New BMW M license plate frame [Archive] - BMW E46 330 ZHP For Sale Forum

Tampa330i

12-12-2010, 11:28 PM

I'm going to get rid of the dealer's crappy license plate frame and get another one. I was thinking of getting a bmw or ///M logo one in black, but then I though, why not get one personalized?

Marcus - may I have your permission to use the ZHP Mafia name on a custom frame?

danewilson77

12-13-2010, 04:17 AM

In FLA...I am sure he would have no prob with....although....he had a chance to get in CA....and passed on it for 05 ZHP.

zhpnsnv

12-13-2010, 05:05 AM

I think he's talking plate frame, not plate.

Tampa330i

12-13-2010, 05:16 AM

Yeah, I'm talking about the frame around the plate. You can buy them customized with whatever you want on them. Custom plates might not be a bad idea either... hmm. Maybe next time I register.

Tampa330i

12-13-2010, 06:27 AM

Now you've got me looking at custom plates, and Florida has like 100 different designs for plates. I think this one is so funny, I might just get it.

http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/specialtytags/environmental/trees_are_cool.html

Alphatek45

12-13-2010, 06:32 AM

I dare ya :)

Marcus-SanDiego

12-13-2010, 07:01 AM

Have fun, Tampa! Be sure you post pictures.

Tampa330i

12-13-2010, 07:10 AM

Sweet, thanks. This shark lookin' one is in fierce competition with treesarecool:

http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/specialtytags/environmental/Save_Our_Seas.html

jjcools

12-13-2010, 09:37 AM

I got a black frame with the M logo and am happy with my choice. I do feel like a bit of a poseur cause it is not an M but it is closer than a 328...

az3579

12-13-2010, 09:42 AM

I got a black frame with the M logo and am happy with my choice. I do feel like a bit of a poseur cause it is not an M but it is closer than a 328...

It doesn't say M3 on it, so you're fine.

Tampa330i

12-14-2010, 10:39 AM

Ordered my personalized plates today. Best plate I could possibly get:

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/e92dbd5dfde50c6b5829ae1981644db5e4b3a4130de172cf52 531d5bf9f791266g.jpg

az3579

12-14-2010, 01:43 PM

I can't wait for mine to arrive. I submitted the paperwork well over a week ago and they still haven't cashed my check. I'm getting antsy here...
What's worse is that once they do finally cash the check, it'll still take up to 3 months to get it. :shifty

Tampa330i

12-14-2010, 01:45 PM

Yeah they said it'd be a few months. Gives me time to pick out a new frame.

az3579

12-14-2010, 01:53 PM

Dunno, I've always found frameless to be the most appealing...
Methinks it looks darned good without it.

pyreguy

12-14-2010, 02:48 PM

I had a really nice carbon fiber BMW frame that came with my car that I didn't even use when I saw how it would cover up my LSU tag. I ended up giving it to my friend that owns Autobahn South who turned my onto BMW's in the first place. I think I prefer frameless as well. Cleaner looking.

Just not clean....
http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae342/pyreguy/ZHP/DSC00009.jpg
this was taken one day after washing it btw

az3579

12-14-2010, 03:28 PM

^ merits of having a black car. lol
I'm rocking the white "dust" look on the Imola. Darned salt. :(

pyreguy

12-14-2010, 03:39 PM

Mine is just a TON of road work being done around where I live. Normally its not that bad. A good washing usually lasts me a good two weeks in normal conditions. I have currently given up until the roads are done.

Alphatek45

12-14-2010, 05:10 PM

I'm frame-less as well. I don't know why, but I cant bring myself to buy a frame for it. Its clean as is, think It will stay that way unless I can find something sleek that doesn't look like it came from the "Car customization" aisle at Auto Zone. You know, next to the skull shift knobs and flamed mud flaps....

Tampa330i

12-14-2010, 05:49 PM

I've been looking at frames all over the internet for a day or so, most look exactly as described above. I would like to cover the 'save our seas' part with a thick bottomed frame, because I could care less about the message, I just wanted the shark. I was checking out some personalized ones first, but I think I want a sticker to advertise the website instead of the plate frame. I took the plate off earlier to check the mounting, and currently it's only on there with 2 screws, but there's 4 holes under there. I don't like it without the bottom secured, so I'd like a 4 screw holder. So what I'm looking for is a thick bottomed, 4 screw, black metal or carbon fiber frame. I think that would look nice and clean and cover the bottom of the plate.

danewilson77

12-14-2010, 05:52 PM

I have this with silver writing if it would help you out. Free of course....

