HOW TO: Rear License Plate Bracket Mod
Ok kiddie's, here it is:
Things you'll need: 10mm socket & wrench, screw drivers, Dremel tool w/ cutting wheel or a sharp razor knife, hand drill with bits and 30 minutes of your time.
DISCLAIMER: Whenever using a razor knife for a project do so with extreme caution unless you subscribe to the philosophy of: "It's not a project until you draw blood." You've been warned. Also, no animals were knowingly injured during this mod.
First thing, take your plate off the bracket. Use a small flathead screwdriver to pry open the doors covering the bolts holding the bracket to your car. And take it to your workplace -- someplace you won't mind scratching up with the razor knife (not your mom's nice kitchen table!!!).
(See PIC 1 for a detailed shot)
Remove the bolts completely from the bracket and set them aside. Flip the bracket over and use your small flathead screwdriver to lift up the back part of the metal clip. You should be able to slide it off -- try not to bend it. You'll see two little prongs near the top -- they prevent it front sliding around, so just lift those up a little and it will come off easy. Now take off the other one!
Flip it back over so you're looking at the part your license plate mounts to. Use your plate as a template, set it against the very top edge of the bracket (against the lip) and center it. Use a marker (pencil, whatever) to mark where the top holes of your license plate are. You won't be able to mark the entire hole because they overlap the pockets for the mounting bolts -- no problem. Start with a small drill bit and work your way up until the holes are big enough for the mounting screws to slide through. Don't worry if your holes open up into the bolt pockets...you just need space for the screw to go through.
Once you do that flip the bracket over and you'll notice a small ridge of plastic above the hole you just drilled -- shave it away. You want the clip to sit flat against the plastic. While you have the knife out, trim off the bolt hole covers (Or close them and redrill your holes, whatever your pleasure).
Time to check your work! Put your license plate over the holes and make sure they line up and the plate is still pushed against the lip at the top of the bracket. If it doesn't simply enlarge your holes, or redrill them.
(See PIC 2 for details of the following)
Now, take one of the metal clips and put it on top of the hole you just drilled so it lines up -- basically the screw will be able to go through the hole into the "nut" on the backside. Place it at the same angle as it was before you started this mod. Use your knife to mark the edge of the area you need to cut out -- you have to be close but not perfect. Remove the bracket and cut away. Slide the bracket onto the plastic and make sure everything lines up -- use your small flathead screwdriver to get the clip on -- it's easier!!! It should look like PIC 3. Now do the other side. NOTE: in PIC 3 there's an optional area you can remove; I left it there in case I f'd up and needed to put the clips back in the original spots. It will be easier to manuever the clips if you remove this area.
The hard part is done!
(See PIC 4 for the following part)
Flip the bracket over so you're looking at the back and use your knife to mark where you want to trim the plastic -- I highlighted where I cut in yellow. Note that I kept the three "feet" at the bottom of the bracket because they just fit behind the license plate and provide stability and protection. Go slow and make multiple cuts -- the plastic is soft, but thick. You'll need to angle your blade so you trim the entire lip off the outside of the bracket. Also you will need to trim extra material off the top of the bracket so it doesn't show when you mount your plate. When in doubt, flip the bracket over and set your plate on top. Use it as a pattern for what you need to trim off. My bracket barely (about 1 mm) hides behind my license plate. Keep as much material as possible to retain the integrity of the bracket -- I could have trimmed a lot more off, but decided against it. This mod is useless if your bracket doesn't do it's job.
The last step is to mock assemble the whole deal and make sure everything fits together correctly. This is the part where I noticed I needed to trim more material from the top of the bracket.
A few notes about reassembly: You will need to slide the metal clips down a bit to get the mounting bolts back on. Once you get the bracket mounted to the car, slide them back into place. Then remount your license plate and admire your work.
I used a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel but it just melted the plastic away rather than cutting it. I found it useful to score the plastic with the Dremel and use a razor knife to complete the cut. If you don't own a Dremel, just go slow and use a sawing motion with the knife. It doesn't have to look pretty because your license plate will cover the whole thing when you're done.
