My license plate mounting modification

so one of slight annoyances with the front bumper of the Tacoma is that there is not a proper mounting solution for the license plate. the dealer just drills 2 holes in the bumper and you screw the plate into them.



when I first got the truck, I didn't use a license plate frame and every time I went through the carwash, the rotating brushes would bend the plate because it was not sitting flush with the bumper because of the curve to the bumper. so I put on a front plate frame hoping that would fix the problem, but the bushes still would pull on the frame. so I went to home depot and found a thin piece of sheet metal and cut it down to fit behind the plate. this made the plate and frame very sturdy, but the metal ended up rusting and dripping down on the bumper.

you can see the rust dripping down in this picture. I keep trying to clean it off, but it always shows:



I have been looking for a good solution to this problem for a while now. I have been searching many forums, asking friends, and doing exhaustive searches online. It took a while, but I found the perfect solution at the Toyota dealer of all places. This modification made the bumper a different color, however, but at least there is a good license plate mounting location. as you can see, there is no more rust either:



in fact, the whole front of the truck is cleaner. all the little rock chips in the paint are gone now:



from all the off roading in the Tacoma, the wheels had been getting dinged and scratched. once the finish on the wheels was compromised, it started to peel off. I was thinking about replacing the wheels, but this modification also took care of that:



I was also facing some expensive maintenance issues. I was in need of new brakes and tires and the dealer was reporting some signs of wear with the suspension that would need to be addressed. but this mod took care of that as well.

unfortunately, this modification does not allow the truck to fit in the garage anymore, but I think its worth parking the truck in the drive way:



I know this modification might be a little expensive, but I highly recommend it to anyone who is having license plate mounting issues.

 

Pretty funny! In all seriousness, I have produced a no-holes license plate bracket and very soon will be launching versions for all 2nd generation Tacomas. Check out:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/my-take-on-a-no-holes-license-plate-bracket.339991/

It would have been a cheaper solution, but your solution offers value in other ways!

 

That's a funny read. New mod probably has a better ride too.

 

yup, it is smooth and quiet.

 

I've been thinking hard about doing this modification too, but I've sunk too much money in the taco. Hmmm..

 

yup. I lucked out. my local Toyota dealer was having a 3 day sale and I got 0% for 60 month financing and $1500 cash back. Plus they gave me $19k for the trade in. that was cheaper than all the things that I needed to do to the Tacoma.

 

Probably not the cheapest mod, but a mod nonetheless. LOL.

 

Congrats. I'm planning on doing this same mod next year!

 

That was brilliant ! Now you got my wheels turning. If I had sticks and twigs in the bed, I bet a Tonnenu cover would fix that.

 

I just bought a plastic backer plate at Auto Zone and zip tied to the lower grill below bumper. Could have used mount brackets on Nfab but did not like location.

 

Does it rub any? If not, that's actually a pretty smart way to do it, although watch out because I know there have been cops who say that zip ties are not an appropriate way to attach a license plate.

 

I drilled through my plate to center it horizontally on the bumper and put washers behind it. It stands away enough that the edges don't scratch the paint, and will not obstruct an led bar in the future.

 

lol... nice

 

I hear that mod also adds interior room, bud severely limits MPG's

 

Great job NetMonkey! Haha it took me a while to figure out what the hell you were talking about in your first post....coffee hadn't kicked in yet. Beautiful truck...congratulations!

 

very true. but with the 38 gallon tank, I could get 494-684 mile range.... hah... if the EPA ratings on the sticker were true. we shall see

 

thanks

 

Not sure but some 3m tape on back side would protect bumper