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/4980_x600.jpg

Tampa330i

12-14-2010, 06:16 PM

Thanks for the offer, but I think I want it to be as plain as possible. I like the black one with the M, but the M is on a silver background on top of the black frame. I'd take that in completely black if anyone knows of where to find that. I'd prefer metal if possible. Like this (http://www.amazon.com/BMW-Black-Stainless-Steel-License/dp/B002ZPFZ94/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1292379295&sr=8-10) but without the 3 would be perfect.

Tampa330i

12-14-2010, 06:22 PM

Well, at least I know it exists: BMW M Logo Black License Plate Frame (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%2FBMW-M-Logo-Black-Stainless-Steel-License-Plate-Frame-%2F390271811324%3Fpt%3DMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Acce ssories%26hash%3Ditem5ade033efc)

Now to find it from someone with better feedback... unless someone find a storefront with it first, I haven't seen it anywhere but ebay.

az3579

12-14-2010, 06:24 PM

68388 postive feedbacks isn't enough for you?????? :blink

Tampa330i

12-14-2010, 06:33 PM

I've been ebaying a long time, I avoid mass sellers if possible. Sure the guy is 99%, but look at just this month, 1 negative and 6 neutral. Almost 300 combined in the past year alone. It's a question of... do I want to be number 301 or keep looking? I'll keep looking.

az3579

12-14-2010, 06:44 PM

Pretty much everyone who sells stuff like that is a mass seller. It's kinda of hard to avoid. You're bound to have negative feedback when you are make so many sales. Compare that 1 negative feedback to the countless positive feedbacks he's had this month. Same with the 300 negatives total for the year; compare it to the many thousands of positives they've had this year.

The chances of you having an issue is slim, and seeing as you're having a hard time finding what you want to begin with, you don't have much of a choice. I'd rather buy from this person rather than someone with maybe 20 total positive feedbacks...

Tampa330i

12-14-2010, 07:14 PM

I'll shop on it for a while and get one from there if I have no other option, I'll have to take my chances. I am a seller on ebay (I sell coins), be it small time, I'm 100% with over 100 auctions. I do what I can handle and do it right so I get satisfied customers every transaction. That's who I want to buy from if I can. Now that I'm looking through ebay I keep seeing these black and white M logo stickers (like the bottom 3 of this (http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/attachments/e39-m5-e52-z8-discussion/63088d1208730453-m5-wallpapers-mlogo.jpg)), decals, etc and I like the look of these. Maybe as a grille badge? I don't know where else I'd put one, but I think it would look good on black.

az3579

12-14-2010, 07:23 PM

I'm just saying try not to discredit that seller so easily. It's kind of like how I am at work; I can work on help desk tickets all day long and make 99% of my customers happy, but you know that 100% just is not possible when you have such a high volume to work with.

Most of the time it all just comes down to the simple fact that there will always be someone that's not happy for one reason or another, regardless of what you do. :(

danewilson77

12-14-2010, 07:33 PM

Tampa330i

12-14-2010, 08:02 PM

Our numbers are measured in terms of resolution rate and average times for various things. Customer's satisfaction is irrelevant for us. Your caller will often be unhappy before they even call you, because they don't understand what they're doing or they don't know the company policy. People get pissed at me when I read them off their own company's IT security policies, as if I'm plotting against them or something. The ones that don't understand anything doom themselves from the start because they can't describe their problems, which in turn makes it that much more difficult to fix with bad or missing information. 'Yeah, I have a problem. I can't get the thing to login to the thing on my screen, can you fix this please.' At this point I think... are they this vague when they seek help everywhere? I think most people avoid saying the proper names of things on a computer is because they simply don't know and are afraid to admit it to us.

