Buzzbomb

Thanks cxSHOE

This How-To applies to turbo'd cars that don't want to block their intercoolers. This how to won't work on very lowered cars.


After installing my turbo kit, I wanted a different place for my license plate that didn’t block as much of the intercooler. I wish I could go plate-less in the front but a bright blue Civic doesn’t exactly blend in.



After looking at the front of the car, I decided a good place to put the plate would be in the lower lip area on the passenger side. I wanted to get it as low as I could without worrying about scraping on inclines. I decided on the passenger side because I didn’t want to block any air going to the hot side of the intercooler.

These are the supplies I purchased:

One sheet of 8” x 24” sheet metal.
Two 1” rubber bushings
Two 1” OD stainless washers, ¼” ID
Two 3/8” plastic washer
Two 1” hex head stainless bolts, M6 x 1.0
Two ½” Phillips head stainless bolts, M6 x 1.0
Two stainless nuts, M6 x 1.0
Rust inhibiting primer and black spray paint.




I first cut the sheet down to 8” x 11 ¾”. I determined this length by the length of the plate. I went in slightly on each side for a cleaner look. I then got under the car and removed 2 of the bolts holding on the front lip. The holes are 7” apart, center-to-center. This is where the bracket will be fastened.



I then went to the sheet metal and drilled 2 holes for the lip bolts and then two more holes for the license plate on the other end. The holes for the lip side I placed 7 “ apart and aprox. 1” up. To locate the plate holes I just laid the plate down over it and drilled.



It would be nice to have a sheet metal bender about now. I did not have one and had to use my imagination. I place the bend 1-1/2” up. The bend is at the end that the license plate will be bolted to. I gave the bend an angle of about 60 degrees. This will angle the plate down a little more and direct some air up into the grill.

After a test fit, primer and paint, I mounted the license plate to the bracket with the ½” Phillips bolts, the two nuts, and small plastic washers.

For the lip side I cut down the rubber washers so there was enough bolt going through to securely fasten the bracket, but still kept the bracket away from the lip itself. I don’t have a measurement for that, you’ll just have to test fit to your liking.





The 1” washer is for the bolt head side. You can use a smaller one if you want, I wanted more surface area for the bolt to transfer pressure to. I also cut some vacuum line I had lying around into strips and glued them on the lip side to act as a cushion if I did bottom out the bracket.





Bolt it in and there you go!








Modified by Buzzbomb at 10:47 AM 10/15/2006

fventura03

iTrader: (1)

sorry but that looks hella gay. i'm sure anyone slammed would scrape that so bad.

but props on doing it yourself, just doesnt look right.

Sleepy_Red_hatch

not bad! i wish i could do this, but i'd be ripping my plate off left and right....lowered stance + canada = horrible

cxSHOE

np. and your turbo is nice and keep it safe

dohcVTECeg2

nice front mount

simplegreenmachine

props on the DIy but it looks goofy and im sure it would scrape everywhere if your car was lowered

EK tommy

nice DIY

fventura03

iTrader: (1)

if you kept it in its intended location, i'm sure it'd block as much air as you're blocking right now...which is like 1" from the mouth of the bumper.

why are you so worried about the air though, how much power would you lose by having an inch of your bumper blocked? if any.

just makes me feel some people try too hard to impress others. but if you like it, thats all that matters.

0618turbocivic

hate plates in the front of cars, inside the windshield pass side for me but this nice DIY

Heretic:Si

nice diy, really nice car . but i bet the stock location blocks the same amount of air as that and looks alot better. i would just leave it stock, ditch the lower bracket and bend the bottom of the plate in a little, my $0.02.

0618turbocivic

cut the plate euro style and put it back in stock place

Si_chRis

can you put your plate in the window in the city or town where your live?

0618turbocivic

not suppose to i been told by cops when stop for other things that should be in front but i still keep it in windshield never got ticket for it, just the burb cops are more on that than city.... but you can cut it to where only the numbers or letters are showing and wont block anything where stock plate should go

1slow4dr

thats nice

EF'n_91

looks aight props on the DIY

wudini

im pretty sure you can't cut your plate.

jdm_dc_fan

iTrader: (1)

wouldn't it be worse their because its right at the mouth of the intercooler pipeing? just a thought

iriemark

iTrader: (1)

wow that's low...

aren't you afraid of it flying off (along with your lip and maybe even your bumper) after hitting an unexpected bump or dip on the freeway?

jdm_dc_fan

iTrader: (1)

but still looks like good craftmanship. I like how you have your IP higher on your IC so you can keep your fogs. looks good

0618turbocivic

you can cut the front plate the backs the one with the sticker

Caoboy

that's wack. your stock location isn't THAT bad, and it looks a helluva lot better than where it is now. You only put it where you did, because you dont want to block your oh so cool foglights, where you could have just put it with a plate relocater/garage steel. either keep it off, or put it in your window. your grill on the bumper probably blocks as much airflow as the license plate does...