Auto Detailing and Appearance Share tips and tricks on how to make your Third Gen shine! Get opinions on products or how something tasteful looks on your Chevrolet Camaro or Pontiac Firebird.

Motorized Flip down license plate!?!?! IDEAS!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 02-13-2003, 05:40 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
Motorized Flip down license plate!?!?! IDEAS!

hey i posted this in the electronics forum.. bad idea.. it got closed. so lets start up some ideas here if anyone is interested. since we all hate getting busted by red light cameras and all.

My idea was to somehow incorporate a power antenna motor so when you flick a switch it will shoot the plate down and can also pull it up! i havent figured out how to make this work though.. ideas??


It would also be neat so that if you did get this to work, you could make a sign behind the license plate that says "SEE YA" if a ***** or someone is behind you, flip it down, spin the wheels, and your laughin.. lol?

:lala:
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 05:47 PM
  #2  
Supreme Member

 
devianb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Illinois
Posts: 4,028
Likes: 0
Received 5 Likes on 3 Posts
Car: 1988 Trans Am
Engine: 305 TPI
I was thinking of the same thing the other day, but since I don't have a Camaro, it would not work on a Firebird.


That sounds like a cool idea because I don't like the way the front liscence plate ruins the front end look of cars.
devianb is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 05:50 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
i was talking about the one in the back..., or do the cameras take the pic of the front of the car.. if they do then ****, but it would still be cool to make the back one flip down.
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 06:21 PM
  #4  
Supreme Member

iTrader: (53)
 
FLYNLOW92rs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I don't know about the police in Canada, but they seem to be more civilized up there, normal people live in that spec on the map we southerners call Canada......

But if you got caught by the police using one of those............maybe you can flip it down so no one recognizes your car while it's being towed.....

Not to mention the fines for something like that must be big.....

American cops would have a field day with that, not really worth it.....
FLYNLOW92rs is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 06:27 PM
  #5  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
i live in a town where high speed chases and bombs and guns dont really exist... only natives which are ridiculed on a day to day basis unfortunatly.. anyways, whether you are interested or not, lets put some ideas on the board shall we. or just give me an idea how to do mine with the power antenna motor
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 06:36 PM
  #6  
Banned
 
nolanr0413's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: New York
Posts: 2,790
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Car: Trans am
i flip around license plate, i seriouly thought abouit for a few days and then decided i couldnt do it because i would have to pay somone else to do it.i wanted to have the plate motor around like the face on cd players but all the way so their would be two sides.i wanted to put the plate on one side and the bird insert from a 4th gen on the other side. the insert im talking about is the front license plate one.i like to pass people on double solids sometimes so i dont want them to be able to write the plate number down and plus for shows it would be cool.
nolanr0413 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 06:37 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
i dont understand ... at all...
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 06:47 PM
  #8  
Supreme Member
 
85SportCoupeto89RS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Cove, Arkansas
Posts: 2,760
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 85 Camaro SC
Engine: V6
Transmission: 700r4
Yes its highly illegal, but I would put a 2 way dremel tool in the liscens plate light part in the tail light part to and have a rod flip the plate up and down with a switch.
85SportCoupeto89RS is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 07:09 PM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
badandy247's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: St.Louis, Missouri
Posts: 539
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 91 Camaro RS
Engine: 3.1L V-6
Transmission: Fresh 700R4
i'm in the mini truck scene a little as well as in to the F-bodys and godfather customs (i belive ) makes a little electronic solenoid operated system that mounts your plate into the front of the bed and your license plate pops straight up in an aluminum frame(with light built in)

This is a site i found that sells plates that flip up or down 90* ( i would assume you could reverse the mounting to make it flip anyway you like seems too high of a price for me though


http://www.watsons-streetworks.com/license_plate.html
badandy247 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 07:11 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
thats what im talking about but does anyone know how it is done?
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 07:13 PM
  #11  
Supreme Member

iTrader: (53)
 
FLYNLOW92rs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally posted by 84Z28_5.7ltr_V8
i live in a town where high speed chases and bombs and guns dont really exist...
That's what i love about Canada, consider yourself lucky.....

Anyway, first you would have to disable the spring on there now........

Make a set of vertical tracks on the back.........
Connect the bottom of the license plate to the tracks....

Create a mechanism to hold up the top...

Therefore when you press the button the top part of the plate falls down and the bottom will rise up on the tracks and bring the bottom back in.....

Then when you press the button again the tracks would lower the bottom of the license plate and then you need some sort of system to pull the front back up.....

You may want to find out more about the motorized faceplates of headunits to see how they work.....since we are essentially talking about the same thing
FLYNLOW92rs is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 07:19 PM
  #12  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
i guess so... i was thinking something more alone the lines of something pushing it down, like a pole for example, then pulling it back flipped up like the pole attached to a string or soemthing...
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 07:22 PM
  #13  
Supreme Member

iTrader: (53)
 
FLYNLOW92rs's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally posted by 84Z28_5.7ltr_V8
i guess so... i was thinking something more alone the lines of something pushing it down, like a pole for example, then pulling it back flipped up like the pole attached to a string or soemthing...
It would be kinda difficult to make that motorized.....

