Not wanting to drill holes into the nosecone to install the Tesla provided front license plate holder (LPH), I decided to look around on the forums and ultimately came up with my own approach. In the interest of saving other people some time, I'll summarize what I've found first, then people can scroll down to see what I ended up doing.
1. Zip-ties
Cheapest, fastest way to get the plate on (may have worked to satisfy "fix it" tickets).
2. J-Bolts:
YouTube Video
As I wasn't going to use Tesla's LPH, this wasn't going to work for me. Basically, the J-bolt hooks in the grill and then you secure the LPH to the grill by using the nuts that come with the J-bolt. Probably one of the cheaper solutions (well, there's the foam, but you can use electrical or duct tape--and who doesn't have duct tape?!?--if you don't want padding) and one I'd go with if I wanted to use the LPH.
3. Toilet Flange Bolt
Filed-down bolt, inserted with washer and nut securing bolt to the grill.
I didn't have a toilet flange bolt. :tongue: Seriously though, I would have also had to get additional hardware (scroll down in the post, including more bolts/nuts, aluminum plates) to mount the LPH as I just didn't want to buy more hardware.
4. Using Blind Fastener-Well Nut
A compression type fitting.
I didn't have the right size (i.e., I just found a pair I had lying around), although the one I had was as big as I could get to fit through the honeycomb. Was not secure enough for me in the end. Also, uses LPH. The way the mount works, one could just have the license plate mount directly to the honeycomb with 4 of the assemblies. Hmm.
5. Using Magnets:
No Holes Drilled License Plate Holder Project
I've already gotten in trouble from the SO for spending too much time on "projects', and pulling off the nosecone was probably another project I shouldn't undertake.
6. And yet another solution (mine).
As with many others, I decided to mount the front license plate to the front honeycomb grill. However, I didn't really want to use the front license plate holder Tesla gave us, as it seemed bulky. I ended up "fabricating" my own out of an electrical junction box mount (basically bending the part where the bracket attaches to the stud). The interesting thing is that the junction box mount method will work with European plates as they can be "expanded" because the mechanism is a telescoping assembly.
The excess lengths on each arm that were cut off were later attached to the front of the bracket so the license plate could be attached directly to the bracket (see the 2nd picture of solution 2). I also had to file some of the sharp corners down:
With the bracket made, it was time to attach it.
1. At first I thought I would use a compression nut assembly:
Result?: Not secure enough. The expansion of the rubber was not in the right place, and I was afraid it was going to break the plastic in the honeycomb.
2. Remembering that others had used toggle bolts (and J-hooks), I cut off the end of two bolts (so they wouldn't be so long and pierce the back radiators in the honeycomb),
Result?: A secure mount. Now we'll have to see if the bracket holds up.
Per this http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/show...late-Solutions?p=295936&viewfull=1#post295936
"The lower grill provides airflow for the cabin climate control and not the battery cooling/heating. He said that the battery's vents are located in the opening to the right and left of the lower grill. Just an FYI as this was the first I had heard this."
-EJ
1. Zip-ties
Cheapest, fastest way to get the plate on (may have worked to satisfy "fix it" tickets).
2. J-Bolts:
YouTube Video
As I wasn't going to use Tesla's LPH, this wasn't going to work for me. Basically, the J-bolt hooks in the grill and then you secure the LPH to the grill by using the nuts that come with the J-bolt. Probably one of the cheaper solutions (well, there's the foam, but you can use electrical or duct tape--and who doesn't have duct tape?!?--if you don't want padding) and one I'd go with if I wanted to use the LPH.
3. Toilet Flange Bolt
Filed-down bolt, inserted with washer and nut securing bolt to the grill.
I didn't have a toilet flange bolt. :tongue: Seriously though, I would have also had to get additional hardware (scroll down in the post, including more bolts/nuts, aluminum plates) to mount the LPH as I just didn't want to buy more hardware.
4. Using Blind Fastener-Well Nut
A compression type fitting.
I didn't have the right size (i.e., I just found a pair I had lying around), although the one I had was as big as I could get to fit through the honeycomb. Was not secure enough for me in the end. Also, uses LPH. The way the mount works, one could just have the license plate mount directly to the honeycomb with 4 of the assemblies. Hmm.
5. Using Magnets:
No Holes Drilled License Plate Holder Project
I've already gotten in trouble from the SO for spending too much time on "projects', and pulling off the nosecone was probably another project I shouldn't undertake.
6. And yet another solution (mine).
As with many others, I decided to mount the front license plate to the front honeycomb grill. However, I didn't really want to use the front license plate holder Tesla gave us, as it seemed bulky. I ended up "fabricating" my own out of an electrical junction box mount (basically bending the part where the bracket attaches to the stud). The interesting thing is that the junction box mount method will work with European plates as they can be "expanded" because the mechanism is a telescoping assembly.
The excess lengths on each arm that were cut off were later attached to the front of the bracket so the license plate could be attached directly to the bracket (see the 2nd picture of solution 2). I also had to file some of the sharp corners down:
With the bracket made, it was time to attach it.
1. At first I thought I would use a compression nut assembly:
Result?: Not secure enough. The expansion of the rubber was not in the right place, and I was afraid it was going to break the plastic in the honeycomb.
2. Remembering that others had used toggle bolts (and J-hooks), I cut off the end of two bolts (so they wouldn't be so long and pierce the back radiators in the honeycomb),
Result?: A secure mount. Now we'll have to see if the bracket holds up.
Per this http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/show...late-Solutions?p=295936&viewfull=1#post295936
"The lower grill provides airflow for the cabin climate control and not the battery cooling/heating. He said that the battery's vents are located in the opening to the right and left of the lower grill. Just an FYI as this was the first I had heard this."
-EJ
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