Custom European License Plate for the BMW ZHP 330

[Marcus-SanDiego]

EDIT: You can find my write up here (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?1443-BMW-ZHP-330-Present-On-Its-Way&p=28919#post28919).

I bought something for the ZHP on Sunday. It shipped out today. Sadly, it won't be here until Monday.

What is it?

First hint:

Date/Time
Mar 1, 2011 8:13 PM

Activity
Left FedEx origin facility

Location
BERLIN DE

[danewilson77]

Mmmmm.....Araquay lip?

[Marcus-SanDiego]

No.

[Crickett]

Hrm . . . shipping from DE . . . I guess a S65B40! Right?!

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Would that be awesome or what, Crickett?

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_KcgBwzAEDl0/R5DGnkWipRI/AAAAAAAAQh4/a02mN6Bt_Cc/M3_V8_A.jpg

Unfortunately, no.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I will be providing a new hint each time Fedex updates the tracking record.

[Crickett]

Someone did it over on E46F . . . but I can't find the thread right now.

EDIT: Found it! (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?1455-EPIC-Engine-Swap-S65-E46-Sedan)

On-topic second guess: new set of factory-direct OEM wheels?

[danewilson77]

Roof rack FTMFW!

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[Marcus-SanDiego]

Someone did it over on E46F . . . but I can't find the thread right now.

On-topic second guess: new set of factory-direct OEM wheels?

Crickett, I hope you find that. I'd love to read about it.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

You guys are great. I love this site.

No. And no.

[danewilson77]

E46 ///M3 rims and tires!

Or...a set of BBS CH's.

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[Rovert]

It must be stock.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Hell, you guys are giving me ideas on what to buy next!

[kayger12]

Car seat for the baby...

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[danewilson77]

Car seat for the baby...

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

Like.

[mimalmo]

undercar neon kit?

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Now you guys are starting to think like a father to be. But not a car seat.

And, Eli, no -- although that's not a bad idea. :biggrin

[Rovert]

undercar neon kit?

That's not OEM.

[mimalmo]

Did you order those Style 135's in ET20?

[danewilson77]

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Funny/24580410008_large.jpg

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Funny/wallpaper_streetglow_1280.jpg

[Mtnman]

Sorry to divert marcus, but I saw a kid in an newer x5 the other day with green neon lighting his front mesh intake, and his inside angel eyes were also bright green. I threw up a little in my mouth.
Back to topic.

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[gr330zhp]

Tirerack has a warehouse in Delaware...something from them??

[Mtnman]

Hahaha. U have to actually drive the car to need new tires! :)

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[Marcus-SanDiego]

LOL. David got you on that one, Stathi. I need to drive this sucker!

[Marcus-SanDiego]

And, yes, there is a Berlin, Delaware. Be careful, peeps. Don't get locked in to a particular thing. (Though I will tell you that it's the Germany DE.)

[danewilson77]

Tirerack has a warehouse in Delaware...something from them??

You haz to drive car to need new tires....:rofl

[danewilson77]

Hahaha. U have to actually drive the car to need new tires! :)

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Great minds think alike.

[gr330zhp]

Tirerack sells stuff other than tires guys :shifty

Wheels, brakes, lighting but anyway.....not from them

[Marcus-SanDiego]

And Stathi got you guys there. As I said, don't get locked into things.

But this present is coming from Deutschland.

[mimalmo]

The OEM shade kit?

[gr330zhp]

The OEM shade kit?

That would be very cool...someone on BF.C had the side clip in ones as well pretty cool

[Marcus-SanDiego]

No. But those shade kits are nice.

[MasterC17]

New Euro M-Tech II front bumper?

[mimalmo]

Upgrading to xenons?

[danewilson77]

New Euro M-Tech II front bumper?

No way. That would be too huge. It will be something subtle and un-noticeable to the naked eye....lol. You know he likes it clean.

[pyreguy]

A rear view mirror?


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[jjcools]

I am with Eli, factory xenons...
Or
OEM M3 rear view.

