does anyone have the dimensions of the tow hook's threaded bolt ? need info on how many MM , thread spacing , length , etc..
( I'm planning to buy a flat head bolt in that size, which I can weld on the " front " license plate so it can be used as a removable plate. parking on the street in San Francisco will almost guarantee you a no plate ticket, so just looking for the easiest option to screw-in, screw-out, only on those rare occasions when I'm not in a parking garage, so I don' t get... screwed <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/rolleyes.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> )
Wouldn't it easiest to take your hook eyelet out of your tool kit to the hardware store or Fastenal and match one up?
Don't have that piece it in either of my two cars .
I'll take mine into a hardware store and see if I can get the thread/bolt size.
Thanks for the offer, that's very kind of you but it's really too much bother..let's fort see if anyone comes up with anything easier in the next day or two ; maybe the data is in the PET ? I was also thinking another option may be to measure the diameter and then look for a rubber " plug " I can attach to the plate and just pop in, pull out..
Many thread standards out there, JTP's option would be the best solution imo. A good hardware store could measure the bolt and has charts of the different types of threads for comparison.
After all this trouble you're putting yourself through, as a man of age are you sure you will remember to put the plate on when you have to?
It's not a standard size you would see in most hardware stores. Just order up three up them (you need to keep one in each car) from a dismantler, and cut the eye lit off the third one and weld whatever you want on it. They are around $15 new and I'm sure you could find them used for cheaper.
Here is the actual measurement, it's a knuckle thread so you're likely to not find it in a hardware store. 20mm x 8 tpi (Knuckle RD20, 20.318mm, 0.8" OD x 8 tpi)
Cool, thanks ! - and it never even crossed my mind to buy one and then cut it to retrofit for what I need . D'oh ! I'm so dense at times...( or maybe as RAP pointed out , it could be all the "senior moments" I'm having ..)
or better yet, buy one, and then punch a hole in your plate
Found a 3/4 " flat head bolt that fits in just fine - catches the first couple of threads which is all that's needed to keep it secure and I do not have to screw it in to the point of stripping anything, so it should work very well for my removable plate project :-)
Recently at a cars and coffee in Tigard Or there was a woman whose car had a cleaver gizmo on it. It was a disappearing front license plate holder. You pressed on it and it swiveled under the car and was held there by some sort of spring. Push it again and it swings up and stays there so when you park you have a plate when you drive you do not. I did not get her name but on a long shot may be able to track her down.
Is this common in California to not put on the front plate? Isn't there a hefty fine?
I would say less than a quarter of all the sports or GT cars you see around here have front plates . And there are plenty of sedans without a front plate, as well. You get a " fix-it " citation which any officer of the law can sign off for you after you put your plate back on. Most everyone then takes the plate right off again, the moment they leave that officer's line of sight. :-). In the past there was no fine associated with it, now it may depend on the county but it's about $ 10 - $ 15 for the traffic court's processing of the validation you mail in. It's also extremely rare, if at all , for anyone to get pulled over simply for driving without a plate, but if you get stopped for another violation you're likely to get that tacked on to your ticket also. Of all the cities in which I park on the street in the Bay Area , it's only in San Francisco that I've heard of anyone receiving a ticket simply for lack of a plate. That's probably because they have a million and one meter maids ( aka parking enforcement officers ) constantly patrolling every nook and cranny of that city to generate revenue.
there has always been a fine associated with the citation in every jurisdiction i have lived in. it varies from city to city. the one i got in fremont almost 30 years ago was $10. i hear it's $35 in santa monica, where they have parking cops walking the parking lots. same at LAX too.
The ticket I got in SF several months ago was $ 10. Better than an expired meter which I believe is $ 50.
saw this on ebay -
http://www.ebay.com/...93b42fa&vxp=mtr
suction cup mounted plate holder for Porsche that doesn't rely on the tow hook - looks like it was designed exactly for your purpose. not as sturdy as the tow hook solution
I did some more research and found the following. On Amazon there is a company called SICKSPEED. They sell a manual retractable license holder that bolts to the underside of a vehicle. You can have it up in the front or down under the car and you do not see the plate. They also make a powered model that comes with both a dash mounted switch or a remote control for out of the car use so you can have the plate rotate up in front of the car or stowed underneath the car so the plate will not be seen.
actually the first thing i tried was the suction cups idea - does not stay on very long. my tow hook mount works perfectly ( tested it this morning )