[TTG]

I have lived in Europe for many years and there is a way of putting front plates without drilling holes....? Why can't ED people leave the darn bumper alone?

There are couple of 3M products that will secure the plate on without drilling any holes.....

So is it possible to let them know that you would like to install your own front plate???

[Ghunger]

I don't believe there's any way around it, but you should go look on bimmerfest. It's been discussed a couple hundred times over there so I'm sure if someone's done it, it'll be posted there.

[SoYank]

Here's a twist to the saga. I have a 12"x6" plate on the front and a British 550mmx110mm plate on the back. I want the 550mmx110mm also on the front because what I have looks horrid. The front bracket was mounted with two self-tapping screws straight into the bumper. The back plate was mounted using the holes already there but without the 12"x6" bracket.

I thought about using the double sided foam tape and mounting the front plate straight to the bumper but the nose of the car has a curve. The plate is plexiglass and doesn't hold a bend so to mount the plate I need to fasten it at the ends. This is outside the area covered by the current front bracket and when the vehicle finally arrives in the U.S. in a couple of years time these holes will be blemishes. I also worry that the mounting tape would pull away from the bumper and be lost, or worse, damage the paint when I shift back to a U.S. sized plate.

I have, therefore, elected to order the front plate bracket for the M-sport bumper and paint it the body color (should be in tomorrow) and hopefully the curvature of the bracket matches the curvature of the bumper so I can afix it with screws in the area presently covered by the current bracket.

A painted bracket costs £95 ($180) whereas a primed, unpainted one costs £21 and a can of body colored paint is an additional £6. I think I am skilled enough to paint the bracket and save £67.

[andrew 330i]

Originally Posted by CALIF65GM

Andrew the OP is doing an ED = Munich pick-up; so whatever your suggestions might be will not apply.

now it makes sense... thanks!

[SoYank]

Got my M-sport number plate bracket todayand I might as well have not. It matches the curvature of the bumper for the most part but will require at leat two holes drilled 500mm apart which is exactly what I was hoping to avoid. The bracket also has a clip along the bottom that doesn't engage with my non M-sport bumper so, to use the bracket I will have to cut that part off. Then I have to paint it.

I guess when it's time to go back to the smaller plate I can have the holes filled at my friendly neighborhood body shop and the bumper painted. That's going to be no sooner than 2008. I really do want the longer, European plate.

Any suggestions?