The Mustang Forum for Track & Racing Enthusiasts

Taking your Mustang to an open track/HPDE event for the first time? Do you race competitively? This forum is for you! Log in to remove most ads.

  • Welcome to the Ford Mustang forum built for owners of the Mustang GT350, BOSS 302, GT500, and all other S550, S197, SN95, Fox Body and older Mustangs set up for open track days, road racing, and/or autocross. Join our forum, interact with others, share your build, and help us strengthen this community!

front tow hook

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

TymeSlayer

Tramps like us, Baby we were born to run...
3,787
2,740
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Brighton, Colorado
Just curious if you have ever been asked about or thought about making a front license plate bracket that could somehow attach to your front tow hook set-up? This would certainly be handy for those of us who use the car for both the street and track and have a state requirement for a front plate. My car is a 2012 with your front Tow Hook kit.
 
I need this too!
I recently got ticketed for no front plate, after 4.5years... but I was speeding, which was the reason I got pulled over ::)

My plan was to fabricate something using parts from autoparts stores and home depot, but if Steve makes something, I'll buy it!
 

TymeSlayer

Tramps like us, Baby we were born to run...
3,787
2,740
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Brighton, Colorado
I was tinkering with this yesterday and figured that a 3/8-16 x 3" hex head bolt fits through the holes in the tow hook and if there was a "L" bracket with the same set-up as the tow hook, you could put nylon or rubber washers between the spaces to tighten things up and use a nylon insert lock nut on the bolt end. This should help prevent the bracket from moving. Not a design guy here myself but I would think it's certainly doable. I'm just not much of a fabricator to make one that would look decent.
 

TymeSlayer

Tramps like us, Baby we were born to run...
3,787
2,740
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Brighton, Colorado
Okay, no making fun of my crayon drawing but this is sort of what I was thinking with the BFR tow hook / License plate bracket. Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback?

IMG_4188_zpsscfptau5.jpg
 

TymeSlayer

Tramps like us, Baby we were born to run...
3,787
2,740
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Brighton, Colorado
I have the material to make a mock up. I'm not a great welder but will try to put it together with my flux core welder. Will update my progress. This will take me a few weeks since my travels take me all up and down the left coast. I would like to match the tow hook paint color if anyone knows what it might be.
 
I bought a plastic license plate bracket from advance. I'm going to try to make something with L-brackets. May go to lowe's this weekend and see what works.
 

TymeSlayer

Tramps like us, Baby we were born to run...
3,787
2,740
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Brighton, Colorado
Started messing around with this project and got the 1/8" x 1/2" steel flat bar bent and drilled for stainless steel pop rivets and the plate mount. It sat too high for my liking so I shortened the vertical part of the bracket from the picture below. In the newer design you won't be able to see any of the bracket because the license plate will cover it all. I have some 3/4" OD x 3/8" ID x 1/2" long steel spacers I still need to weld onto the bracket and then clean, prime and paint. Still messing with the location of the smaller cross brace or if I'll have to use two.

TSR-THLPH%20FAB%208_zpsvihpdwap.jpg
TSR-THLPH%20FAB%209_zpsqlepvhcn.jpg
 

302 Hi Pro

Boss 302 - Racing Legend to Modern Muscle Car
2,009
441
Southeast
TS:

Nice work, look forward to pics of how you will mount it to the Boss.

OBTW, I have the same Panosonic pencil sharpene, and it's been around for a long time. Too funny!

2HP
 

pufferfish

Supporting Vendor
1,094
66
Maryland
sorry to jump on this one late. i just don't get the time to peruse anymore.

so, i looked at a license plate bracket back when the first gen kit released. I have had a prototype on my car since then, but never found a way to make it right. the single attachment point is the killer. wind buffets and will turn even the tightest bolt. then it digs into the plastic bumper cover. that's no good. my prototype has a groove that engages with the flat of the loop. it has worked ok, but has grown to be a loose fit after years of buffeting. I have a new billet aluminum loop design waiting its turn for some machine time to cut some prototypes. this will include a license plate attachment provision.

as to when it can get its turn, i hope its very soon, but right now the machine is booked solid until around the middle of march. i just had my first part delay on friday, which threw the schedule off, so the open date is already starting to slip. it may be ready to show off by the end of march?
 

TymeSlayer

Tramps like us, Baby we were born to run...
3,787
2,740
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Brighton, Colorado
Here's a mockup of the front tow hook license plate bracket painted. Haven't put it on yet as I was waiting for the paint to dry. I'll try it on the car later today. Still would be interested in Blowfish Racing's bracket as I'm not a metal fab guy and am not happy with the looks and the color isn't an exact match to BFR's tow hook.

IMG_4205_zpseryellmv.jpg
IMG_4211_zpskn6zlgbf.jpg
 
Nice work!
 

TymeSlayer

Tramps like us, Baby we were born to run...
3,787
2,740
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Brighton, Colorado
Looks like she mounts up fine, albeit not perfectly square but it can be adjusted a bit to square it up. I used a 3/8-16 x 3" Stainless hex head bolt and a few nylon washer to tighten things up. This should work out but I'll have to take it out for a test run. Not sure I like how far out the plate sticks but I suppose it's better than flexing around and scraping the bumper. I'm sure Steve can come up with something better and look forward to seeing what he comes up with.

IMG_4214_zps3hlnj2rw.jpg
IMG_4217_zpstdhfyr57.jpg
IMG_4215_zpsd6df05zp.jpg
 

pufferfish

Supporting Vendor
1,094
66
Maryland
dragging this post back out of the grave cuz i have finally been able to complete the license plate mount. it turned out really well. super easy to install, lightweight but sturdy and adjustable heights for just the right positioning. The one problem is it doesn't work with the old steel loops like tymeslayer's, but the new billet aluminum loops are stronger, lighter and waaay more corrosion resistant. There's more details on the product here:

https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/new-product-release-quick-change-license-plate-mount.13256/
 

TMO Supporting Vendors

Top