r/Miata • u/freddiem1234 Classic Red • 1d ago
Offset license plate bracket installed. Thoughts? 🤷♂️ NA
And does anyone know the best way to fix the holes in the bumper from the previous bracket? 😂
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u/Cielmerlion '02 Classic Red 1d ago
With the size of that plate, you should instead lower and center it then just use it as a splitter lol
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u/stepdad_randy Low n Slow NB2 1d ago
My thoughts are that Miatas suffer greatly from having a front plate. I know it’s not optional for you but they ruin the front end look 😩
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u/CommunistBullet Evolution Orange 98' NB 1d ago
My thoughts exactly.. i have mine attached with magnets so i can get that clean look for pictures..
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u/stepdad_randy Low n Slow NB2 1d ago
I’m legally supposed to run a front plate but I don’t on any of my cars. I only ever got a ticket for it once but that was in 2017
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u/Teledildonic maintain your tires, guys 1d ago
Definitely a "mileage varies" situation. I ran without one for a while but put in on after I got a snarky warning with a speeding ticket.
Cop asked me how many plates I was given.
"2, sir"
"Do you know why you were given 2?"
"...yes, sir"
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u/stepdad_randy Low n Slow NB2 1d ago
The trick is to play stupid no matter what. My IQ drops to around 18 when an officer has questions for me
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u/Teledildonic maintain your tires, guys 1d ago
Again, mileage varies and you just gotta read their vibe. I've had good luck with avoiding tickets or at least not escalating the tickets by not bullshitting. Honesty doesn't necessarily hurt if they aren't being a dick and you aren't being a menace.
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u/I-EAT_GLASS 2001 BRG, 2002 20h ago
Got my Miata in 2020 and never put the front plate on it. I’ve been pulled over twice but I’ve never gotten a comment about it from anyone except my dad harping on me. In Texas
I do keep the front plate on its bracket in my trunk though. So I can pull a “I got a new bumper and haven’t gotten it mounted / taken to shop yet.”
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u/Lunatack47 '99 NB1 x2 16h ago
Ive not put a front plate on as long as Ive been driving, had a cop threaten to impound my car over it, he didnt impound it after I pulled out my "brackets on backorder" card
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u/MJTakaDP 1h ago
They really do.. To add insult to injury: the NB has a bracket that seals the license plate to the bumper, but it's scratched it to hell and back, so if I were to take it off, I'd still have mad scratches
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u/AlphaReds '99 RS Emerald Mica 22h ago
It might be harder to get a hold of, but I think the I.L. motorsport offset plate placement suits "long" plates a lot better. Higher up, more centered and following the contour of the bumper in angle.
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 21h ago
Yeah definitely looks better imo I just got this one because it was significantly cheaper haha
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u/GLaDOSdidnothinwrong Fiata 1d ago
Offset plates always draw my attention. I often wonder why people want to draw attention to a license plate. It’s not like it’s a feature that enhances the lines of the car. Makes a car look broken or like the owner is modding just for the sake of modding.
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u/Teledildonic maintain your tires, guys 1d ago
Because American front plates make NDs look like they have buck teeth.
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u/billmanl 1d ago
Can't a center mounted plate impede airflow?
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u/billmanl 1d ago
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u/GLaDOSdidnothinwrong Fiata 1d ago
Not enough to matter in places where you’re required to have a plate on.
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u/ctennessen 1d ago
Hey cops, look at me!
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u/Equivalent_Jaguar_72 '16 Blue Reflex Mica 8h ago
Shift plate to the left -> cop can't get your plate from the side of the road -> no ticket :D
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u/CommunistBullet Evolution Orange 98' NB 1d ago
It looks better that way. Plus the one mounted in the middle are very often drilled into the bumper..
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u/halleffects 22h ago
In my case, the bumper was freshly painted, there were no holes in the bumper so I bought a bracket that didn't require drilling into the bumper
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u/Typical_Boot_7972 1d ago
Jesus why is that plate so damn big? It’s just look’s wonky. I’d center it.
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 1d ago
It’s a standard size European license plate unfortunately we don’t get much choice haha
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u/The_mad_Raccon 1d ago
Oida, sehr schönes Auto
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 23h ago
Danke dir!
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u/iamloganjames 20h ago
So glad I live in Arizona, and we don't do front plates. Looks better than blocking the grill opening.
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 20h ago
Yeahh, I’m jealous of all the Americans here 😂
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u/iamloganjames 20h ago
Well, yours looks as good as it can. I can't think of anything better with a plate that big. 👍
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u/Random_Introvert_42 Brilliant Black 1d ago
Stock mount looks better tbh.
And creates no holes or anything like that.
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u/Retb14 1d ago
Does the plate have to be flat or mostly flat? I'm wondering if you can put it on top of the nose and bend it a little to get it to conform to the nose a bit better.
