hide-away liscence plates?

I've only seen one of these ever, but it seems like a novel little idea. I'm a mechanical engineer w/ moderate automotive experience, and feel confident fabricating/instaling one wouldn't be a huge problem. My question to you is this... Do you think they are worth it? I mean, they would come in handy in toll booths and red-light cameras. I live in FL where there are no vehicle inspections so that's not an issue. I've heard of those plastic covers you can buy to put over the plates, but am unsure of their effectiveness. I know it's probably not worth it economically, I'd more or less be doing it just to see if I could. In short, what are your guys' thoughts/oppinions about these... Thanks.

I've only seen one of these ever, but it seems like a novel little idea. I'm a mechanical engineer w/ moderate automotive experience, and feel confident fabricating/instaling one wouldn't be a huge problem. My question to you is this... Do you think they are worth it? I mean, they would come in handy in toll booths and red-light cameras. I live in FL where there are no vehicle inspections so that's not an issue. I've heard of those plastic covers you can buy to put over the plates, but am unsure of their effectiveness. I know it's probably not worth it economically, I'd more or less be doing it just to see if I could. In short, what are your guys' thoughts/oppinions about these... Thanks.

Your plates get stolen here in the mile high city but you'd get a ticket if your plates flipped over when you turned off the car. How about two sided plates with proper registration one one side and whatever you want on the other.

There is several ways you can do this to adapt it to almost anything. Anything from have it slide either up or down or from side to side, flip over with a differnt piece of the other side, or even make it where its like a garage door where you cut it into strips and have it roll up into the bumper. Legality of hidden plates vary from state to state, and what your planning on doing with it is very illegal in any state. I'v did it for show reasons where when I'm at a car show i can hit a button my plate disapears, just for a cleaner appearance. If you throw out some more information I'd help you design a system for your application.

If you throw out some more information I'd help you design a system for your application.

Wow, didn't expect an offer like that lol. I would be installing this on a 99' integra. The place where you mount the plate is entirely on the lower bumper, so no hatch issues. The more i think about it, the more a system where the plate is flipped over makes sence. There's plenty of room to work with behind the bumper, just rip out the foam. You'd need wiring, a switch, and a motor, and very little else. I dunno, mabby i'm getting in over my head but hey, it'd still be nice to know HOW to do it...

Here is the best system that I'v found of doing it on a car. The area that is shaded is covered behind the bumper. You use a linier acculator to slide them back and forth with limit sensors that stop it at the right spots. The tracts are made out of drawer rollers and are available at any hardware store. I make the backing plate that the plates accually mount to out of fiberglass because I have lots of it laying around but you could use sheet metal, wood, pretty much anything. Most acculators will come with everything needed to wire them, or atleast instructions.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v608/thesilentchamber/hiddenplate.jpg

With fliping it you got to worry about clearance issues with the plate accually rotaiting, and also how to make it stop at the certain point, both of witch are overcomeable with a little planning.

Yeah, a linear actuator sounds like a good idea aswell. I'm starting to seriousally consider the legality of this. I wonder if it's only illegal if i use it while i'm driving... Like you said, if it's used only for show purposes, then I don't see why there should be a problem.

You guys are working too hard. Use hinges somehow to have it "flip upwards". Not all cars have the space but that's probably the easiest, hell at that rate you could just run a thin cable(or string if your cheap) to it and just pull it up. There are plenty of fancy ways to do this, I know that they also sell them for show truck purposes, and when trucks have roll pans and hidden hitches they flip the license plate up and bloop, there's the hitch. My old 77 Caprice you had to flip the plate down to fill it up with gas.

I'm not sure I'd even install one though, because IF a cop seen your license plate just automatically get covered by something sliding over it, or w/e, then if he'd gotten your numbers before I'm sure they could call it in for an inspection or something, maybe.

You guys are working too hard. Use hinges somehow to have it "flip upwards". Not all cars have the space but that's probably the easiest, hell at that rate you could just run a thin cable(or string if your cheap) to it and just pull it up. There are plenty of fancy ways to do this, I know that they also sell them for show truck purposes, and when trucks have roll pans and hidden hitches they flip the license plate up and bloop, there's the hitch. My old 77 Caprice you had to flip the plate down to fill it up with gas.