Tampa330i

12-14-2010, 09:04 PM

Found the part # for a black metal M logo frame with a black background on the M logo as well with a thick lower border, it's 82 12 0 010 404. Turner motorsports sells it: http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=82120010404 for $37.99. Ordered.

Tampa330i

12-14-2010, 11:28 PM

Final product will look something like this:

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/7b9e1ffdb13e6966dbe74e91ba77c8c146d80295e629546fca 4926575917bea66g.jpg

pyreguy

12-15-2010, 02:51 AM

I too like how it covers up the save our seas part. That will look pretty badass.

az3579

12-15-2010, 02:58 AM

Jeez, you P-Shopped it so that even the holes line up. Niiiiiice.
If only the image was color!

It will definintely look good though with the Seas text blocked up. Good choice on the frame.

Tampa330i

12-15-2010, 03:13 AM

Actually those holes are from the license frame picture(something of an optical illusion), there are no holes in the preview of the plate the dmv gave me, and it's in b&w. Hopefully my estimate there isn't too far from how it will actually look.

az3579

12-15-2010, 04:38 AM

jjcools

12-17-2010, 04:03 PM

I picked up this frame and really like it. For the price I can get a new one every year :)

BMW M License Plate Frame (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%2Fmy_frame% 2Fm.html%3F_trksid%3Dp4340.l2562).

Alphatek45

12-17-2010, 04:06 PM

Clean and simple. I actually like it.

danewilson77

12-17-2010, 05:19 PM

Alphatek45

12-17-2010, 06:09 PM

But it says ///M on eeet?

Semi applicable.

danewilson77

12-17-2010, 06:50 PM

Ok...

Tampa330i

12-20-2010, 08:20 PM

I swear ecs didn't have this frame when I looked for it, but here it is, cheaper than turner: http://www.ecstuning.com/Flyer-BMWPlateFrames/ES196057/

Daddyoh

12-20-2010, 11:58 PM

I swear ecs didn't have this frame when I looked for it, but here it is, cheaper than turner: http://www.ecstuning.com/Flyer-BMWPlateFrames/ES196057/
I'm on an email list with ECS and just got the flyer email on these frames on Monday. I think the black ///M is just right, at least for my Black Sapphire. I think the ///M logo is appropriate....hey, our stock shifter knob, steering wheel and wheels all carry the logo.
I'm still tapping my foot waiting for my custom West Virginia plate to come in the mail: '05 ZHP' :rockon

Tampa330i

12-21-2010, 12:57 AM

I'm still tapping my foot waiting for my custom West Virginia plate to come in the mail: '05 ZHP' :rockon

Nice! I had my pick, everything I tried was available. First choice was ZHP, then 04ZHP, then ZHP04, on a 7 letter plate BMW ZHP was available. I think a 3 letter license plate is pretty awesome. Don't see too many of those. Most people will have no idea what it means :confused

danewilson77

12-21-2010, 04:08 AM

Glad you are finding what you need, and sweet deal on the VA plate.

I will say this. An important thing for me (that I have found) is that building relationships, by being loyal, with supporting vendors (or just a vendor for that matter), will pay dividends, and thats why I don't push Ebay.

I exclusively use about 4 or 5 different companies depending on what I need, and typically only go to one for oem type stuff.

Tampa330i

12-21-2010, 06:27 AM

Ebay is a last resort for me if I can't find what I'm looking for or if the price is outrageous on retail site. Sometimes you'll come across a really good ebay seller who's on top of their customer service, but in order to find out you have to take that chance on them. That's mostly related to coins though, as that is primarily what I buy and sell on ebay. When you're looking for a 20+ year old coin, there's not very many places you're going to find it for sale if at all. Parts are a little different in that they seem readily available from multiple retail sources and ebay. Only thing I've bought from ebay so far are the m stickers because they were ridiculously cheaper than any retail site. I paid less for 10 stickers than I would have paid for 1 sticker from any of the regular sites that sell them.

Marcus-SanDiego

12-21-2010, 07:01 AM

I'm on an email list with ECS and just got the flyer email on these frames on Monday. I think the black ///M is just right, at least for my Black Sapphire. I think the ///M logo is appropriate....hey, our stock shifter knob, steering wheel and wheels all carry the logo.
I'm still tapping my foot waiting for my custom West Virginia plate to come in the mail: '05 ZHP' :rockon

All in good time, my friend. Mine took almost 12 weeks to get. I was so sure, by the way, that I was going to buy this car that I actually ordered the plate the day before I bought it. Woot woot. I wanted to get a head start on the waiting period.

