License Plate Frames...

When I was waiting for my plates last month, I thought about ordering a frame online with a custom quote printed on it. Since I have a liftback and there's a zillion around here, I was originally going to go with a non-black color to make the car easier to find in parking lots. Then I thought about what that red frame would actually look like on my dark blue car and reconsidered. ;-) For now I just put the dealer frames back on when I got the tags - they are black which does seem to look good with everything.... though it doesn't really stand out in any way. However since you have a C maybe you're less obsessed than I am about differentiating your car from the hordes of impostors in parking lots. I'm still thinking about ordering the custom quote frame eventually, though.

 

Most license plate frames don't enhance the car or the license plate. Dealer frames are removed with any other advertising the first day. I prefer a thin black or chrome frame depending on the color of the car. I recently found the perfect frame at O'Reilly Auto Parts. It's about 1/4" wide. all metal, and black. Perfect for my WGM Prius. I alway have personalized plates, so no need for a custom frame.

 

I have a stainless steel frame on my super white C. It has a quote from my favorite book on it in black. Ordered off Ebay for about $12 if I remember right. Didn't like the one the one provided by the dealer, but, this one dresses up the car a little.

 

As a fellow Californian I'll just add that frames that overlap your registration year sticker can at least in theory make sticker theft more difficult. You've probably read about or used other tactics like slicing the stickers with a razor blade. I've never tried this, nor have I so far experienced sticker theft (knock wood, given I had wheel covers stolen more than once from my last car.) But I figure having a frame that makes the sticker harder to get at can't be a bad idea.

 

Sticker theft? I've never heard of that. My wife was driving a friends car when the entire license plates got stolen, however. I'm thinking in this day of cheap high quality custom printing there's really no reason a thief would steal just the sticker when they could print that part easily. Cops run the big number/letters they can read on the plate from 20+ feet away. From a distance they really only notice the color of the sticker not how authentic it looks.

But if you wanted to commit a quick crime, a good way to disguise your car a bit is to get somebody else's plates on it first.

 

I bought a cheap chrome frame off ebay. With the word prius on it and the toyota logo. Living in a salt state the chrome got eaten away lol.But the plate is still holding up good

 

Yeah, it's a familiar problem here. Just too easy/tempting for people to peel them off. Hasn't happened to me personally, but I know people who've had it happen.
Car registration sticker theft solution could bring trouble | abc7news.com

 

Some days the "light bulb" just goes off and a brilliant idea emerges.

When removing the dealer's advertising frame from my C, I suddenly wondered what it would look like to put the frame BEHIND the plate, turned around backwards.

VOILA !! I now have a nice thin black line surrounding my plate, giving good contrast for the white plate on the white car. As an added bonus, I think the plate is more stable this way; less likely to flex and rub the paint.

 

In some areas, sticker theft is a big problem.
The razor blade thing works; you might lose a sticker but "they" won't be able to use it.
Most of the time when they see that only a tiny piece is coming off they just leave it alone.
The downside is that every few years you need to scrape off all of the old stickers as they tend to curl up when they get real old.

 

I notice in Louisiana, the stickers usually have the license plate number also printed on it. If the sticker was stolen and put on another plate, it would not match.

 

That doesn't help much as most "sticker checking" is done from a fair distance away.
I think that is likely to come into play only if the car is stopped or otherwise closely examined for some OTHER reason.

 

I have custom frames on both Prii.. both are chome with the quotes in black. The bottom of the frame is solid no holes and there are two holes at the top with screw covers… Nice and clean… The frame holds the plate securely… for the C, I took some mirror tape and put on the back and the bottom so no rattles, on the GenIII there was no need as once the screws are in it tightened the entire plate.. .nothing is loose and no rattles.

 

Pep Boys sells a cheap($5) black thin rubberized frame that slides over your license plate. I put it on my front plate only. Got a custom chrome one for the back that I had off my corvette. Looks clean and not bulky like some of the other ones they sell. Hope this helps!



Pilot Automotive Soft Urethane License Plate Frame; Black
Part # WL170E1 SKU:714679
Customer Rating

Write the first review

• Installs directly onto license plate without removing the plate
• Prevents rattling

 

^
I have the same.

 

I disagree.

I think a nice frame makes the whole thing look a lot better. I think having no frame looks pretty low rent and utilitarian.
I don't think I've ever gone frameless on any vehicle I have owned.

I always buy a nice metal frame...immediately or as quickly as possible take off any dealer provided frame. I hate advertising for somebody.

What frame you want, or like, is always up to the individual.

I was "disappointed" that on my 2013 Standard Prius, Toyota only put two top screw inserts on the back license plate area on the hatch. I would of liked 4...top and bottom. Especially because I use the License Plate, as a touch point when I'm closing the hatch. And any looseness can cause noise and vibration.

I ended up using the frames off my last vehicle. They had caps that covered the screws. For the back, I glued the caps onto the frame to make it at least look like the plate was secured by 4 screws, even if only the top two are really being used.

I think it looks a lot better than "nothing".

 

^ 100% agree. I am the same.

 

Now I'm toying with the idea of designing a custom frame through CafePress. I've used them for T-shirts and such a few years ago, but don't know how their license plate frames turn out. (Aside from the fact that their templates appear to be upside down - but one can plan for that.) Anyone tried them?

The reason I don't want to go with "basic black" is because I find the license plate frame helps me spot the right car among the seas of Prii in some parking lots around here.

 

You can choose your custom frame.
I got a customized plastic frame for about $8 on ebay; they are excellent. Says my other hybrid is a 918.... Since my weekday car is an all electric that license say my other elevtric is a 918. drives the Porsche pilots crazy.
both true when it arrives.

 

As I don't like the warping of plates over time (especially on the front) and am afraid metal frames may scratch the paint, I ended up getting a pair of black plastic frames with tabs on the back to reduce flexing. The borders are pretty thin so that they won't cover up too much of the plates. I would also recommend rust-proof stainless steel screws with caps on to avoid rusting, which makes them hard to remove later on and also does not look good with those rust lines.