How to Patch Up License Plate holes! PLEASE HELP!!!

TEXAS83 · 06-19-06, 08:18

I just got my LEXUS SC430 in the millenium silver and it has 4 ugly holes in the front where the license plate should be, and anybody whos anybody knows that it looks ugly as hell w/ the plate in the front. I want to patch these holes up somehow. Anyone have any ideas? Done this before?

I really cant get a new bumper, and I've looked at bumperplugs.com, but those plugs are soooooooooo big. I want something that will not stick out. Check out the picture below, the 2 middle holes are 7mm across and the 2 outer holes are 5mm across. THANKS

Asonyexec · 06-19-06, 08:25

If you want to go the cost effective route I say go with bumper plugs --- a friend has them on his 911 and they are not that bad looking. If you have the $$$ and you're dead set against the plugs I'm thinking your only other choice would be to have a body shop fill, sand & repaint. Then you're looking at 5 days w/out your car.

Good luck

Pats300zx · 06-19-06, 08:25

Try this:

I used them on my 350z and they are great.

Bumper Plugs

Grouse · 06-19-06, 09:43

you guys are so lucky.

I'd go off on the amount of brains my dealership had, but i shall not. wait I can't resist.

My front bumper plate has 4 holes. Kinda normal right? guess how many holes my bumper has.

8

Yeah the nits put 8 stinking holes in my bumper. You'd think oh they just missed aligned it and remounted it a second time right?

well you'd be wrong. yep that's right. They put 3 holes across the top of the bumper for each side of the bumper plate. Then they drilled two on the bottom.

Now your thinking hey just buy 8 bumper plugs ... Well gues what.

you'd be wrong.

Theyy drilled six holes on each side of my car. progressively larger from the center line out. That may not sound so bad untill you realize it is 3 holes that have elongated into one hole.

yep I have inch long holes in my bumper.

I so want to find that tech who put the plate on and castrate the bleep bleep bleep.

theamcguy · 06-19-06, 03:20

I had the same problem on two special ordered vehicles. Both where I specified do not put a front plate on the car. Guess what, when I picked them up there they were with a dealer advertising plate screwed into my new bumper. Too late to do anything about it. Both dealers wanted to have the car sent to the body shop to fix the holes but there is nothing that lasts as long as factory paint. Here's what I did, I filled both holes with paintable bathroom caulk. Get it at the Home Center stores, comes in a tube with a nozzle. Make sure its paintable. Carefully apply layer after layer building it up until it is even with your bumper then use touch up paint to blend it in. The caulk is water soluble so a wet finger smoothes it out. No need for sanding. You just play with it till you get it right. Is it perfect? No, but to me it is better than the plugs, because the plugs do stick out. Half the people never notice the patch and my factory paint is intact. One has been on since 1998 and no problems.

TEXAS83 · 06-19-06, 04:14

Funny you suggest this, I got a similar idea yesterday as I was picking up supplies for the house at Home Depot. I bought a tube of epoxy putty. Basically, it's got 2 parts and when you mash it all up together, you have about 15 minutes to mold and work with it before it gets harder than a rock. Its also sandable and paintable. So, i bought a tube ($4) and already filled one of the small holes, and used a wet towel and rubbed it over and over till it was smooth. I just did this about a half an hour ago, so I'll have to wait to see how it dries, but I'm guessing I'll have to fill it again, just a bit, to make sure its nice and smooth.

I also ordered a tube of factory touch up paint last night, so as soon as that comes in I'll be able to finish the job. Do you have any tips for me on how to properly paint it? I have never painted before! thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by theamcguy

I had the same problem on two special ordered vehicles. Both where I specified do not put a front plate on the car. Guess what, when I picked them up there they were with a dealer advertising plate screwed into my new bumper. Too late to do anything about it. Both dealers wanted to have the car sent to the body shop to fix the holes but there is nothing that lasts as long as factory paint. Here's what I did, I filled both holes with paintable bathroom caulk. Get it at the Home Center stores, comes in a tube with a nozzle. Make sure its paintable. Carefully apply layer after layer building it up until it is even with your bumper then use touch up paint to blend it in. The caulk is water soluble so a wet finger smoothes it out. No need for sanding. You just play with it till you get it right. Is it perfect? No, but to me it is better than the plugs, because the plugs do stick out. Half the people never notice the patch and my factory paint is intact. One has been on since 1998 and no problems.

Five Star · 06-19-06, 05:04

too far from me, I could fix it for you.

They make plastic welding kits, however you do need to practice with them

bluzman · 06-19-06, 05:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEXAS83

Funny you suggest this, I got a similar idea yesterday as I was picking up supplies for the house at Home Depot. I bought a tube of epoxy putty. Basically, it's got 2 parts and when you mash it all up together, you have about 15 minutes to mold and work with it before it gets harder than a rock. Its also sandable and paintable. So, i bought a tube ($4) and already filled one of the small holes, and used a wet towel and rubbed it over and over till it was smooth. I just did this about a half an hour ago, so I'll have to wait to see how it dries, but I'm guessing I'll have to fill it again, just a bit, to make sure its nice and smooth.

I also ordered a tube of factory touch up paint last night, so as soon as that comes in I'll be able to finish the job. Do you have any tips for me on how to properly paint it? I have never painted before! thanks!

Make sure you mix that stuff correctly, if not it will not set up!!

TEXAS83 · 06-19-06, 05:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluzman

Make sure you mix that stuff correctly, if not it will not set up!!

Ahhhh!! A little bit of the putty smeared on the car when I was squishing it in to the hole, and now there's a light smudge around the hole. Not very dark or bad, nonetheless, I want that crap only in the hole and I dont want to paint so much with the touch up paint. Anyone know of a good cleaner that will get rid of the smudge? Will that Meguiar's Scratch/Haze remover take it off?

SOMEONE HELP!!