MTFCA Forum

I found a license plate for my 1916 Touring that I would like to mount on the front of the car. being there is no bumper, what is the best way to mount it?

Buy or make an aftermarket license plate bracket. It's held by the front spring clip nuts.

Bracket in use:

The motor mount is different on a correct 16 than Steve shows. Shown is the later motor mount 2 nuts attaching. The 16 has 2 u bolts holding the motor mount & springs.
The answer to your question is to look @ what the parts vendors offer. They range from a cast brass mount with a crank holder to simple sheet metal brackets.

A Whiteman wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 18, 2022 4:47 pm

Bracket in use:

2021-02-10 (2).jpg

Again this is a later T.
The motor mount for a 16 is very different making the license plate mount very different.

Andy-
Because there is no "good" place to put a front license plate, I put my YOM plats on the back where there is a mounting bracket for it. Just keep your "real" license plate with your registration in the trunk or under the seat. I figured If I were ever pulled over I'd show the plates and explain that I was coming home from a car show and hadn't switched them back yet...

: ^ )

Keith

This is what you need. Its designed to use the front spring clip ubolts on each side of the crank. The picture has them resting face down

I don't know who originally posted this picture of brackets to mount a license plate. Note: the brackets curve back at the bottom so the crank will clear the plate.

John Heaman wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 18, 2022 6:45 pm

I don't know who originally posted this picture of brackets to mount a license plate. Note: the brackets curve back at the bottom so the crank will clear the plate.


55F8A136-F647-4288-B4B0-C0AEF1A17149.jpeg

The brackets dont come bent back. As you imply, it might be necessary to do some bending to clear the crank.

To avoid interference with the crank, I mounted my front license plate below the Headlight, as in this period photo:
To achieve this look, I used this type of bracket:
I enlarged the first mounting hole and attached the license bracket to the bottom end of the headlight bracket, as so:

[attachment=0]20220623_133302.jpg

The reproduction ones that TRDxB2 (Frank B) shows are too lightweight. I wouldn't trust them. I have seen a few originals and the steel was nearly twice as thick.
I make my own. Some lightweight 3/4 inch angle iron. Cut the shape on a steel cutting band saw. Drill the large holes where they belong and a line of under quarter inch holes located to fit up the license plate. About five minutes with good files makes the line of holes into a good looking slot. One could save some of the effort (I like for it to look like the real thing with the slot), and simply drill single holes to hold the license plate. One could drill two sets of single holes? One set to fit the antique plate? And one set to fit the modern plate in case it is needed at some point?

Don't want the thin steel to lose that antique license plate!

Additional.
Careful fitting usually barely clears the hand crank. A couple times, when it didn't, A little heat and bend the handle forward just enough and it probably won't be noticeable. In fact, careful examination showed that one I had to bend forward had in fact been bent back at some time in its past. Once back to a proper 90 degrees, the crank cleared the plate.