[gr330zhp]

I too agree with Xenons :dunno

[BCS_ZHP]

Could it be a Euro front license plate bracket so he can proudly display a "GODFATHER" tag.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Bruce got it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/marcussandiego/zhpmafiaplate.png

And I got the German seals today, so they will be applied as soon as the plate gets here.

I got it for marketing purposes.

[BCS_ZHP]

Even a blind squirrel finds the nut once in a while.

[Johnmadd]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/marcussandiego/zhpmafiaplate.png

I got it for marketing purposes.

Tax write off.:mwah

[mimalmo]

Tax write off.:mwah

LOL, that was my first thought too.

[danewilson77]

Sweet....that's gonna look good. I was looking at the same very thing about a month ago....

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[Marcus-SanDiego]

And the little seals will go between the P and the M. Win.

[billschusteriv]

Very cool Marcus! I like! Are you getting the no hole kit to mount or locating elsewhere?

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I already have holes in the bumper -- from previous owner. So, I will be using those holes.

[Johnmadd]

I already have holes in the bumper -- from previous owner. So, I will be using those holes.
Good answer.

[kayger12]

Ha! That's awesome, Boss.

Good guess, Bruce!

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[pyreguy]

Very cool! Can't wait for pics!!


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[johnrando]

Definitely cool. Pics asap please! You just gonna hope the local LEO's let the different plates slide?

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Definitely cool. Pics asap please! You just gonna hope the local LEO's let the different plates slide?

Actually, I have not run front plates for more than 10 years straight. This is an improvement over no plate. So, yes, I will continue to hope that local LEO ignores it.

Pictures next week after they're put on, John! You know it.

[johnnye23]

That looks pretty cool !

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Still in Germany.

Mar 2, 2011 8:49 PM
Departed FedEx location
KOELN DE

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Uh, guess what's out for delivery right now? Got from Germany to here in less than three days.

Will take pictures later today.

Date/Time
Mar 3, 2011 8:25 AM

Activity
On FedEx vehicle for delivery

Location
CARLSBAD, CA

[pyreguy]

Awesome!!


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[Marcus-SanDiego]

By the way, Lance, I saw your plate and others' on this site, and that's what made me want to get the plate.

Thanks.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

And it is here.

Left at front door. Package delivered to recipient address - release authorized

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Now for the kudos.

I bought the plate at CustomEuropeanPlates.com. This is a local company to me (about eight miles from my house).

I ordered the plate (and seals -- the green and blue/white stickers) on Sunday. I immediately got a confirmation email that my order was received. You can find pricing information on their site.

This is what the email said: "Custom plate shipping is done directly from Germany and typically takes 5 business days. If you have not received your order after 7 business days from shipping notification please contact us.

If you ordered Seals they will be shipped from the USA separately via USPS and can take 1 week to arrive.

Please contact us ASAP if anything is incorrect."

Great. So I figured that it would take about a week to get my license plate, especially because it was coming from Germany.

On Tuesday afternoon I got an email saying that the plate had shipped. I was given the FedEx tracking number.

Less than two days after getting tracking information, my plate was sitting at my front door. Meanwhile, the seals arrived at my house on Tuesday (less than 48 hours after I placed my order).

I wholeheartedly endorse this company. It was a great transaction. You can find them here at their Web site (http://www.customeuropeanplates.com/).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/marcussandiego/2011-03-03_10-53-47_683.jpg

[danewilson77]

Nice Boss.

[bimmer848]

WORD!

[HaloArchive]

Looks god! Pics on car!

[L0veZHP]

can you use these for legal purposes?

[danewilson77]

Depends if your state law requires you to have a front plate or not.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I will be putting this on tomorrow using 3M double-sided tape. Should work great.

[L0veZHP]

Depends if your state law requires you to have a front plate or not.
My state requires front plates? so im guessing i cant have these =[

[Marcus-SanDiego]

My state requires front plates, too. I just never run them. I figure this has to be a step up for me. :biggrin

[billschusteriv]

Depends if your state law requires you to have a front plate or not.
My state requires front plates? so im guessing i cant have these =[

You could still run this in a multitude of places.