It could work, but the plate could only flip down, and not completely turn around....

Maybe a string that could go inside and be on some sort of motorized yo-yo type thing........lol....

But then again, I'm assuming this system needs to be somewhat reliable
FLYNLOW92rs is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 07:23 PM
  #14  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
why does it have to turn around.... the license plate on my car flips down so the numbers are facing the ground then back up again.... so couldnt you push it over some how, then pull it back up.. i mean like without modifying the actual license plate bracket at all..
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 07:31 PM
  #15  
Supreme Member

 
HamSpiced's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Detroit
Posts: 1,369
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 89 Camaro I-Roc z
Engine: 305
Transmission: Th700r4
ok i thought i posted but its not up.. um its could be done, and i think rather easily. take the springs off the plate now then drill a hole into the hatch area, mount a small motor that can either push or pull and connet a par to it. have the bar connect to the back of the license plate bracket frame, and voila. it should work.
HamSpiced is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 07:32 PM
  #16  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
i could use a power antenna motor.. but its kinda big.. is there a way to do it without drilling any holes?
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 07:35 PM
  #17  
Supreme Member
 
85SportCoupeto89RS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Cove, Arkansas
Posts: 2,760
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 85 Camaro SC
Engine: V6
Transmission: 700r4
I didnt have time to properly word my post eariler.
Get a 2 way electric motor with a shaft on it. It can spin clock wise and counter clock wise. Take off one of your taillights and put the motor behind the panel with the light for the liscens plate. Then attach a rod to the hinge of the plate bracket. Hook that up to a switch and have the motor turn clockwise and the plate bracket will move down and the letters will face the ground. Heres a pic of what I mean. The yellow box is the motor behind the plastic and the green is the rod to the hinge. There should be enough room to mount a small electric motor behind that trim piece.
Attached Thumbnails Motorized Flip down license plate!?!?! IDEAS!-flipdownplate.jpg  
85SportCoupeto89RS is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 07:38 PM
  #18  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
good idea!!! you probably wouldnt need a huge motor to do this either, i hope,
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 07:43 PM
  #19  
Supreme Member
 
85SportCoupeto89RS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Cove, Arkansas
Posts: 2,760
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 85 Camaro SC
Engine: V6
Transmission: 700r4
Thanks, with the spring disconected from the plate bracket there should be under half a pound of weight for the motor to drop and pick back up.
85SportCoupeto89RS is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 07:44 PM
  #20  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
makes sense... how much room do you figure would be behind that light.. and how would you make the motor work in reverse.
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 08:06 PM
  #21  
Supreme Member
 
85SportCoupeto89RS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Cove, Arkansas
Posts: 2,760
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 85 Camaro SC
Engine: V6
Transmission: 700r4
I just roughly measured the space on one of my old tailights. ITs about 6 inches high, 5 1/2 inches long, and about 2 3/4, 3 inches deep.Thats without the cover for the plate light trim on. The two way motor should have two power wires that will go to the switch, when its fliped or pressed one way the motor will turn one way and when the swith is in a netural position the motor will be off and when its flipped the other way the motor will turn in the oposite direction.
85SportCoupeto89RS is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 08:08 PM
  #22  
Banned
 
Xceleratemaro's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: greenvill sc
Posts: 864
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
no no f*ck that ,your doing it the hard way... this is what you do get a door silinoied. like when you shave your handals..and mount it behind you plate so all you have to do is hit the button and the siinoied will activate and push the plate down and your off.... the thing is when you want it up you will have to do it manually ... i have been thinking of this forever and will do it one day
Xceleratemaro is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 08:27 PM
  #23  
Supreme Member
 
85SportCoupeto89RS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Cove, Arkansas
Posts: 2,760
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 85 Camaro SC
Engine: V6
Transmission: 700r4
The only bad thing is you have to flip it up manualy, with the two way motor its all powered So when you get your pic taken you have the plate down and after the intersection you can press the button and the plate comes back up, better than pulling over to flip the plate back up to not get a ticket for having it down.
85SportCoupeto89RS is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 08:29 PM
  #24  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
it doesnt seem too hard, i cant really imagine needing to drill anyholes other then to mount the motor...
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8 is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 10:50 PM
  #25  
Supreme Member

 
92Transam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: So Cal (SD)
Posts: 1,467
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 91 firebird now
Engine: 305
Transmission: 5 speed
I posted this one up before its a 300 buck one though, it goes forward then flips up, if you go to this site then go to inventory blow out you can see it 4 items down on the list on a black rustang http://www.2kracing.com/cgi-bin/web_...main/index.htm
Attached Thumbnails Motorized Flip down license plate!?!?! IDEAS!-license4.jpg  
92Transam is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 10:50 PM
  #26  
Supreme Member

