Sometimes I obsess over dumb stuff.

The plates for my daughter’s new Subie came the other day and she asked me to put them on for her. I have always put our plates on with SS capscrew Allen or torx machine screws backed with nylock nuts to make it difficult for someone to take a plate off as opposed to the usual sheet metal screws used for this purpose.

It would be unlikely anyone could pull the plate without the proper tools as you can’t get a pair of pliers on a capscrew and the drag from the nylocks make it too difficult to shove a screwdriver in and turn. Impossible to defeat? No, but enough of a pain to prompt someone to move on. For some damn reason, getting your plate stolen is not uncommon, especially where I work. Apparently, if you have personalized plates and the tagged one is stolen, it’s gone forever.

Anyway, I changed up my plate game a little because my daughter wanted something a little different on her Subie and I noticed a scratch on my own plate when I changed my tags which made me think someone tried a screwdriver on it. I made a simple dimple die with a spacer and used pan head screws. My daughter wanted black fasteners, all flush and wanted the plate frame from her college on the car.
Cut the dimple with a countersink using a drill press.
Smoothed it with a bit of sandpaper and radiused the edge.
Used a pan head screw as the other side of the die and tightened it together.
Makes a nice dimple which allows the pan head machine screw fit flush. Now I can use her plate frame (which covers the bottom screws)have the look she wants, and have four screws holding the plate. Now I’m going to pull the plate on my truck and the ones on my wife’s Jeep and do the same thing.
A little dumb, yes, but when I’m set in motion I end up with something like this. It usually starts with, “Please Daddy, for me”. Anyone with a daughter knows what I mean.

 

Great job dad, my daughter is 6 and I know exactly what you mean

 

I obsess over dumb stuff, what you did is actually pretty cool.

 

I like it!

 

That's some next level "obsessing over dumb shit" right there! Good job, I think?

 

Nice work - I obsess over things like this as well, my wife just shakes her head!

 

Thanks! I thought I might get flamed a little over it.

 

Mine too, but she does say she likes that I’m home doing things like this rather than some of the crap she hears her coworkers husbands do. I guess it works out good for both of us.

 

Pretty cool OP. I don't think this qualifies as obsessing over dumb stuff. Now the dude in one of the oil threads who drains and filters his oil every 1k miles and puts it back in his truck definitely qualifies.

 

i could see how living in CA could promote this type of thinking to prevent issues.

 

License plate thefts?! What movie do y’all live in? & what other nonsensical thing will they be stealing in Part 2?… Never have I thought about or even once heard about someone’s license plate being stolen.

 

Makin' stuffs no matter how small is always cool.

 

Happens around here. Not a lot but it does happen.

 

They steal the plate for the sticker. Happens a ton. Happens to my Grandma 3 times. SF Bay Area...

 

Are you sure that California won't consider that plate mutilation, or some other dumb ass thing?

 

thats actually pretty cool and serves a good purpose, it's definitely not dumb stuff.

 

I like your idea. You have to try to be one step ahead of the bad people. Did you use galvanized or stainless steel machine screws?

 

It's California....basically the 3rd world.

 

Happens good bit.

Joy riders, full on thieves, and those wanting to display a sticker with a good date.

None of those will stand up to full scrutiny of course. However they may well deflect casual observation.

 

Believe it or not, that did cross my mind. I think they may be preoccupied with the people who repaint their plates though. It seems to be a thing wit the import/tuner crowd.