Repair Front Bumper Lic Plate holes

[AZTB]

Jim how about a cute vanity plate?

Thanks, great suggestion but I don't do those, Gene - plus, I'm more inclined to like a smooth front bumper with no plate at all.

In my area there are companies that do on sight repairs of bumpers for a fraction of the cost of a body shop. You might want to consider having that done.

thanks...if this doesn't work I'll look into it.

[EllisonCal]

There are still 31 states that require a front and rear license plate. Why? To me it is like wearing a name tag on the front of your shirt and another on the back. We get a new license plate every 10 years. If you replace the car your plate is moved to the next car. You just get a little sticker that you buy and place on the lower right corner of the tag each year. The plate is thicker than a one year only license plate and easily lasts for the time you have to wait for a new one. Saves the State money too.

[007Cruiser]

There are still 31 states that require a front and rear license plate. Why? To me it is like wearing a name tag on the front of your shirt and another on the back. We get a new license plate every 10 years. If you replace the car your plate is moved to the next car. You just get a little sticker that you buy and place on the lower right corner of the tag each year. The plate is thicker than a one year only license plate and easily lasts for the time you have to wait for a new one. Saves the State money too.

Police vehicles now have license plate readers. When they pass you in the opposite direction, it checks a database of cars that are being sought. A fugitive murder suspect was recently caught near here using this technology. No front plate, no ability to check.

[Rodeo Joe]

Toll readers up here.

Joe

[BLACK BEAUTY]

There is a company in Ocala, Fl. that specializes in bumper repair and is used by most of the dealerships. They charged me $250 to redo the front facia. To remove the front emblem and fill the holes was another $50. This was on Black Beauty. I'm leaving Baby Blue stock

[EllisonCal]

Police vehicles now have license plate readers. When they pass you in the opposite direction, it checks a database of cars that are being sought. A fugitive murder suspect was recently caught near here using this technology. No front plate, no ability to check.

I didn't know that. Maybe South Carolina doesn't have the front plates because they don't have that technology yet. Do you know if it has to be triggered by the police officer, or whether it scans every license plate it sees?

[007Cruiser]

I didn't know that. Maybe South Carolina doesn't have the front plates because they don't have that technology yet. Do you know if it has to be triggered by the police officer, or whether it scans every license plate it sees?

Reads them all. There are also similar readers along highways that do similar checks. We are definitely in the age of big brother.

[AZTB]

Steve Legel wrote an article on doing this without plugs for the ITC magazine. I no longer have it but you could try sending an email. That said, the plugs sound like a satisfactory fix.

Here's Steve's response:

There are two choices to fill the holes.

1. Buy the simple Christmas tree push in retainers, and touch up paint and detail them up by lightly scuffing the surface and painting them before pushing them into the existing holes.

2. Body work type project. You’ll need to use a dremel tool to remove any hanging bumper material from the back of the holes where the drill went through and left tags of elastomeric material. Then you need to scuff the inside and outside of the hole about Ľ inch all around both sides to roughen the surface and make an indentation to have bulk fill. You can tape some cardboard to the back side of the bumper to make a matrix to fill against with the repair material. At an auto paint supply store you can purchase elastomeric bumper fill/repair material. Apply it like body filler to the smooth edges of your prepared surface. Allow to harden and detail sand the surface smooth. The area is bigger now than the head of a push in plug would be so you will need to order up a spray can’s worth of touch up. Paint supply stores seldom mixes small batches and you’ll have tone left over.

3. If the lower fascia has suffered stone ships you could consider having a body shop do the repair and paint the entire lower fascia and dress it up to look new again.

Steven Legel

ITC Retro Bird Tech Editor

[007Cruiser]

Thanks for passing on the info.

[BLACK BEAUTY]

Here's Steve's response:

There are two choices to fill the holes.

1. Buy the simple Christmas tree push in retainers, and touch up paint and detail them up by lightly scuffing the surface and painting them before pushing them into the existing holes.

2. Body work type project. You’ll need to use a dremel tool to remove any hanging bumper material from the back of the holes where the drill went through and left tags of elastomeric material. Then you need to scuff the inside and outside of the hole about Ľ inch all around both sides to roughen the surface and make an indentation to have bulk fill. You can tape some cardboard to the back side of the bumper to make a matrix to fill against with the repair material. At an auto paint supply store you can purchase elastomeric bumper fill/repair material. Apply it like body filler to the smooth edges of your prepared surface. Allow to harden and detail sand the surface smooth. The area is bigger now than the head of a push in plug would be so you will need to order up a spray can’s worth of touch up. Paint supply stores seldom mixes small batches and you’ll have tone left over.

3. If the lower fascia has suffered stone ships you could consider having a body shop do the repair and paint the entire lower fascia and dress it up to look new again.

Steven Legel

ITC Retro Bird Tech Editor

I did step two with chips removed...

[AZTB]

Before and after...

fullsizeoutput_222b.jpegfullsizeoutput_222c.jpeg

[Lakebum]

That came out great Jim

[AZTB]

thanks John...the independent auto paint dealer did an INCREDIBLE job of matching the IG color.

[007Cruiser]

Very nice, Jim. Worked out great.

[Birdlover]

Good job !