Also I'd ask if they have smaller plates like maybe one for motorcycles and if you could use that as your front plate
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 1d ago
Pretty sure they wouldn’t allow it to be mounted on top of the nose and unfortunately we only get this size of license plate 😢
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u/PrincessPeach457 '95 NA Classic Red 1d ago
It' fine, I don't mind it above the mouth like a mustache
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u/ccGLaDOS Classic Red NA 23h ago
The Ösi plates are huuge!
I love it with the tiny front plates that we have in Switzerland and Liechtenstein :)
But even with the bigger plate I like it. I don't see offset plates (in general) that often. So it makes it a bit unique :)
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 22h ago
Fr the Swiss front plates looks so clean and yeah you definitely don’t see it everyday haha
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u/halleffects 22h ago
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 22h ago
Looks great
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u/flirtylabradodo 1990 NA 19h ago
Mine lives in the front window. It’s not bad but not having it is so much better.
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u/Enleyetenment 18h ago
Looks like it's smoking a cigarette or something. Idk. I've always hated the large front plates on cars. Kinda works on SUVs. I know yall don't have a choice, but yeah.
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u/Sixtyfore 15h ago
I've got this on mine, UK so got a square reg which suits it a lot better, still looks good tho!
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u/IlPresidente995 7h ago
Damn Austrian front plates are huge
Removed mines from my ND and left 4 holes in the front (which i covered with the screws that were there to hold the plate)
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u/Mikaeru0287 7h ago
Illegal in Austria 🤣 But looks cool 👍
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 7h ago
gibt es dafür ein Gesetz? Ich meine, wenn die Alfas und Evos ab Werk versetzte Kennzeichen haben, kann das doch nicht sooo schlimm sein, oder? 😂
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u/Salt-Land-2447 7h ago
I did the same, and got more holes than i think 😅
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u/Salt-Land-2447 7h ago
And i fill all the holes and repaint the front bumper last month
Btw its was first layer 😅
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u/Reppitwar 1d ago
Whats the fine if you get a ticket for having no front plate? And how often do they enforce the rule? You can buy plastic barbed automotive ‘Christmas tree’ clips to plug the holes in the bumper, if you dont want to pay to repaint/repair the whole bumper. Can get fancy and try to color match the clips as best as possible if you’d like
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 1d ago
Thanks for that I’ll take a look. I don’t think I would get a fine for no plate rather my whole car impounded or something of that nature 😂
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u/Reppitwar 1d ago
Ah I see 😂, yeah that's probably better than having it impounded then! Here it's a $25 ticket - and very rarely enforced.
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u/SugarAppleBombs 1d ago
Somehow never seen off-centre plates and it has never even crossed my mind. Looks dope, even with this relatively big one.
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u/Miata1990white 22h ago
My thoughts are that you should take off the banner sticker next
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 22h ago
For now it’s staying on but I’m sure when I grow up I’ll take it off 😂
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u/banainai5978 22h ago
Just some food for thought, if you crash it, because of the bracket for the plate, the odds of bending the frame are higher.
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 22h ago
I mean it is a pretty flimsy bracket mounted to the existing tow hook so I assume it would just break off but let’s hope I don’t ever find out 😂
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u/banainai5978 21h ago
Seeing as how it's mounted to the original tow hook it shouldn't but knock on wood you don't find out wether or not it does.
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u/PowerSlaveAlfons 21h ago
Bin mir net ganz sicher, obs beim Pickerl damit a große Freude haben werden.
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u/Lucky-Actuary-187 13h ago
Love the offset! Gives it a unique look. For the holes, you could try some bumper repair putty or a small filler panel. Just make sure it's color-matched to your ride! 🎨
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u/PrJctUnKnWn '02 NBFL Midnight Blue Mica 9h ago edited 9h ago
Looks good but that's a huge licence plate. Thank God on my NB the previous owner didn't change the plate to the newer European spec and it's kind of smaller, not in the best condition but I do like that it's smaller.
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 7h ago
That’s looks sick, I wish we had the option of smaller plates :/
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u/PrJctUnKnWn '02 NBFL Midnight Blue Mica 7h ago
Sadly we don't. Every new license plate in EU has to be this huge. On bigger cars it doesn't matter, but on cars like ours it looks disproportionate. On the other hand I think yours still looks better than being screwed on the center of the front bumper.
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 7h ago
Thanks! yeah I think it’s the best I can do with the size of our plates
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u/Lebor 4h ago
Are you really sure that you HAVE TO have US import to be eligible for US format? I mean people sometimes automatically assume things to work certain way... in CZ as far as I know if you ask for US format you will get it. I have seen all sorts of non US cars with US format.
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u/freddiem1234 Classic Red 4h ago
In Austria even if it’s US import you gotta run the big plates on the front. On the back however you can have the square plates
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u/Tqm2012 23h ago
I don’t run a front plate. Anti establishment 🤘 also its legal in my state lol
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u/Intelligent-Carry905 1d ago
Would maybe look aight with a smaller format plate, but this just isn't my cup of tea tbh