1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Front Plate

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by romad, Aug 25, 2018.

  1. romad

    romad 2004 Prīus Base Former Owner (Sold 13 May 22)

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2006
    320
    57
    3
    Location:
    Prescott, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
  2. MickyMatter

    MickyMatter Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2015
    260
    166
    0
    Location:
    Germany
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Why do you use this plate? Are you free to choose a number and size?

    BTW, this plate was used by (West) German Customs between 1977 and 1988 for exporting cars, only.
    I would like to say, that there aren't many of these. (But I don't know it for sure.)
     
  3. romad

    romad 2004 Prīus Base Former Owner (Sold 13 May 22)

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2006
    320
    57
    3
    Location:
    Prescott, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Basically it is because Arizona is a one plate state and it is on the rear. So I asked my wife what she wanted on the front plate bracket, thinking something for her Staten Island roots or maybe Alfred University. She said why not the zoll frei plate from when we bought our first VW Jetta in 1981 when we were stationed in Germany by the USAF?

    We bought a California spec Jetta but had to go to Luxembourg to pick it up. So we took the train from Bremerhaven on Memorial Day weekend in May 1981 to Luxembourg, picked up the car with the plates on it, and drove it back to Bremerhaven. The day after Memorial Day, I got it registered with the US Military and got the US plates. We were allowed to keep the temp plates. One we gave to her brother for his license plate collection and we kept the other one.

    The pictured plate is actually a replica I had made using the numbering off the original plate because the real one has two holes punched in the plate so it could be attached to the US spec bumper and plate locations. Unfortunately those holes don't line up with the plate mounting points on the Prius bracket so I would have to either drilled more holes it the plate or make an adapter. I really didn't like the holes that had been punched in the plate back in 1981, so I went to licenseplates.tv and had the replica made.
    Oh, for my 2005 VW Jetta Wagon TDI GLS, I custom designed a front plate; for my 1990 Mazda Miata, it looks better without a plate on the front.
     
    #3 romad, Aug 25, 2018
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2018
    MickyMatter likes this.
  4. MickyMatter

    MickyMatter Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2015
    260
    166
    0
    Location:
    Germany
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Thank you for posting your interesting story!
     
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,472
    38,103
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
  6. romad

    romad 2004 Prīus Base Former Owner (Sold 13 May 22)

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2006
    320
    57
    3
    Location:
    Prescott, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    It isn't any different than all the other myriad plates seen on the fronts of cars in AZ, NC, and other 1 plate cars. In AZ, front plates are considered optional.

    Also, in the article you cited, I'm sure they were talking about other US standard state plates (including Canada and Mexico) being used on the front. Since the German oval plate is obviously NOT a standard issued plate, I don't think even the PA troopers would be confused.

    However, this brings up another story.

    In 1979, I'd come back from Germany and picked up my car with its US Army Europe (USAREUR) plates at the US Army Port Bayonne in NJ. Driving across country, I broke down in Nevada. While waiting for a tow truck, a Nevada Highway patrolman stopped to see if I needed help and used his patrol car to push my car to a slightly safer area on the roadside. He saw my USAREUR plates and asked what they were and I explained I'd just came back from Germany and these were the plates issued to private vehicles there by the US military under the Status of Forces Agreement between the US & Germany.
     
    #6 romad, Aug 26, 2018
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2018
  7. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,604
    8,036
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Lots of cars have lots of issues on how much grief a plate can be, especially in the front. Some don't even like the notion of a flat plate messing with a car's low drag CD.
    Here's how Yours Truly remedied the situation for under $5 - & a high-end digital Canon camera, a similar quality laser printer, & a search for non- photo chemically reactive media .... One word; Vinyl.

    20180320_140212-1.jpg

    20180320_140149-1.jpg
    Maybe on the next iteration I'll take a photo with a nice Chrome license plate frame around it.
    ;)
    .
     
  8. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    They make chrome vinyl? :D
     
  9. romad

    romad 2004 Prīus Base Former Owner (Sold 13 May 22)

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2006
    320
    57
    3
    Location:
    Prescott, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Nice job. I like how the white of the "plate" merges with the white of the car. Similar to how my old California blue & yellow plate merged into the blue of my Miata's body color.
     
    hill likes this.
  10. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    19,604
    8,036
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    nope ....

    [​IMG]

    but a picture can still 'look' chrome ...
     
    Prodigyplace likes this.
  11. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,696
    11,317
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Actually they do...