This is another idea born from necessity… we hadn’t decided/bought a license plate frame or holder, so the idea began to be tossed around.  On a roadster, plate positioning is a bit easier because the section below the trunk lid is taller; most plates get mounted there.  But since there really isn’t enough height there on a 3 window, we decided to put it somewhere else.  Here’s what we came up with.

Masking tape makes it easy to mark dimensions with a pen.

This is the little fixture I came up with to draw a line parallel with the tube.  I have the spreader bar clamped to my bench, nestled up against a section of 1.5″ x 1.5″ tubing which is just hanging over the edge of the bench.  I used a square and set the ruler so that the mark on the tube (which I made while the spreader bar was still on the car) was at an inch line.  Doesn’t matter what number.  I could then move the square along the tube and make marks at the number, then connect the dots.  Voila!  (That’s french for “eh!”)

Here’s a picture of my setup.

I used a cutoff disc to slot the spreader bar.

I cut the bottom off a Bob Drake stainless license plate frame…

…and tig welded it to the stainless spreader bar.

You can see where this is going…

I sectioned the piece that I cut off the bottom of the Bob Drake frame, and welded it to the spreader bar at the bottom of the license plate.

Now I have a short license plate that doesn’t interrupt any body lines.  I still have to make a final decision on a light…