 » Site Navigation | | | | » Recent Threads | | | 1999 M3 Swap 09-07-2023 10:10 PM 05-02-2024 08:18 PM 6 Replies, 405,170 Views | |  |  |  | |  07-24-2006, 03:31 AM | #1 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Northern IL Posts: 263 |  What's the real deal?
My dad was pulled over today while driving his not so stock E30 M3. The reason he was pulled over was so that the officer could give him a warning about:
a. having a clear plastic cover over his license plate
b. having too loud of an exhaust
c. not having a front license plate
so what's the real deal? is it illegal to not have a front license plate? I live in IL so i would love it if someone who knows about the IL laws would please enlighten me. The officer also said that changing a car at all was illegal. According to him anything that takes the car outside of the manufacturer's specs is illegal. Could it possibly be true that the entire aftermarket car parts industry in the U.S. is operating illegally? |  |  | | 07-24-2006, 03:45 AM | #2 | | TRETEN IRGENDEINES ESELS Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 3,687 |
Well to answer some of your questions it is illegal in all 50 states to have any kind of a cover over the license plate whether it's clear or tinted. Every state is different with the front plate,most states require you have one. Having a loud exhaust is noise pollution and that can happen anywhere,a short time ago in socal, cops were pulling people over left and right with loud exhaust and they all had to remove them. Even people with lowered cars got tickets. __________________ 98 Avus Blue 318 ti Active
clear outs all around,stealth turning signals,blue led interior lights, 35% tinted windows,K&N air filter, 12" Kenwood Sub, MTX Thunder Amp,Alpine cd changer, Leatherz Armrest,ACS Pedals/Handbrake/FloorMats & Vitesse Tuning Carbon Fiber B-Pillars/CF Spark Plug Cover, New 16" MSW Typer 14 Rims on Goodyear Triple Treds 
www.myspace.com/avusblueti | | | | | 07-24-2006, 04:33 AM | #3 | | Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: tailgating your slow ass Posts: 518 |
Ive been ticketed for not having a front plate in Mn once and warned about it twice after that so i just decided its not worth the $100 ticket so i just put it on again....even thought it looks very bad now | | | | | 07-24-2006, 06:31 AM | #4 | | Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: 43609 Posts: 3,425 |
Here in Ohio, it is required to have a front license plate, but i dont have one *shrugs*. For the rear plate that i do have, i have a tinted cover. Exhaust....around here, civics roll with cans or no mufflers at all. Either the officer was giving your dad a hard time, or they really are cracking down in the states. Supposedly, ohio is trying to become like cali and have everyone return their cars to fatory specs...I.E....intake, exhaust, suspension. __________________ 1995 Hellrot Clubsport 318ti -Gone 1996 Schwartz II Sport 357ti - 5.7L V8 LS1/6 1997 Moregrun Metallic 318ti - Gone
1998 Schwartz II sport 318ti - M50TUB25/5 | | | | | 07-24-2006, 06:34 AM | #5 | | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Northern New Jersey Posts: 395 |
My friend who has an M3 keeps getting tickets for no front plate.
I got pulled over once because a cop thought my driver and passenger side windows were tinted. He made me roll up my windows, although no other windows on my car were tinted. He actually used his tester. Then he asked me what kind of exhaust I had, and if I had cats. I told him it was stock, and yes, I have cats. Then he was going to ticket me for having clear corners, but that was because he had assumed I had white bulbs in them. Front and rear. He asked to see my shoes... did he think I was driving barefoot in the rain?
He went through a list of checks, and was quite angry when he could not issue me a ticket for anything.
Why try and screw over a 20 year old kid with a perfect record? I obviously have no lesson to learn. The encounter just lowered my respect for town police. | | | | | 07-24-2006, 05:08 PM | #6 | | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Asheville NC Posts: 669 |
you're in crystal lake??? I was there last week. Stayed at the holiday inn on hwy 31 with no power monday night after the storm :-( 6th floor got rather hot without AC.
I think in IL you need to run front plates, that's what every car seemed to have there. For the aftermarket parts, sounds like the cop was just being a jerk. | | | | | 07-24-2006, 05:41 PM | #7 | | Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Buffalo Posts: 61 |
I just moved out of Illinois last year. Yes you do have to have a front liscense plate. And in Illinois it is technically illegal to modify your exhaust from stock. If the cops wanted to be dicks they could really run an emissions test, but i have never heard of that. In illinois the same laws apply as do everywhere else regarding the lighting on your car. And as for what the cop said about changing any part of your car from stock.....well he was just blowing smoke. I have never had any of my "cop" friends from home tell about that, and they HELPED me modify my car. The cop that got your dad was probably just trying to fill his quota for the month | | | | | 07-24-2006, 06:13 PM | #8 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Northern IL Posts: 263 |
ok so if i have to have a front license plate
a. how do i get one. the DMV only gave me one
b. how do i attach it an M3 front end?
I hate to have to put a plate on the front since it looks so cool with out it, but if its gonna stop me from getting a ticket than i guess that its a necessary evil. See i dont understand how a state can outlaw aftermarket exhausts. what about all the aftermarket exhaust manufacturers? | | | | | 07-24-2006, 06:22 PM | #9 | | Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Buffalo Posts: 61 |
They outlaw the aftermarket exhaust because the majority of them are wayyy too loud (thank the ricers for that) and generally they are not as clean as factory exhaust. At least that is my two cents worth.
As for the plate, i believe you can buy another front plate from the secretary of state's office. If you have to just tell then your old one got destroyed, i'm sure it happens all the time.
Now this is just a suggestion but if you dont want to drill holes in your front bumper i have seen two alternatives. 1. you could keep the plate in your car and show it to the cop if one ever pulls you over and you could tell him it just fell off that day and u have not had a chence to fix it OR 2. i have seen people that attach front L Plates with zip ties.
Just a few thoughts | | | | | 07-24-2006, 08:04 PM | #10 | | Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 258 |
Uh, a cat-back exhaust system is going to be the exact same as an OE loadout.
If the DMV only gave you one plate, then my guess would be that you're only required to roll with one in the back - MD requires two, and gave me both.
318ti's already have holes in the bumper for front plates? __________________  | | | | | 07-24-2006, 09:48 PM | #11 | | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Northern New Jersey Posts: 395 |
There's a front bumper mount you can buy. My car came with it. NJ.
It's basically a trim piece. | | | | | 07-25-2006, 05:51 AM | #12 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: TX Posts: 140 |
Maybe just go the ghetto route and once you get a front plate, just place it on the dash.. or better yet, stuff it underneath the drivers' seat and throw it up there real quick when you get pulled over for it. | | | | | 07-25-2006, 06:13 AM | #13 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Northern IL Posts: 263 |
Quote: | Originally Posted by JPerfect There's a front bumper mount you can buy. My car came with it. NJ.
It's basically a trim piece. | Thats probably gonna be expensive though if you can only get through a dealer. do you know of anywhere else to find them? this blows. i like my car with out the damn license plate. how can new cars be sold with out license plate holders in the front? i saw a corvette, and numerous mercedes, BMWs, porsches, and audis on the lot without one while i was doing some test driving. | | | | | 07-25-2006, 11:14 AM | #14 | | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Asheville NC Posts: 669 |
are you looking for the trim for the e30 or a ti? I may have some e30 trim sitting around that holds front plates... | | | | | 07-25-2006, 04:10 PM | #15 | | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Northern IL Posts: 263 |
no for the TI | | | | | |
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