Nice seeing you here, Steve. Stop being such a stranger.

Daddyoh

12-22-2010, 01:09 PM

All in good time, my friend. Mine took almost 12 weeks to get. I was so sure, by the way, that I was going to buy this car that I actually ordered the plate the day before I bought it. Woot woot. I wanted to get a head start on the waiting period.

Nice seeing you here, Steve. Stop being such a stranger.

It's great to be here Marcus. Don't mean to be a stranger.
BUT, get this:
Got home yesterday and my plate had arrived. It was Joyus and Marci said she thought maybe she would save it for Christmas...but didn't, and that's very good. It reads:
'05 ZPH'. :dunno No foolin. It was WVa's mistake. Dang man, another 3-4 weeks now.
But time to get a frame, right?
Oh well, drive on friends!
Merry Christmas!:biggrin

Marcus-SanDiego

12-22-2010, 01:32 PM

Steve, that sucks! ZPH? Man. Well, maybe W VA will expedite it. And then pigs will fly right afterward.

danewilson77

12-22-2010, 01:43 PM

Damn....I have never heard of that...

Daddyoh

12-22-2010, 06:06 PM

Yep, it happened. _hit happened. In fact, I took a pic of it and whenever I figure out how to upload a pic on here, I will! :)

Marcus-SanDiego

12-22-2010, 06:10 PM

Steve, host your picture at photobucket and then post a link of it here.

Tampa330i

12-23-2010, 02:22 AM

It's great to be here Marcus. Don't mean to be a stranger.
BUT, get this:
Got home yesterday and my plate had arrived. It was Joyus and Marci said she thought maybe she would save it for Christmas...but didn't, and that's very good. It reads:
'05 ZPH'. :dunno No foolin. It was WVa's mistake. Dang man, another 3-4 weeks now.
But time to get a frame, right?
Oh well, drive on friends!
Merry Christmas!:biggrin

This has got me nervous now... I'm patiently waiting for my shark plate. I just got the frame today, I think I'll wait until I get the new plate to put it on. Please dmv... don't screw it up!

danewilson77

12-23-2010, 06:39 AM

Naaa....I think mistakes of this type are exremely rare....

zhp43867

12-23-2010, 12:49 PM

I saw the black M one at the dealership today, it looks nice. Good choice.

Daddyoh

12-24-2010, 05:47 AM

Naaa....I think mistakes of this type are exremely rare....

Yeah, I think so too. The registration card was correct and it even had the correct letters written on the outside of the envelope. Maybe a little too much Christmas cheer on the press floor, or the operator was a Mustang guy...:slap (jus kidding, SORRY)

SC4ME

12-29-2010, 06:41 PM

Nice! I had my pick, everything I tried was available. First choice was ZHP, then 04ZHP, then ZHP04, on a 7 letter plate BMW ZHP was available. I think a 3 letter license plate is pretty awesome. Don't see too many of those. Most people will have no idea what it means :confused

Just saw this one today:

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll47/SC4ME/04ZHP-1.jpg

danewilson77

12-29-2010, 07:12 PM

Nice.........and way to snap the shot.

Tampa330i

12-30-2010, 06:59 AM

I just ordered new license plate bolts. The ones on the car are stock 8mm ones, and there are only 2 on my current dealer frame. The new plate frame came with spacers & bolt caps. There was no way the spacer would fit with the 8mm bolt, so I got 4 16mm ones. While I was browsing I also got the grommets for the hood and trunk emblems. The bolts and grommets totaled like $4, and shipping was 9 so I had to add more stuff. I got some forever black for the rear bumper trim and went for the aux input cable as well. I have this little beauty called a Dingoo that plays mp3s and has a headphone out. Lastly I got this (http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330i-M54_3.0L/Engine/Tools/ES6928/) $22 usb obd2 cable. I figure it's worth the 20 bucks if I can get it to read anything from the car. This was all from ECS.