R56 Drilling holes for license plate
#1
Drilling holes for license plate
when should i tell my dealer to not drill the holes? i would assume as early as possible but then i worry it may be too early and hed forget.... what have you guys done? btw.. in cali we are suppose to have a license plate in front but i think it really ruins the look and am willing to risk getting pulled over for it... ive seen plenty of cars running without it so im not too worried.
#2
#3
Ping on your dealer about it early and often. Also, in some cases, I've heard that dealers have required buyers to sign a waiver if you want them to deliver the car without the front license plate holes, so ask about that when you ask them not to drill the holes.
( I wouldn't care about the waiver from a legal standpoint, but if you have a signed waiver that you've asked them not to drill the holes, that gives you a little more leverage with them if they forget and drill the holes anyway).
( I wouldn't care about the waiver from a legal standpoint, but if you have a signed waiver that you've asked them not to drill the holes, that gives you a little more leverage with them if they forget and drill the holes anyway).
#5
I've yet to get stopped for not having the front plate, but I'm faced with the same decision next week when the plates come in for my new '07. I personally don't mind the holes if I'm going to run the front plate, and am thinking of doing it just to reduce my odds of getting stopped... I don't really want to give the police/troopers any excuses. An over-zealous officer stopped me two days ago because the dealer put a date on the temp plate that was too far in advance!
#7
Never too early - While I was putting in my order I'd give him a big yellow post-it note with "NO HOLES IN FRONT BUMPER!" written on it to put on the front of your folder.
Thankfully, in NC we don't have a front plate - although the NC HP has been pushing for one for years (they may eventually win). Before I'd drill a hole in the car, I'd buy one of those 'no holes' plate holders.
Thankfully, in NC we don't have a front plate - although the NC HP has been pushing for one for years (they may eventually win). Before I'd drill a hole in the car, I'd buy one of those 'no holes' plate holders.
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#8
I have the bost of both worlds. Being stationed in NC I don't have to run a front license plate, but when I go home to Ohio Imma put on the no holes mount which is waiting at home for me. I told my MA who was pretty reliable, then he quit and the new MA contacted me, and the first thing I told him was dont drill the front. He said they dont do it until you're there picking it up, probably just for this very reason.
#10
Moritz waited until I took delivery to ask. I opted to go without, since I feel it will most likely be one of those things they will only enforce when they have decided to write you up on everything. If I get pulled over for it, I will put one on. Where can I get a no-holes license plate bracket?
#14
yours only
That's your opinion only, gokartride! You're welcome to it, but many of us view a big PLATE on the front of our cars as UGLY.
I haven't run a front plate on a car I've owned here in California ever. In my life. OK, my vintage 62 Cooper had the UK plate, for obvious reasons. IF I ever get tagged, I have the NO HOLES kit ready to install so I can get the ticket signed off, and off it comes again. I also have the NO HOLES kit in case I travel out of state. Happy driving!!!
As to the dealer: Had me sign a release that I was NOT having them install the front plate mounting when I picked the car up. They had the waiver papers in the file from the day I ordered the car, so no holes were drilled.
"looks better"?? Would a license plate make the Mona Lisa look better?? The Statue Of Liberty? I don't think so.
"NAM: Where group therapy meets the road"
I haven't run a front plate on a car I've owned here in California ever. In my life. OK, my vintage 62 Cooper had the UK plate, for obvious reasons. IF I ever get tagged, I have the NO HOLES kit ready to install so I can get the ticket signed off, and off it comes again. I also have the NO HOLES kit in case I travel out of state. Happy driving!!!
As to the dealer: Had me sign a release that I was NOT having them install the front plate mounting when I picked the car up. They had the waiver papers in the file from the day I ordered the car, so no holes were drilled.
"looks better"?? Would a license plate make the Mona Lisa look better?? The Statue Of Liberty? I don't think so.