 
92Transam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: So Cal (SD)
Posts: 1,467
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 91 firebird now
Engine: 305
Transmission: 5 speed
and
Attached Thumbnails Motorized Flip down license plate!?!?! IDEAS!-license2.jpg  
92Transam is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 10:52 PM
  #27  
Supreme Member

 
92Transam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: So Cal (SD)
Posts: 1,467
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 91 firebird now
Engine: 305
Transmission: 5 speed
also
Attached Thumbnails Motorized Flip down license plate!?!?! IDEAS!-license3.jpg  
92Transam is offline  
Old 02-13-2003, 10:53 PM
  #28  
Supreme Member

 
92Transam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: So Cal (SD)
Posts: 1,467
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 91 firebird now
Engine: 305
Transmission: 5 speed
ta da
Attached Thumbnails Motorized Flip down license plate!?!?! IDEAS!-license1.jpg  
92Transam is offline  
Old 02-14-2003, 12:51 AM
  #29  
Supreme Member

 
NTChrist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: St. Catharines, ON
Posts: 1,516
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Know those little things that pop open gas-cap doors on some cars? They use a spring to pop open the gas door.

I knew a guy that owned a Kawi that he was trying to fit one of those spring loaded pop-open doors to his bike plate in the back. I don't know if he ever finished it tho.

I've been considering doing this for a long time with my Firebird.

Would be a lot cheaper than electrics, and you can buy gas door kits that I'm sure you can rig to work...
NTChrist is offline  
Old 02-14-2003, 02:45 AM
  #30  
Member

 
89firechicken's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bellevue, NE
Posts: 419
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
READ ME I MAKE SENCE

ok realisticly your going to press a button everytime you pass photo radar or everytime a cop pulls behind you because you forgot to press the button again? well i know some states it's illegal to have a cover on your plate(s) but you may get away with one. i had one on my chrysler it has this material that if you dont stare at it directly it's a blur (photo radar will not pick that up) but if your looking dead on it's clear as day (like a cop behind you). just like an old big screen.

now to answer some questions most photo radar's take your pic from the front and back, one of the driver and one of the plate. now thise of you that have a car but it's registerd and insured by mommy and daddy (don't be ashamed i was that guy) to get a lower insurance rate you have an advatage. the car is registerd by them so they cant be fined by something they didnt do but they must go to court about it not you. for the other guy if your face is obstructed ie. sneeze when you cut the light and cover your face they cant proove that your the driver. no proof no ticket. but even better follow traffic rules when applicable and you wont have a problem.
89firechicken is offline  
Old 02-14-2003, 02:49 AM
  #31  
Supreme Member

 
92Transam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: So Cal (SD)
Posts: 1,467
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 91 firebird now
Engine: 305
Transmission: 5 speed
Re: READ ME I MAKE SENCE

Originally posted by 89firechicken
ok realisticly your going to press a button everytime you pass photo radar or everytime a cop pulls behind you because you forgot to press the button again? well i know some states it's illegal to have a cover on your plate(s) but you may get away with one. i had one on my chrysler it has this material that if you dont stare at it directly it's a blur (photo radar will not pick that up) but if your looking dead on it's clear as day (like a cop behind you). just like an old big screen.

now to answer some questions most photo radar's take your pic from the front and back, one of the driver and one of the plate. now thise of you that have a car but it's registerd and insured by mommy and daddy (don't be ashamed i was that guy) to get a lower insurance rate you have an advatage. the car is registerd by them so they cant be fined by something they didnt do but they must go to court about it not you. for the other guy if your face is obstructed ie. sneeze when you cut the light and cover your face they cant proove that your the driver. no proof no ticket. but even better follow traffic rules when applicable and you wont have a problem.
Where did you get the plate cover, Ive seen them before but forgot to save the link.
92Transam is offline  
Old 02-14-2003, 03:30 AM
  #32  
Member

 
89firechicken's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bellevue, NE
Posts: 419
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
i got it in arizona from a place called spy head quarters
89firechicken is offline  
Old 02-15-2003, 02:16 PM
  #33  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada
Posts: 804
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Car: 1984 Z28
Engine: 350
Transmission: T5
ok, i dont car about the front license plate.. only the back one, since it already folds down.
84Z28_5.7ltr_V8 is offline  
Old 02-15-2003, 04:43 PM
  #34  
Member
 
Brad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: North TX
Posts: 464
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I have a good idea. How about you stop at the red lights. That will fix that pesky camera problem right up.
Brad is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
1992 Trans Am
History / Originality
27
05-10-2023 07:19 PM
mhatfield 14
Tech / General Engine
5
10-24-2015 07:48 AM
69 Six Pack
Camaros for Sale
13
10-05-2015 07:51 PM
mdtoren
Tech / General Engine
0
08-16-2015 05:45 PM



Quick Reply: Motorized Flip down license plate!?!?! IDEAS!



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:25 AM.