I live in a state where front license plates are required.

I recently got a used 07 ES350 which does not have the front bracket/holder
in place.

The lexus bracket is about $50 and i believe requires holes in front of the
bumper.

I went around searching for something that will mount from underneath the
bumper and believe it or not - not many exist for some odd reason.

The two common ones were skene design and show n go..

Then, I found this at Napa auto parts

Front plate mount

Any one use this ? Any comments/gotchas ?

 

Try driving without the plate. Keep it in the car in case you get stopped, which chances are you won't, unless you do something else illegal. The front end of the car looks SO much better without the plate. I lived in a state that did require front plate, for many years, and got away without one the entire time. Never got stopped, but nor did I make any other illegal maneuvers to call attention to myself.

 

I considered this option - driving without the front plates.

My area is notorious for red light cameras and my gut feeling is that the
cops are not going to be lenient because of the difficulty
in pursuing the camera infractions without a front plate.

 

Buy a cheap $2.99 mount from Autozone that has the single bar across and 2 perpendicular bars in both ends. I have one of those and bought bolts and washers to extend it further from my car so the plate doesn't touch my plate. It looks pretty good and I can adjust it up or down

 

I picked up my ES last May and the bracket was never mounted so the bumper has no holes. In IL a front plate is required also but so far I haven't been bugged about it.

I have a Texas inspection sticker on the windshield so I probably can get away with playing dumb if I get pulled over - at least the 1st time anyway.

Turns out that the bracket is in the trunk w/ the spare tire - still in the package with the mounting hardware. Score! The tech at the Lexus dealer asked if I wanted it installed and told him "nope!"

Have you seen the brackets that mount in the tow hook receptacle?

I found this thing, but I know there are others:

No Holes LPB

The only thing *I* don't like about these is that the plate isn't centered.

 

^^ I was going to suggest this. I actually like this method since it doesn't require holes in the bumper, and I prefer the offset look. Plus it's easy to remove if you need to.

 

I considered the tow hole hook but decided against it because of
the offset position. It will probably stand out more.

BTW, I checked my trunk as well but did not find the brackets. The previous
owner/dealer must have thrown it out.

Thanks for the autozone option, do u have a model # i can look for ?
Does this still need holes in front of the bumper.

I just can't believe there are not many options for not putting holes in the
bumper, couldn't someone design one with clamps of some sort by now ?

 

Do a search in the SC section, they had some info on a thing that hides away when not needed. It mounted under the splash pan and retract.

 

Unfortunately yeah but it looks decent even without a plate in person. I just added bolts/washers to connect to the holder since I preferred the extra space.

http://automotive.hardwarestore.com/...et-284281.aspx

Another option would be buying L brackets and drilling holes under the bumper. Plenty of ways around it

 

+1

Bottom line is that you'll have to get a little creative with some fab work.

No company will make a specific-vehicle fitting brackets for ALL makes/models - especially for a car like an ES350. I'd imagine they'd cater more to sports cars and the like.

If you're looking for a custom, machined, durable bracket - well you'll pay some $$ for it! I know of people on my motorcycle forums that have access to CNC machines and can make some cool stuff in their free time. Sure wish I knew a buddy who could do the same!

Mounting from underneath is a good way to go - the tough part will be finding something sturdy to mount the brackets to. Something flopping around will cause more damage to your paint and won't last.

I'm keeping track of this thread only because I might have to go this route myself if the popo bugs me.

 

I guess I do not understand the premise: if you live in a state that requires a front plate, then using the OEM Lexus front plate holder, drilled into the front bumper should not be a problem. You will not see the holes unless you remove the holder. If you sell the car in your state, the resale value would not be affected as the new owner needs to have the front plate on his registration. The dealer will not give you any more value on a trade if the holes are evident because the holder will still be intact once you remove your plate. The end loser would be someone buying the car out of state that does not have a front plate from an auction or e-bay motors.

 

This comes up every 6 months or so on my Ferrari site. Just a matter of taste so if you want to risk the inconvenience of getting a ticket and showing up in court then do it. Last guy I heard had to pay a $150 ticket and $75 court cost for his missing plate. As we go more to a police state with camera's everywhere there will be more states requiring them and more tickets handed out. Whatever floats your boat.

 

I am not against mounting the front plate when it is required by law (as in WA).

I am just looking to find a way to mount it in a way so it can be removed
later on if need be without any permanent visible markings/holes.

 

The obvious question is why?

 

I wouldn't worry about it. Our SC had a front license plate bracket when we bought it. It had a Lexus CPO plate on it at the time. The holes that were in it, IMO were just way to big and ugly. I looked into (I think they were called) Bumper Buddies, they were color matched pieces that you pushed into the holes to cover them. I decided to install a half sized Lexus plate (We only require a rear plate in Pa.) on the bracket. So let he next guy worry about it.