"NAM: Where group therapy meets the road"
Last edited by surfblue; 10-05-2007 at 11:12 AM. Reason: dealer
#15
#16
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When I picked up my car at niello, I told Mark my sales rep. to not drill holes in the bumper, he figured id call him about it, so once the car came in, he took the bracket out of the car, but I think i had to sign a form saying i cant sue or blame anything on the dealership
Last edited by sirr6; 10-05-2007 at 05:37 PM.
#17
Absolutely...my opinion. I'd never argue with anyone on this but I do think (again...my opinion) that there has been a long-standing knee-jerk aversion to not installing the front plate which, frankly, made some sense as the whole design of R50/53 was far less accomodating to a front plate. I do think things are a bit different on R56. I'd rather have a front plate mounted (right where it belongs under normal contitions) than stare at those meaningless dimples and seams in my bumper that would be totally hidden (and cleaned up) by the mounting of a front plate. The R56 bumper is so much wider and blank than R50/53, whose split grill actually broke things up a bit...and who wanted to ruin that? Nevermind the whole legality issue which has bitten many a MINI owner.
Again...I'm not trying to argue, just sharing one opinion that will make sense to some and not to others. The no-holes option was very elegant solution for R50/53 but before folks start outlaying cash for their R56 I just suggest they think it through from a variety of perspectives...often not all of these get a fair hearing. There's pros...there's cons. Make your choice and have fun!!! MINI has given us a nice front plate option and there's no reason to pretend that things on the bumper are as fouled up as we might have thought at another time.
Again...I'm not trying to argue, just sharing one opinion that will make sense to some and not to others. The no-holes option was very elegant solution for R50/53 but before folks start outlaying cash for their R56 I just suggest they think it through from a variety of perspectives...often not all of these get a fair hearing. There's pros...there's cons. Make your choice and have fun!!! MINI has given us a nice front plate option and there's no reason to pretend that things on the bumper are as fouled up as we might have thought at another time.
#18
I've yet to get stopped for not having the front plate, but I'm faced with the same decision next week when the plates come in for my new '07. I personally don't mind the holes if I'm going to run the front plate, and am thinking of doing it just to reduce my odds of getting stopped... I don't really want to give the police/troopers any excuses. An over-zealous officer stopped me two days ago because the dealer put a date on the temp plate that was too far in advance!
#19
I do think things are a bit different on R56. I'd rather have a front plate mounted (right where it belongs under normal contitions) than stare at those meaningless dimples and seams in my bumper that would be totally hidden (and cleaned up) by the mounting of a front plate. . . . MINI has given us a nice front plate option and there's no reason to pretend that things on the bumper are as fouled up as we might have thought at another time.
As a side note, Missouri is changing their relatively bland license plate to one with a freakin' bluebird on it. UGH... Why why why can't we have the option of ordering just a plain black on white plate??? We can order any school or fraternal order or endangered animal or fungus, but there is nothing for the understated or colorphobic or minimalist.
#20
#22
back on topic, Ive seen a few cars in some of the pic threads with what looks like a segmented piece of the bumper where I assume the plate holes would normally be. is that normal or some mod? Ill try to find one of the pics if no one knows what Im referring to.
#23
cars without plates arent exactly stealth objects to radar, but they essentially are to red light cameras. without the front plates, they have no identification and no one to send the tickets. for every car without a front plate that runs a red, the city (or county/state/whatever) loses out on $300 or whatever they charge.
#24
cars without plates arent exactly stealth objects to radar, but they essentially are to red light cameras. without the front plates, they have no identification and no one to send the tickets. for every car without a front plate that runs a red, the city (or county/state/whatever) loses out on $300 or whatever they charge.
#25
When I picked up my car at niello, I told Mark my sales rep. to not drill holes in the bumper, he figured id call him about it, so once the car came in, he took the bracket out of the car, but I think i had to sign a form saying i cant sue or blame anything on the dealership
looks like we have the same sales rep! i just emailed him and he said he would take care of it. did you eventually sign a waiver or something? i dont mind signing it.
As for the front plate radar thing.... im willing to bet that having a front plate is negligible when getting the radar to read correctly.