License Plate Screws...My OCD Is Kicking In...

[mimalmo]

Anybody have a good source for license plate screws that wont rust? I looked at some of the nylon ones but didn't care for their appearance. ECS Tuning has the OEM ones and while I can put up with paying almost $0.60 each, I can't put up with paying $16 to ship four bolts.

[johnrando]

Maybe someone ordering from ECS can order those for you too and then just ship them to you much cheaper. Unfortunately I recently ordered from ECS so I can't help you.

[tripod06]

i would just find where the cars with the good license plate screws park at night and then go in the middle of the night and get them by swapping theirs for yours! just an idea. haha

[wsmeyer]

What license plate screws :thumbup

1608

William.

[johnrando]

What license plate screws :thumbup

1608

William.

Nice William. Double sided tape?

[wsmeyer]

It's actually a two piece design. There's an inner frame that screws on the the car with the plate and then the CF outer frame snaps onto that completely covering all the hardware.

I bought two of them five years ago but never put the front one on. I recently wanted to buy one for the wife's X5 but I couldn't remember where I bought it and then suddenly remembered I had an extra.

William.

[spencers]

Take the part numbers and email Mike. He runs thebmwpartstore.com and would most likely shove them into an envelope and only charge you postage.

[M0nk3y]

Just buy caps and cover them.

[MrMaico]

Are you talking about #12 here Eli?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BD53&mospid=47713&btnr=41_1367&hg=41&fg=60

It looks like they are just a 5X8 metric screw. Got an Ace Hardware or Fastenal nearby? Our local Ace has a great selection of nuts and bolts. I used a stainless steel allen head screw and washer in mine.

Barry

[mimalmo]

Are you talking about #12 here Eli?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BD53&mospid=47713&btnr=41_1367&hg=41&fg=60

It looks like they are just a 5X8 metric screw. Got an Ace Hardware or Fastenal nearby? Our local Ace has a great selection of nuts and bolts. I used a stainless steel allen head screw and washer in mine.

Barry

Yeah, that's what I'll probably end up doing Barry. I was just looking at that Real OEM diagram earlier today.

I just wish there was an easy, cheap solution that I could order online and not have to drive somewhere to find it. If the ECS Tuning shipping would have been $3-$4, I probably would have ordered from them.

[mimalmo]

Take the part numbers and email Mike. He runs thebmwpartstore.com and would most likely shove them into an envelope and only charge you postage.

I don't know who Mike is but I just placed an order with that website.

I'd rather pay the few dollars shipping costs than chase around town for the proper screws when premium gas is $4 a gallon and the nearest store that would have that stuff is about 20 minutes away from me.

[static667]

If you have a marine or boating supply you could find all kinds of stainless goodies.

[mimalmo]

I already ordered some.

[lilcdkey]

lol just ask someone at ur local bmw dealership.. the employees at mine are cool about it and would give them out for free if i asked.

[mimalmo]

That's a 1 hour drive for me...exactly why I just ordered them.

[sna77]

I went to a hardware store that sold stainless steel metric screws. Cost me about $5 for 4--and they look great and don't rust--even in New England.

[mimalmo]

$7 shipped and I didn't have to go searching for anything. :)

[sna77]

The OEM screws are not stainless though... they will rust. :(

I can't find the exact size on this site, but the pan head phillips is what I bought in stainless:
http://www.boltdepot.com/machine-screws.aspx
http://www.boltdepot.com/images/catalog/machine-screw-phillips-pan.gif

[mimalmo]

OK, that sucks. I guess when I see the first spot of rust, I'll search for a set of stainless steel ones.

[sna77]

OK, that sucks. I guess when I see the first spot of rust, I'll search for a set of stainless steel ones.

except by that time, your license plate will already be rusting... :)

[llll1l1ll]

Sorry to hijack a thread, but does anyone know of a good license plate bracket for the rear? I have the Euro (?) setup which just has two holes. The previous owner generously bought me a bracket since he is keeping his; but it doesn't seem to fit right, rather, it's not clean.

[mikeyb74]

Bavauto has the rear plate screws part #07 11 9 907 623 for .95 ea and shipping is $5.95 on orders under $25. They will even price match.

[mikeyb74]

Sorry to hijack a thread, but does anyone know of a good license plate bracket for the rear? I have the Euro (?) setup which just has two holes. The previous owner generously bought me a bracket since he is keeping his; but it doesn't seem to fit right, rather, it's not clean.

The two holes with grommets are for the US plate bracket.

You will need the following parts.

1 51 18 8 238 061 rear plate bracket #4
4 07 14 6 959 892 plate screws #12
2 51 41 9 143 799 bracket to trunk screws #9

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/g/k/171.png

[llll1l1ll]

Thanks, man. I'm on it.

[danewilson77]

Bump.

Did we ever find a place online that sells the correct SS screws?

I thought I remembered someone coming up with a definitive solution for this.

[BCS_ZHP]

I've always bought them from the dealer, they have them and they're relatively cheap.

[danewilson77]

I've always bought them from the dealer, they have them and they're relatively cheap.

....but they rust, and like the thread states, am trying to prevent the rusted screw issues.

[niart906]

I bought a small bag of metric stainless screws a while back at home depot for something like $3.00. I've been using them on both of my cars for about 4 years now, no rust whatsoever.

Frozen car shot, but you get the idea. They're just rounded phillips heads...

http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab207/niart906/C8042894-DA26-4F2D-9791-2905E41B6FE5-5762-0000066287FA6B02.jpg

[danewilson77]

Right.....specifically, I think we were discussing the scerws that attach the frame to the trunk lid. Those typically rust.

[niart906]

^Ah gotcha. Mine are in nasty shape too. On my last E46, I sprayed them with a thin coat of rustoleum but it didn't help much.

[JupiterBMW]

Right.....specifically, I think we were discussing the scerws that attach the frame to the trunk lid. Those typically rust.

Get me the screw pitch, length and preferred head, and ill see what we have on the ship. We have literally hundreds of pounds of stainless hardware... This might be pic worthy now that I think about it...

[danewilson77]

Get me the screw pitch, length and preferred head, and ill see what we have on the ship. We have literally hundreds of pounds of stainless hardware... This might be pic worthy now that I think about it...

The only screw data I have is what's listed in the Realoem drawing and parts list. PC 10...

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/1-61.jpg

[JupiterBMW]

The only screw data I have is what's listed in the Realoem drawing and parts list. PC 10...

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/1-61.jpg

Having a hard time loading the pic on tapatalk... Can you email me the jpg file and I'll take a look this morning?? Gotta get down to the engine room now anyway.

[danewilson77]

Having a hard time loading the pic on tapatalk... Can you email me the jpg file and I'll take a look this morning?? Gotta get down to the engine room now anyway.

Done...Thanks

[LivesNearCostco]

Went to local Ace Hardware last week and all they had were M5 x 10mm stainless screws. They fit but were poking out the backside of the frame, threatening to scratch my paint. I had to put 2 washers in front of each screw instead of 1. M5 x 8mm screws would have been a perfect fit.

On the other hand they had that 1/4" plastic tubing for the Blackstone Labs dipstick oil sampling pump and it was cheap.

[ELCID86]

Anyone change out the screws that hold the plate to the frame (SS?)? I had to break the rusted, stripped-head screw out with a pair of vice grips when I removed the seller's tag on Sun. New bracket on the way.