2016 Chevrolet Volt: Drilling Holes for a License Plate by Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing on March 17, 2016 'You don't want to do that,' said the guy at Selman Chevrolet, where we bought our. We were surrounded by three pristine Corvettes in the showroom. In my head I was nodding in agreement like. But my mouth said, 'Yeah, but this car spends a lot of time in West L.A. And Santa Monica, places where parking enforcement would gladly write us up for no front license plate.'
![Front license plate bracket installation Front license plate bracket installation](/uploads/1/2/3/9/123981362/422040645.jpg)
Because it's a requirement in California (and 30 other states,) a front license plate bracket came with the car. But the necessary attachment hardware was nowhere to be found. It takes 6 to 8 weeks for license plates to be issued, so it didn't matter until now. 'I'm here to get the pop-rivets and screws that were supposed to come with the bracket,' I continued. 'You don't want to do that,' he repeated, meaning something slightly different this time. 'Bring it around and we'll put it on for you.' This time he was wrong.
'Thanks, but I want to do it myself. Can you see if you have the parts?' 'You're the first person who's wanted to do that,' he said. But he soon returned with a baggie containing the four pop-rivets and four screws I needed. This is not a do-it-yourself piece.
It's more of a fingernails-on-the-chalkboard exercise, a horror movie for those that admire a car's styling above all else. I can't tell you how much I hate the front license plate requirement.
But I understand the reality of it. And ultimately, this is no Lamborghini. Heck, it's not even a Miata.
The plate bracket itself has all the necessary directions molded right into it. What you can't see is the Sharpie in my wife's hand, waiting for me to align the V-shape of the bracket with the nose of the car and fit the notches at either side up against a step in the fascia. I have a spring-loaded center punch, and with it I placed a divot in the center of each of her Sharpie marks so the drill bit wouldn't 'walk.' Speaking of drilling, this is the point at which the squeamish might want to look away. Did you think it would be made of anything else? Incidentally, the molded bracket instructions called for a 7/32' drill bit, but I found that the less-common 13/64' bit I had in my drill index was a snugger fit. Like it or not, it's done.
And it's nice and square. Best of all, I can't see it while I'm sitting inside driving our Volt. Dan Edmunds, Director of Vehicle Testing @ 6,033 miles.
The front license plate holder/bracket comes with steel pop rivets to attach the holder to the bumper (after drilling some holes). If the dealer used the pop rivets, you'll need to carefully drill the head off the rivet.
Fortunately, my selling dealer just gave me the bracket to install. Instead of the steel pop rivets, I used some removable, plastic body panel 'rivets' I got from the parts dept of my local dealer so I can remove the bracket if needed. 27712772 Humph, didn't realize some dealers would have riveted the holder to the bumper but guess I shouldn't be surprised. Guess I got lucky. Yeah, mine has the four rivets instead of just the two simple screws. I wanted to clear bra the bumper, so I hope the installer can take it off and then I will have to buy the body plugs. I just had the clear bra put on mine and the installer took off the front plate holder, put the film on and then the plate holder back on top of the film.
While I like the look of no front plate I'm not sure I wouldn't just as soon have the plate as opposed to body color plugs, which might be difficult to get to match exactly. Humph, didn't realize some dealers would have riveted the holder to the bumper but guess I shouldn't be surprised. Guess I got lucky.The rivits are provided with the bracket from factory.
The dealer will typically automatically install the bracket durng PDI in states/provinces that have a front plate requirement. Generally the only time screws would be substituted would be if there was some issue obtaining a rivit gun or possibly just time/convenience. Running in screws (no drilling) is a LOT faster than sperate drilling 3/16' holes then riviting.
Mounting Bracket For Front License Plate
A reminder to those that purchase from a state that requires a front plate.if your state does not require a front plate, then remind your salesman to leave the bracket OFF. Even if they do require a front plate, you can request the dealer not install it (so you can do it yourself.not hard), or you can request they use the plastic (removable) body panel rivets instead of steel.
I drilled the holes, had the clear bra installed, then added the bracket. The push pin plastic rivets where easy to install. I also live in TX and I've been ticketed only once since spring 2004 (nearly 9 years now) in my Redline Vue, which isn't exactly a sports car (and neither is the Volt), but it's definitely not something you see on the road very often.
Unfortunately, my Volt came with the front plate holder installed, so I'm going to have to patch up the darn holes in the front bumper. I just hate the looks of the front plate, but it can't be helping the aerodynamics either. The Vue was a rolling brick, so it didn't make much difference, but how many wind tunnel hours are being spoiled by that stupid front license plate, I wonder. I instructed the dealer (CA) to not install the front plate holder and had to sign a release acknowledging this. I did get a fix-it ticket from a CA Hwy patrol (CHP) who was having a slow morning and stopped me just for the no front plate! Luckily I did keep the plate holder, and I used velcro to attach the front plate and had the fix-it ticket signed off at my local law enforcement station. The officer asked me what infraction was I stopped for, and I told him 'no front plate' and he could not believe that I got stopped just for that!
I now keep the front plate handy with the velcro in my garage-just in case.
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![Plate Plate](/uploads/1/2/3/9/123981362/754660308.jpg)
Click to expand.Frogs have ribbets, don't they? I'm going to get my front plate bracket tomorrow or Tuesday so I can't help you more till then. But more than likely just use a rivet puller to pull and set them. It might be rivnuts, if it is it takes a different tool to install them. You might be able to 'rent' either of the tools at your local auto parts place. Do you have any pictures of the rivets?
It'll get us a better idea of what rivet you got. But.There are guys here that have probably installed one in the past year.:smileup.