You could get a no holes euro plate kit and run both plates on your car from the front or rear tow hook location.

You could do like some VWs I've seen and put it in the front window. Or rear window. (Meh?)

[danewilson77]

My state requires front plates, too. I just never run them. I figure this has to be a step up for me. :biggrin

You're not exactly throwing the ZHP out on the road, in plain sight, every day either.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Good point, Dane. Good point.

[az3579]

I've never liked the idea of a front plate on a coupe simply because there isn't really a mounting location for it. But, if a front plate is to be had, I don't think you can do better appearance-wise than a no-holes tow-hook attachment. I love the offset on those...

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I'll actually be bending the plate so that it hugs my bumper. Will use double-sided tape to keep it in place.

[pyreguy]

I used the European mounting bracket (from baw) and bent the plate by hand and used 3M double sided tape to hold it on place. It looks better than the frame you're expected to use and the tape has held up perfectly in all kinds of extreme conditions since mounting it. I believe it will last forever.

I love it Marcus! That will look amazing on your ZHP!


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[Marcus-SanDiego]

I used the European mounting bracket (from baw) and bent the plate by hand and used 3M double sided tape to hold it on place. It looks better than the frame you're expected to use and the tape has held up perfectly in all kinds of extreme conditions since mounting it. I believe it will last forever.

I love it Marcus! That will look amazing on your ZHP!

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Got the plate on. Looks great.

Both cars are being washed. Will take pictures after they are done.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Pictures of the plate on the car. Hood was up because I had to get my washer pump replaced (pump that sprays water on the windshield):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/marcussandiego/2011-03-04_17-20-40_550.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/marcussandiego/2011-03-04_17-32-27_82.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/marcussandiego/2011-03-04_17-32-17_248.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/marcussandiego/2011-03-04_17-32-42_48.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/marcussandiego/2011-03-04_17-22-01_526.jpg

[BCS_ZHP]

Very nice!!

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I think so, too, Bruce. Looks clean. Bent the plate to hug the bumper. Then I used 3M tape to hold it down. Should work perfectly.

[kayger12]

Looks great, Boss.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Thanks, K.

[UncleSmitty]

Dam that looks nice... Saw the same on a super-clean local e34 a few weeks back, the double-take gave me a crick in my neck!

[az3579]

Good pick, boss. Looks very slick.

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[johnrando]

Great look!

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Thanks, guys. It's very clean, which is the look I always go for.

[SC4ME]

Looks great. Noticed that your rims are nice and clean (better go clean mine today)

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Curtis, cleaned them yesterday. Had to have them clean.

[gr330zhp]

Looks awesome Marcus!!

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[Marcus-SanDiego]

Thanks, Stathi.

[Gramps05ZHP]

Marcus, That is SMOKIN.....good call.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Thanks, Gramps.

[billschusteriv]

Mmmmm... double sided tape eh? I may have to try that to get my euro plate on sooner rather than later.

Just out of curiousity - if I do it with the double sided tape, what's the removal strategy if I ever want to take my euro plate off? :dunno

[Marcus-SanDiego]

You'll use heat to get it off. No worries. I asked about that before I put it on. The body shop guys at 2M Auto Body said it would be no trouble.

[billschusteriv]

Cool. That's not bad at all. Any particular brand/type of double sided tape? 3M?

[Johnmadd]

I like the euro plate but I am in a front plate state so I envy the no plate look personally. I should just do it and say f the police, and my reason to them why it wasn't properly displayed wil be "it looks better that way officer". Whatever.No disrespect towards police or the law, just think it is a dumb law.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Cool. That's not bad at all. Any particular brand/type of double sided tape? 3M?

3M. Get the thick stuff. It was universal when I asked about the tape, by the way. 3M.

[johnnye23]

How is your plate attached ? I see no hardware : 0 Looks nice Btw I think I may order one for my wife's car.

[kayger12]

3M double sided tape.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Yep. 3M double-sided tape. It was the thicker stuff.

