License plate mount/bracket?

Does anyone know of a place I can get a license plate mount or bracket that will allow me to put american plates onto a car with holes for british plates? I bought a plastic "universal" bracket from the car parts place, but it turns out to not be quite universal enough... I'm thinking I might just cut holes in the one I bought or just get another piece of strong plastic and drill holes in it where needed...

How has everyone else done this? The zip ties I'm using have to go /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Thanks!
Melissa

My car is a Mk1 and their plates mount differently than yours. However, I know of different approaches taken by different people.

Some buy a British plate and screw their U.S. tag onto/over this. Personally I don't like that. Other people I know have taken a 1/4" thick piece of Plexiglass or Lexan and made an adapter plate. Still others I know have left their British plates on the car and have various methods for standing up (or attaching) the U.S. plate to the inside of the rear glass on the deck behind the back seat.

A previous owner of my car had a stainless steel bar under the front bumper for attaching U.S. plates... but the holes were in the wrong place. On the rear, they simply drilled new holes in the license plate carrier. BTW, on Mk1 cars this license plate carrier folds/flops down when the boot lid is open. So... you have to lower the license plate light when you attach the U.S. plate.

EDIT: BTW, what's up with the radiator and water pump? Have they arrived yet?

Thanks for the advice on the plate. Now I just need to get my hands on a drill....

Yeah, we installed the new pump and rad and rather than my car maxing out at 45 mph before it starts to overheat, it now gets up to 55 mph (on a very hot day). I figure with an auxilary electric fan, a super 2 core rad and a high flow water pump. my car just shouldn't be overheating, so there are still issues.

We're going the the pittsburgh vintage grand prix this weekend, so next week, we're going to take the head off and get it tested. I'm sorta hoping the head has very obvious issues so I can just buy a new one and be done with this. (And get on to more fun things like a new dash and a stereo system. This lack of NPR in the morning commute is killing me).

I took the bold and obvious option for my car....left the original plates on it and tucked the state plates in the car. I encounter law enforcement officials all the time with no ill effects. Most people are so wow'ed by it being right hand drive, a Mini, etc. that it is not an issue. <I wish I got a nickle every time I saw a cell phone camera come popping out the window of the car next to me as it drives by!! I'd have paid for a ground up resto by now!!> My "excuse" should I get pressured is that when I mount the plate it hangs so low it keeps getting bent or torn off. I refuse to drill holes in the back door of my wagon. Anyway, the hide in plain sight route works for me. My 2 cents for the day! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

There does seem to be a lot of tolerance for how plates are displayed on British cars and older cars in general.

I hate to resurrect the overheating thread here but do so grudgingly.

Remember to look at the fan again and insure that it's on facing the correct direction.
engine --> <span style='font-size: 12pt'>(</span> ---> radiator
To put the new pump on you obviously had the fan off. Please confirm that it's been replaced facing the right direction.

Most people I've heard discuss the use of electric fans have commented that they only make an improvement at idle. When the car is moving at speed the mechanical fan moves a lot of air, typically more than the electric ones. Have you considered buying the 6-blade tropical fan to replace whatever is on your car now?

I know you've tried the infrared thermometer. Perhaps for at least a short while you should consider fitting a mechanical (capillary tube) temperature gauge in place of the electric one. This doesn't have to be a Mini specific part. The $20 Sunpro mechanical temperature gauges at Advance Auto (and other sources) will fit and work fine. It would be nice to use this as your benchmark since it is neither subject to using the wrong sending unit, nor is it using the voltage stabilizer.

The fan's on right and it's the 11 bladed one, I believe, which I've been told works very well. I don't think the problem is the gauge.

When I got my Mini, I just drilled some holes is the plate to match the ones on tha car. Worked out great. I don't like working with license plate frames, just a clean look does it for me.

I don't think I'm allowed to drill holes in my plates... and actually, the simple chrome frame that I found actually makes it look a little sleeker. I would normally agree about plate frames, though.