I'm not sure I'd even install one though, because IF a cop seen your license plate just automatically get covered by something sliding over it, or w/e, then if he'd gotten your numbers before I'm sure they could call it in for an inspection or something, maybe.


I'm sorry this is the fabrication forum, you are clearly looking for the "half-assed modifications" forum. Please refer to index on front page.









:evillol:

I'm sorry this is the fabrication forum, you are clearly looking for the "half-assed modifications" forum.

HAHAHA thought I was in the right place :) But anyways, yeah, if I did do this, i'd be doing it as a lil (or maby not so little) project to occupy myself. Although money is a concern, time is not. I'd much rather take forever doing this and do it right then slap on some old door-hinges and call it a day :P

I'm sorry this is the fabrication forum, you are clearly looking for the "half-assed modifications" forum. Please refer to index on front page.









:evillol:


Um...pretty sure that the hinged hide away license plates are selling more than your idea. but good luck on coming up with a universal sliding one!

Universal? Who is selling this? Fabrication is what you do when no one makes the part you want... This isn't the Product Design forum.
Can your hinged one be operated from within the car? If you've got room in the bumper, sliding makes a whole lot more sense. Much simpler.

im pretty sure stylin' concepts sells electric retractable license plate holder and flip down or up license frame brackets you could fabricate to fit on any car , would be alot cheaper then something homemade with linear actuator (there pretty exspensive)

Post a URL for stylin' concepts if you don't mind

Flip it around, james bond style....lol...
But i wouldnt use this for sealing gas, running toll booths, red lights, etc....
thoes carry pretty heavy penulties in florida, especially stealing gas (you loose your licens).... and eventually you will be caught...especially if you use a fake plate, well for running toll booths you could just get a GA tag and thye would never know.

anyway, TSC's idea would be best, flipping it wouldnt be TOO hard, but just using a linear actuator would be easier and more efficent.... but how to make it look stock...hmmmm....

Post a URL for stylin' concepts if you don't mind


http://www.stylinconcepts.com Seriously man, it took you longer to type that question than it would have for you to find it yourself.

http://www.stylinconcepts.com Seriously man, it took you longer to type that question than it would have for you to find it yourself.

Yeah, but how long did it take you to post the URL... and I figure I'm not the only one thats lookin' or I wouldn't have posted, If you name a site, you should list the URL, keeps everyone from having to look, and I said "if you dont mind"
Thanks for listing it :biggrin:
More specificly http://www.stylinconcepts.com/parts.cfm/partfamilyid/1485/CategoryID/25/SubCategoryID/348
But man $230, I know I could make one for alot less than that!

BTW, where is the girl in your sig from (you, your girl)? (Nice)
Hey, don't know if you're outside of dallas, but from your profile, apparently we're from the same city! ;)

hey silentchamber, have any pics of applications of a slidding plate just wondering what the finished product would look like sounds pretty cool would love to see it

from outside of the car you cant tell there is anything done to the plates so the pictures would be pretty boring.

how about some vid? :sly:

you guys are just considering the basic when it comes to hiding your plates. I for one need the hideaway liscence plates on my car. I find myself many times flying through traffic and have people trying to call my plates in. I even had the police at my house several times because of my crazy drivng. Hideaway liscence plates would have saved me from 1 ticket and a whole lot of trouble. Besides you can buy hideaway liscence plates from somewhere. I just can't remember I saw them for sale in a magazine It's 150.00 and they flip over, you can also buy smog kits that release a plume of black smoke to hide your car, of course those would only come in handy when being chased and if your thinking of running any time soon you could rig up a trap door system where when you push a button it releases oil. Another way to get away is rig up an injector on the back of your car that sprays oil on the windshield of a car, I got the idea when watching cops. The cop got oikl on his windshield and couldn't see at all. The best way to dissable a pursuing vehicle is to get some tennis balls, put nails through it and fill it with cement. That way when it hardens it acts as a spike strip. If you fill 50 or so like this and some how release it without popping your own tires you could take out several vehicles. Having false plates would be the best because then everybody you pass would not be wondering why your plates are flipped over. It's all a matter of what you plan to do with your car. Just make sure you keep an eye on the road for cops. only thing I can say is the only reason other than show you would need these for are commiting crimes and if your going to try anything think ahead if you want to escape you have to be crafty. Escaping police is easy if you think through it enough, prepare way ahead. Cops are just like you and me and they can even be more scared because they have seen first hand the full effects of crazy driving and they will back of especially when you do unnexpected things. But if a chopper is on you chances are if your car can not break 200 easily your screwed. Just use your brains and don't panic and you should be fine.

