As mentioned in my touring thread here: Mark's S54 Touring Build
I've designed a low profile license plate frame and mounting bracket to allow a North American size license plate to better fit the contours of the E46 Touring rear hatch. The OEM plastic bracket causes the plate to hang below the recessed area on the tailgate and does not allow for most aftermarket license plate frames to fit.
The new design moves the plate upward so that it fits within the recess on the hatch for a cleaner look. Before and after below:
![924990]()
This design is made up of a mounting bracket and outer frame. A layer of adhesive closed cell foam is applied to the bracket on the inner side to provide a cushion against the painted surface of the hatch. A layer of the same foam is also applied to the outer side of the mounting bracket to compress between the license plate and bracket for a secure and rattle free fit.
![924991]()
There has been interest in doing a small run of these parts for other touring owners, so I'm looking at online laser cutting services to find an economical solution. The prototype I built was made from stainless steel and was prohibitively expensive for what most would be willing to pay for a license plate frame. The sets for this group buy would be made from 3/16" thick 6061 T6 Aluminum.
If we can get 5+ people on this group buy it looks like I could offer kits for $60 including shipping anywhere in the continental US via USPS flat rate padded envelope.
This would include:
1x Mounting Bracket (Painted SEM Trim Black with foam layers applied)
1x License Plate Frame (Painted SEM Trim Black)
2x Mounting Bracket Screws (Low Profile Button Head Cap Screws)
4x Frame Screws (Flat Head Cap Screws)
Installation requires:
-Using the license plate frame as a template to mark your license plate for trimming.
-Trimming your license plate using metal shears, sanding disc, or some other method of your choosing.
-3/32" hex key for the two mounting bracket screws
-1/8" hex key for the four frame mounting screws
If you are interested in purchasing a kit, please reply to this thread. If you prefer to do your own painting and would like to receive the parts raw and without the foam pre-applied to the bracket, please specify in your reply.
Lead time to receive the laser cut parts is around 1 week, with approximately another week for me to countersink, tap, paint, apply foam, assemble the kits, and ship.
Here are a few additional photos of the prototype final installation on my own car.
![924997]()
![924998]()
![925002]()
I've designed a low profile license plate frame and mounting bracket to allow a North American size license plate to better fit the contours of the E46 Touring rear hatch. The OEM plastic bracket causes the plate to hang below the recessed area on the tailgate and does not allow for most aftermarket license plate frames to fit.
The new design moves the plate upward so that it fits within the recess on the hatch for a cleaner look. Before and after below:
This design is made up of a mounting bracket and outer frame. A layer of adhesive closed cell foam is applied to the bracket on the inner side to provide a cushion against the painted surface of the hatch. A layer of the same foam is also applied to the outer side of the mounting bracket to compress between the license plate and bracket for a secure and rattle free fit.
There has been interest in doing a small run of these parts for other touring owners, so I'm looking at online laser cutting services to find an economical solution. The prototype I built was made from stainless steel and was prohibitively expensive for what most would be willing to pay for a license plate frame. The sets for this group buy would be made from 3/16" thick 6061 T6 Aluminum.
If we can get 5+ people on this group buy it looks like I could offer kits for $60 including shipping anywhere in the continental US via USPS flat rate padded envelope.
This would include:
1x Mounting Bracket (Painted SEM Trim Black with foam layers applied)
1x License Plate Frame (Painted SEM Trim Black)
2x Mounting Bracket Screws (Low Profile Button Head Cap Screws)
4x Frame Screws (Flat Head Cap Screws)
Installation requires:
-Using the license plate frame as a template to mark your license plate for trimming.
-Trimming your license plate using metal shears, sanding disc, or some other method of your choosing.
-3/32" hex key for the two mounting bracket screws
-1/8" hex key for the four frame mounting screws
If you are interested in purchasing a kit, please reply to this thread. If you prefer to do your own painting and would like to receive the parts raw and without the foam pre-applied to the bracket, please specify in your reply.
Lead time to receive the laser cut parts is around 1 week, with approximately another week for me to countersink, tap, paint, apply foam, assemble the kits, and ship.
Here are a few additional photos of the prototype final installation on my own car.
