took mine off when i got the car...got my first speeding ticket 2 days ago and the cop walked to the front of the car looked down then walked back and wrote my ticket. never said a word? but 2 years ago in my Ford Ranger i made a legal u-turn in front of a cop and the he pulled me over for not having front plates...sucks to cause i had it in the car but i had a warrant out and ended up going to jail. oh well, live and learn.

 

Doh !

 

If you are lucky enough, you can get away with. But for me, I rather avoid the hazzle.

 

same here.. thats Why i just try not to fight the law.. at least thet one. I dont need cops looking any more closely thatn they do now.

 

Added Tip: If you use the original DIY procedure, you can secure the third (lowest) point of the plate holder throught the grill with a bolt. Use large washer and nut to secure it behing the grill.

 

$4 license plate bracket from Pep Boys. Uses the original mounting points. The plate's also creased a little to cant the bottom inward and it's on the dealer's plate frame mounted behind the plate to hold the bottom.

 

looking good specially with a yellow rotary accent

 

A plate holder is available that allows to mount the plate in the lowest possible position about 7" above the road surface, instead of on the cooler grill.
The holder is made from ABS plastics and consists of two parts. One is put behind where the front rotary accent can be placed and is screwed together with the other part attached from the front. No drilling is required, no hurting of any part of the RX-8. Any kind of plate can be fixed on this holder with two screws.

The holder can be seen here:
http://www.ctd-germany.com/shops/rx8/shop_n/index.php
(Click on "Exterior" and find the Licence Plate Holder!)

See the attached pic to get an impression!

 

That's neat but:
- it blocks quite a bit of the airflow going to the radiator
- not sure how well it would work with the taller license plates like the ones in the USA
- covers the rotary accent

 

I did a similar mounting as G-ReX above - 1) due to wanting to mitigate the buck-toothed look and 2) I was beginning to get some chaffing of my paint from the OEM plate holder flexing (front nose above the upper right-hand plate mounting screw).

I too found my mounting plate at PepBoys, although I think mine is a different style that G-ReX's. PepBoys' SKU number for the mounting plate I used is 79150, manufactured by Cruiser Accessories. The price was $7.00. The mounting plate is ABS plastic and the mounting slots allow for the use of the original mounting bolts built into the grill. The plate's mounting frame does not touch any painted body part.

I've attached photos to show the mounting and final look.

 

That's not a bad solution, Thew. But I have an idea that might help reduce the plate's visibility further.

Ever see those plastic covers sold to keep your plates nice and clean? They're sort of like this:

http://amos.shop.com/amos/cc/main/ca...se-Plate-Cover

Anyway, go for the darkest tint you can. I've seen some really dark tints in auto supply stores, and that should help let the plate blend in a bit visually with the black grille, and make it less obvious.

 

No plate tinty covers allowed in TX.

 

I first mounted my plate in the lower rad opening and it took over a year before I got a ticket (the police were on a blitz on modified cars). I tried mounting real low like RX_nbg but it kept hitting the ground. I made a new bracket to keep it low but not into the grill. You can see it in my avatar or in the photo here.

 

Hi Tertou,
I have also removed the front plate from the grill and placed it down below and atatched in the same way using L brackets. It looks much better and does not cause any heating problems with normal day to day driving.

 

or you could do this mod, grab front plate and stick inside cabin on passenger side windshield, most cops won't bother, but if the occasional **** chp (california highway patrol) stops you, just argue that your holder broke and that your plate is visible anyways, worked for me, and had the satisfaction of giving the cop a smug smile as the judge said "dismissed"

 

I got 1-2 miles per gallon more when I removed my plate.

But I have the RB ram air duct where the license plate normally blocks 60% of it.

 

on the legality of front plates, check your legislation. It often has loopholes, in my state in Australia we have a little known rule that effectively says "you must have a front plate unless your vehicle can't have them mounted, you must have a rear plate no exceptions".

 

Nice!

 

Hello all,

Bought myself an RX-8 a couple of days ago and the front plate blew off on the way home I'm in the UK so front plates are a legal requirement. The plate took the mount with it, so while I'm waiting for my dealer to get the mount kit in I've built my own holder. I think it looks pretty good. Didn't need any drilling or damage to the bumper either

 

I like the original DIY in this thread. Really easy to do. I just used two self-tapping screws that were the same size as the original machine screws. Nothing on the bottom. Been holding fine for two years now.

As far as looks go...just get yourself a plate that says something your car will approve of. See attached.

Ken

 

My 8 didn't even COME with a front plate... only a rear one. Never got hasseled for it though thank god. *knock on wood*

Also, the 8 just doesn't look right with a front plate.

 

im about to take my plate off.. it is mounted lower like this but i still think it looks bad.. ill just keep it in the trunk.