^^^^ ..... does your brain resemble an egg dropped into a frying pan by any chance?

too much james bond, imo...
:newbie:

Dude if you drive the way you really drive then the cops should show up at your house and kick your ass.
BTW TheSilentChamber are you a girl?

you guys are just considering the basic when it comes to hiding your plates. I for one need the hideaway liscence plates on my car. I find myself many times flying through traffic and have people trying to call my plates in. I even had the police at my house several times because of my crazy drivng. Hideaway liscence plates would have saved me from 1 ticket and a whole lot of trouble. Besides you can buy hideaway liscence plates from somewhere. I just can't remember I saw them for sale in a magazine It's 150.00 and they flip over, you can also buy smog kits that release a plume of black smoke to hide your car, of course those would only come in handy when being chased and if your thinking of running any time soon you could rig up a trap door system where when you push a button it releases oil. Another way to get away is rig up an injector on the back of your car that sprays oil on the windshield of a car, I got the idea when watching cops. The cop got oikl on his windshield and couldn't see at all. The best way to dissable a pursuing vehicle is to get some tennis balls, put nails through it and fill it with cement. That way when it hardens it acts as a spike strip. If you fill 50 or so like this and some how release it without popping your own tires you could take out several vehicles. Having false plates would be the best because then everybody you pass would not be wondering why your plates are flipped over. It's all a matter of what you plan to do with your car. Just make sure you keep an eye on the road for cops. only thing I can say is the only reason other than show you would need these for are commiting crimes and if your going to try anything think ahead if you want to escape you have to be crafty. Escaping police is easy if you think through it enough, prepare way ahead. Cops are just like you and me and they can even be more scared because they have seen first hand the full effects of crazy driving and they will back of especially when you do unnexpected things. But if a chopper is on you chances are if your car can not break 200 easily your screwed. Just use your brains and don't panic and you should be fine.

I pray to god this is a joke. :uhoh:

I dont think it is i really think this guy thinks like that.

you guys are just considering the basic when it comes to hiding your plates. I for one need the hideaway liscence plates on my car. I find myself many times flying through traffic and have people trying to call my plates in. I even had the police at my house several times because of my crazy drivng. Hideaway liscence plates would have saved me from 1 ticket and a whole lot of trouble. Besides you can buy hideaway liscence plates from somewhere. I just can't remember I saw them for sale in a magazine It's 150.00 and they flip over, you can also buy smog kits that release a plume of black smoke to hide your car, of course those would only come in handy when being chased and if your thinking of running any time soon you could rig up a trap door system where when you push a button it releases oil. Another way to get away is rig up an injector on the back of your car that sprays oil on the windshield of a car, I got the idea when watching cops. The cop got oikl on his windshield and couldn't see at all. The best way to dissable a pursuing vehicle is to get some tennis balls, put nails through it and fill it with cement. That way when it hardens it acts as a spike strip. If you fill 50 or so like this and some how release it without popping your own tires you could take out several vehicles. Having false plates would be the best because then everybody you pass would not be wondering why your plates are flipped over. It's all a matter of what you plan to do with your car. Just make sure you keep an eye on the road for cops. only thing I can say is the only reason other than show you would need these for are commiting crimes and if your going to try anything think ahead if you want to escape you have to be crafty. Escaping police is easy if you think through it enough, prepare way ahead. Cops are just like you and me and they can even be more scared because they have seen first hand the full effects of crazy driving and they will back of especially when you do unnexpected things. But if a chopper is on you chances are if your car can not break 200 easily your screwed. Just use your brains and don't panic and you should be fine.




Wow.... I think my I.Q. just dropped a few points from reading that..:shakehead If you do drive like this tell me which state to stay out of. *runs and hides*



Akira