[danewilson77]

The only thing I can add here (other than it looks great), as I would think removal would be the same method, one would use to debadge (though I am not debating heat would work). When I have debadged.....I will take 20lb fishing line....and "scrim" in behind the 3M tape. This will in effect, cut the plate off. Then use a small amount off goof off or goo gone to remove residue. This is just an additional option for some. You would need to clean and rewax that area obviously.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

This is the exact stuff I used: 3M Super Strength Double Sided Molding Tape, 7/8" x 60" (http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=zhpcom-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=B000BO9L00)

I have bought from that Amazon.com seller before (but on eBay). Flawless transaction. See my feedback in that company's feedback stream.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Right, Dane. And while we're at it, make sure you clean the surface well BEFORE you put the plate on.

[johnnye23]

Thanks for the update guys. I think my wife is going to order a plate but I think I want to get a German Bmw dealer type holder like I had on my M5.

490

[Marcus-SanDiego]

They all look good.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I'm looking to pick up another Euro plate -- for the 335. Grabbing another ZHP MAFIA plate.

I found an eBay seller that sells these things for $22.99. That's significantly less than what I paid for my last one. Looking at the shipping information, I anticipate that this will take longer than a week to get but the price is right. If you go with the standard shipping, it works out to $37.99 for the plate.

Custom European Plate (Buy the plate here: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574947307&toolid=10001&campid=5336776893&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Febaymotors%2FEURO PLATE-YOUR-TEXT-GERMAN-CUSTOM-TAG-incl-Frame-%2F310294673727%3Fpt%3DMotors_Automotive_Tools%26h ash%3Ditem483f00f93f)

You can see other style plates here (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574947307&toolid=10001&campid=5336776893&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fmotors.shop.ebay.com%2Fgermancus tomplates%2Fm.html%3F_trksid%3Dp4340.l2562).

Be sure you choose a custom plate -- otherwise you'll be buying a used, already stamped plate.

Once you have purchased the customizable plate, you go here to choose which letters you want on the plate: http://www.germancustomplates.com/modules/catalog/e/check.php

[MrMaico]

Looks great but there's no way I'd get away with that here judging by how I got hassled for not having any front plate.

BTW Marcus, your first and third links aren't working for me.

Barry


I'm looking to pick up another Euro plate -- for the 335. Grabbing another ZHP MAFIA plate.

I found an eBay seller that sells these things for $22.99. That's significantly less than what I paid for my last one. Looking at the shipping information, I anticipate that this will take longer than a week to get but the price is right. If you go with the standard shipping, it works out to $37.99 for the plate.

Custom European Plate (http://Buy%20the%20plate%20here:%20http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574947307&toolid=10001&campid=5336776893&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Febaymotors%2FEURO PLATE-YOUR-TEXT-GERMAN-CUSTOM-TAG-incl-Frame-%2F310294673727%3Fpt%3DMotors_Automotive_Tools%26h ash%3Ditem483f00f93f)

You can see other style plates here (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574947307&toolid=10001&campid=5336776893&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fmotors.shop.ebay.com%2Fgermancus tomplates%2Fm.html%3F_trksid%3Dp4340.l2562).

Be sure you choose a custom plate -- otherwise you'll be buying a used, already stamped plate.

Once you have purchased the customizable plate, you go here to choose which letters you want on the plate: http://www.germancustomplates.com/modules/catalog/e/check.php

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Looks great but there's no way I'd get away with that here judging by how I got hassled for not having any front plate.

BTW Marcus, your first and third links aren't working for me.

Barry



Looks like their site could be down, Barry.

[MrMaico]

Looks like their site could be down, Barry.
Works for me this way though.....

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574947307&toolid=10001&campid=5336776893&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Febaymotors%2FEURO PLATE-YOUR-TEXT-GERMAN-CUSTOM-TAG-incl-Frame-%2F310294673727%3Fpt%3DMotors_Automotive_Tools%26h ash%3Ditem483f00f93f%2522%5DCustom%2520European%25 20Plate

http://www.germancustomplates.com/

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Thanks, Barry.

[DirtyPillows]

Wish i could do this darn MD laws....