Pulled over for tint and plate. My story

[Nautik]

Oh and that is a VERY nice 0-60!!!

[///M3THOD]

Originally Posted by mwlmd

What is illegal about a black plate frame?

Originally Posted by thorny

I am undecided on removing the tint, as long as I dont get pulled over too often, I really like it tinted.. Maybe I should do a vinyl wrap to disguise myself from him
That sucks to hear. I heard that those frames could be "illegal" too bc they cover too much of the plate. And I guess we all should drive VW bugs and Priuses to avoid unnecessary problems

Originally Posted by paradocs98

Tickets for illegal tint I can understand. I

And as for the license plate frame, was it one that has a smoked plastic cover that obscures the plate? That's the only reason I can think of for getting a citation for a plate frame.

I've never heard anything about a license plate frame. Its in no way obscuring anything on my plate. It was an OEM ///M black frame.

[Powerbeast]

O brother LAPD love busting people for tint and plate ticket, it's sucks!

[MysticBlue]

Originally Posted by Carl L

Ride height? What about the thousands of redneck pickup trucks with 6" lifts that (literally) roll around with their bumpers at roof height? That's what they should be clamping down on if they give a crap about safety.

Exactly. Of all the little ticky tack laws that sometimes get enforced, this one really should. All the requirements that are dictated to new car manufacturers regarding crash worthiness, safety, bumper height, lights, etc and it all gets nullified by these pointless suspension lifts and aftermarket big giant locomotive like front bumpers. I'm amazed they haven't been removed from the market due to lawsuits.

[M3Now!]

For the first time in six years I was recently pulled over for no front plate in Texas. TX state trooper, they have no sense of humor...

He asked if I'd been warned before, I answered truthfully "no," and he gave me a warning. No plans to change, I like my odds so far

Cheers

[thorny]

Originally Posted by Edjay

Cheaper to remove the tint get it signed off, then re-tint. As far as the front plates, double side tape, cut the head of a bolt and place it on the pate hole to make it look like its screwed on the bumper.

If your wondering, min. headlight height is 22inches from the center of the head light to the ground.

Man, I dunno about the tint. I have Premier (in LA) do the work and they are not the cheapest on the block.

I'll go measure my "height" to see how much extra I can slam it and still be a hair over

[rickharrison]

What are most people doing for tint in California. Anywhere from 20-35%?

[thorny]

Originally Posted by Nautik

Oh and that is a VERY nice 0-60!!!

Thanks! yeah I was happy with it considering it was 40-45 F temp. I didn't do anything special with tire pressure neither.

My car does 398 WHP (STD) on EAS dyno. Rear tires Hankook 285/35/18

[swartzentruber]

Originally Posted by M3Now!

For the first time in six years I was recently pulled over for no front plate in Texas. TX state trooper, they have no sense of humor...

He asked if I'd been warned before, I answered truthfully "no," and he gave me a warning. No plans to change, I like my odds so far

Cheers

The M3 is the first car I've ever run without a front plate. Going on 3 years now with the car, and (knock on wood) so far never stopped for it. At that rate, even if I do get a ticket, like you I'll just pay it and leave the plate off. Luckily, I think most areas around Chicago aren't too bad about no front plate. A year or so ago, someone was actually trying to bring a bill to a vote to stop requiring front plates to save the state money, but it got killed in committee because of cop protest.

[TVMA Doc]

Originally Posted by M3forMe

Cop bored and just being a prick IMO. One thing if he adds these on to something bigger and more illegal like street racing. To pull you over just for that is just senseless.

Don't the cops in the People's Republic of California have a better way to spend our dollars, like fighting real crime.

No front plate and tinted windows on all my cars along with almost every other car in the state and no issues. Knock on wood.

Sorry to hear your issue.

Sorry to be a grammar nazi, but the official name is "The People's Socialist Republik of Kalifornia".

[OC3]

Dang, sorry to hear buddy.

I wouldn't take off the tint. 2 years ago, I got the same no front plate & windows tint fix-it ticket (the cop even stuck his white ticket book into the car, looked at it thru the front windshield and wrote me up for tint. It was at night and I don't know how that guy knew it). I got it signed off. There's no way I'm going to take off the tint. And, put the damn'd front plate back on & kept it there. Just don't want to give them a reason to pull me over.

Originally Posted by thorny

... He goes back to his car with my licence/registration and takes forever, at this point I swear to God, I am thinking he is googling the rear end picture of a stock M3 on his "police iPad" to see what it looks like to bust me for my Akra Evo.

Originally Posted by Nautik

It's the end of the month and he has a quota to get.

I have so many front plate and tint tickets that now when I get pulled over they ask if those are all for the same car! lol I just pay the fine. I like my tint and am sensitive to sunburns, sorry LE.

Btw I ALWAYS roll both windows down completely when I get pulled over (even in the rain) and keep my hands at the 10 and 2 oclock positions on the wheel.

I did buy a tow hook front plate kit though and I am considering putting it on to give LE one less reason to pull me over. I don't really care about the ticket but I don't like being delayed.

Yep, me too. In fact, if I even suspect that a car around me is an unmarked unit, I roll down the windows.

[Radiation Joe]

All the OP had to do was turn on his interior lights. That would have told the officer he was being thoughtful of officer safety and none of this would have happened.

Tint or no tint, if you turn on your interior lights at night, you'll be ok 99 percent of the time. It's all about attitude.

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by Carl L

Ride height? What about the thousands of redneck pickup trucks with 6" lifts that (literally) roll around with their bumpers at roof height? That's what they should be clamping down on if they give a crap about safety.

you don't think those guys get jammed up even worse? ride height, headlight height, modified exhaust, exhaust height (a real thing), mudflaps... the list goes on and on.

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by Nautik

I did buy a tow hook front plate kit though and I am considering putting it on to give LE one less reason to pull me over. I don't really care about the ticket but I don't like being delayed.

if you at least look like you're trying to comply, you won't get jammed up much. some will, but you're less likely to get stopped than if you had multiple equipment violations.

[Nautik]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

if you at least look like you're trying to comply, you won't get jammed up much. some will, but you're less likely to get stopped than if you had multiple equipment violations.

Yea that is the hope. I'm worried I'm going to be on a first name basis with the State Trooper that pulls me over routinely. He isn't very chatty though despite my attempts. The State police just hooked him up with that new Turbo AWD Ford Taurus cruiser. I asked him how he liked it and if he thought it was fast. His only response was "I like it."

[weaksauce]

I just got pulled over for 75 in a 55 this morning. It was in a construction zone. Got off with a warning.

[thorny]

Originally Posted by Radiation Joe

All the OP had to do was turn on his interior lights. That would have told the officer he was being thoughtful of officer safety and none of this would have happened.

Tint or no tint, if you turn on your interior lights at night, you'll be ok 99 percent of the time. It's all about attitude.

I had both windows rolled down and both my hands on the wheel once pulled over. I guess I could have turned on the lights too, but man, I seriously doubt it would have saved me

[Radiation Joe]

Originally Posted by thorny

I had both windows rolled down and both my hands on the wheel once pulled over. I guess I could have turned on the lights too, but man, I seriously doubt it would have saved me

Sometimes you're hosed no matter what. Better luck next time.