-it" ticket signed off and remove it immediately thereafter. I have heard of some dealers drilling mounting holes in their delivered cars for the front plate (maybe they already exist). But I made certain that if this processis performed by the dealer, it would not take place on my car and any existing mounting holes would be patched

As far as the temporary dealer plates, I just remove mine, spray paint the unmarked side if necessary and re-install them until the official plates arrive as there are generally poor looking stampings underneath the rear plate(remember to store one with the removed front plate holder). There is no reason to advertise for them unless they pay you. I would never stick a tag on any of my racing motorcycles unless there was a financial or support incentive.

And the aftermarket frames are nice unless they say "BMW". Crap, the BMW badge is directly above it. On my infinity G35, I "debagged" just the "G35" stick-on chrome-like letters using some fishing line and replaced the license plate frame with one that was engraved "G35" only - kept the infinity appliqué, No redundancy and a cleaner look.

But everyone has his or her own ideas like the Mercedes of Lexus owner that go for the gold trim package (when I see it on the edges of a Mercedes fender I start imagining what the owner is trying to prove).

And my feelings about locking plate bolts are mixed. They might deter an honest fellow but a thief will get them off in a second.

My 0.2 Euros worth.

Eberhard

Yeah the dealer didn't drill any holes on the front so i don't have to worry about that. I'm not sure i get what you mean by the "stamped markings". The only thing i saw underneath the plate is the vin number.

[Design1314]

Originally Posted by Eberhard

And the aftermarket frames are nice unless they say "BMW". Crap, the BMW badge is directly above it.

+1, it's too much

[stejus]

I asked my dealer to not put on any dealer plates up front because I only have one plate (in the rear). I walked outside to pick up the car and i saw a tech drilling holes in my front end to mount the dealer promo plate. I nearly flipped out and the manager told me it's a state law to mount the plate holder even if you don't have a front plate.

The next weekend I did this.

[flush01]

Originally Posted by stejus

I asked my dealer to not put on any dealer plates up front because I only have one plate (in the rear). I walked outside to pick up the car and i saw a tech drilling holes in my front end to mount the dealer promo plate. I nearly flipped out and the manager told me it's a state law to mount the plate holder even if you don't have a front plate.

The next weekend I did this.

that doesn't look good, it's like your car got some infection/pimples or something

[stejus]

Originally Posted by flush01

that doesn't look good, it's like your car got some infection/pimples or something

If you don't look for them, they blend right in. If you look at the front end with a plate on it, it doesn't blend in. It almost stands out.

This is a close as i can come without ripping off the 3M clear bra and having the holes filled professionally.

[E90RWC]

Rock a TOPLINE plate from Burlingame like I do on all my cars.

I never put plates on my cars, I don't have them long enough to bother.

[Ikarus]

Originally Posted by stejus

I nearly flipped out and the manager told me it's a state law to mount the plate holder even if you don't have a front plate.

I'm calling BS on this one. While it's against the law in most states to drive a car without front license plates once issued, I'm not aware of any state that requires the dealer to mount the license plate holder immediately upon release of the car.

[Desi]

Wait, you guys have to wait for your plates? Here in Ontario, the dealer will pick up the plates for you when they go register the car on your behalf and they will be installed when you pick up the car. Or, if you buy used or something, the DMV office will hand you the plates right then and there when you register. \

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by stejus

I asked my dealer to not put on any dealer plates up front because I only have one plate (in the rear). I walked outside to pick up the car and i saw a tech drilling holes in my front end to mount the dealer promo plate. I nearly flipped out and the manager told me it's a state law to mount the plate holder even if you don't have a front plate.

The next weekend I did this.

Looks good! Much better than the eyesore of a front plate.

[ElCapitan]

When I buy a car I specify the following:

1. No dealer advertising what so ever. This means no dealer sticker, no plate frame with dealer info, nothing; and
2. No front plate mount an d no holes to mount one.

I tell them that if the car has one of the two above points violated (have them write iton the contract), they fix it to my satisfaction or I refuse to take delivery.

I live in a province that require the use of a front plate. I refuse to this day to put it. The cops that really bother about it me are the Military Police (I am military) and they compliment my cars everytime. I have been warned once by a civi cop though. When I get close to the Base I put my front plate in my windshield for the day and remove it once I exited the base. I wonder howlong I will be able to get away with it. I told myself I will reconsider after two tickets ($110 each).

[Rising]

I'm so glad my dealer decided to not drill any holes in my bumper for me. In the beginning, i didn't even think about asking them directly to not drill any holes. They didn't even ask me if i wanted it to get drilled or not at that time. After i gave it some thought about a month later, luckily, i wasn't one of those who had to get their bumper drilled. The dealer decided it for me and they threw the front license plate holder in the truck for me (where it belongs) instead of being in the front. Thanks BMW Fremont, CA. BTW, i have to admit, it looks weird with those plugs stejus.

Edit: trunk

[Cay955]

I usually take the dealer's logo plate and flip it around to have a blank canvas, it's better than having your vin displayed.

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by E90RWC

Rock a TOPLINE plate from Burlingame like I do on all my cars.

I never put plates on my cars, I don't have them long enough to bother.

I don't have anything from topline so i'd be faking the funk if i got one. ummm you got a spare? lol

[stejus]

Originally Posted by Rising

The dealer decided it for me and they threw the front license plate holder in the truck for me (where it belongs) instead of being in the front. Thanks BMW Fremont, CA. BTW, i have to admit, it looks weird with those plugs stejus.

Well, in my case, the dealer put two f*&$ing holes in my front bumper. If you had two holes in your bumper and didn’t have a need for a front plate, what would you do?

I didn’t want the dealer plate ruining the look of my front end. I will not have the holes professionally filled because I have a 3M clear bra that I don’t want to destroy. My only two options were to leave two holes in the bumper or fill them. For $30, I considered this a no brainer. Looks a hell of a lot better than a plate or two holes IMO.