written 2/17/25, updated 8/24/25
Overview
What
Installing a front license plate frame by both drill and no-drill methods for 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Rally
Why
To comply with state regulations for display of front tags
Time and Effort
Time: 5-20 minutes
Effort: Easy
Materials & Cost
Supplies
No-Drill
- 3M Double Sided Waterproof VHB Mounting Foam Tape, 1.18in x 16.5 ft
- Scissors
- 91% Isopropyl Alcohol Wipe
- Adhesion Promoter
- 180-320 grit Sandpaper
- Painter’s Tape
- License Plate Frame (OEM)
- Plate Frame Hardware (OEM)
Drill
- Plastic (Poly) Rivet Gun
- 1/4″ Drill Bit and Driver
- License Plate Frame (OEM)
- Plate Frame Hardware (OEM)
Cost
- $16.99 for 3M tape roll (Amazon)
- $13.95 for 3-pack Adhesion Promoter packets (Amazon – $4.65 per packet)
- $17.99 for Plastic Rivet Gun set (Amazon or cheaper from Harbor Freight)
- Free all others (owned, came with car)
Process: Drill
Pros: Secure, worry-free, fast
Cons: Create holes in bumper (could affect collector’s value), can’t remove easily
- Find factory dimples on the bumper
- Using a 1/4″ drill bit, drill holes
- The 3rd/bottom hole does not have a factory guide dimple
Align and hold the frame to the car in line with the 2 dimples to use it as a template for bottom hole during installation
- Find the plastic Pop Rivets that came with the frame. Push them through the frame and into the bumper
- Slide the Rivet Gun over the part sticking out, and squeeze. This will compress the anchor back against the bumper. Release and squeeze again. You should hear a loud CLICK and the rod should come off (*See Notes for a look into how it works)
NOTE: You might have to squeeze a few times, making sure the gun is seated all the way against the frame. If it fails (the rod breaks off, but the rivet does not hold) push it out and try with the other rivet. In case this happens, and you don’t have a spare, make sure to do the top 2 holes first because the frame will hold fine with just two attachments. See Notes section for more information on the hardware
- Slide the plate into the bracket, secure with screws
DONE!
Process: No-Drill
Pros: Removable, no holes drilled into bumper, no mar after removal
Cons: Not 100% secure, chance of losing plate and frame
WARNING: My first attempt at this failed after a month. At the time, it was installed in the cold winter weather, and I did not employ the use of an adhesion promoter/sandpaper. This is written with the revisions in place. *See NOTES section for my updates regarding success/failure
- Make sure your license plate frame has enough surface contact areas to adhere it well to the car with 3M tape
This is the vehicle’s original plate frame
- Go out to your car and dry-fit the frame according to the factory dimpling on the bumper
- Using painter’s tape, mark out borders to help with aligning (Recommend using strips that attach to both the frame and the car for easiest aligning)
- Install license plate to frame (Can do this as the last step, if you prefer)
The OEM hardware will not scratch the car, stopping short of the end of the holes
- With 180-320 grit Sandpaper, use circular motions to rough up the surfaces where the tape will attach
- Soak either a cotton pad or cotton ball with Rubbing Alcohol (higher percent will dry faster) or use alcohol wipes
- Wipe down surfaces with the alcohol and wait for them to dry all the way
- Open the Adhesion Promoter packet (I’d recommend gloves here) and wipe each contact point with a thin layer
- Allow to dry (90-120 seconds)
- Measure out and cut the VHB 3M Tape to the size you need for your plate
- Apply the sticky side to the plate, leaving the other side of the tape (the one that will contact the car) still covered
NOTE: 3M’s instruction for this tape recommends heating up with a hair dryer if using in the winter. This tape is also moveable until compressed and moving it should not affect adhesion properties. Viscosity reaches maximum increase by 72 hours.
Recommended: partially remove the liners in the house before going outside. It can adhere tightly, so you may need to use tweezers if your nails aren’t able to get a good hold
- Go out to your car
- Dry fit the frame again, if you’d like
- Use Rubbing Alcohol to wipe clean the install area of the car, making sure all foreign debris is removed (otherwise the tape will adhere to the debris instead of the car)
- Wait until it it has evaporated
- Peel off the liners from the mounting tape
- Align with the painter’s tape
- Press
- Keep pressing with decent pressure for at least a minute (I did around 2-3 minutes. It was easiest with my feet while I messed around on a phone for a bit)
- Remove the painter’s tape
Done!
Notes
- Update 2/27/25 (10 days later): Still holding strong and no problems! Been on the highway, through work zones, lots of potholes, speed bumps, took turns too quickly, and plenty of stop and go traffic. So far, so good.
- Update 3/25/25 (1 month): FAILURE!! Went to walk the dog and found the license plate frame on the ground! Good thing it was at home. I’ve decided to leave the instructions and post, up, though, because I still think it’s doable with some revisions.
- It’s important to note that all the 3M tape was still adhered well to the car. In fact, they were difficult to remove. Removal left a clean, unmarred surface — exactly the point of adhering as opposed to poking holes. This means that the failure point was on the side of the bracket, and not the tape or the car portion. I wonder if it was because the weather started to change. I installed it in the cold winter, and it fell off when the days warmed up and overnight.
- Update 3/30/25: Compromise. While I did not want to risk the plate falling off again (what if it happens while on the road?) I still think that it’s possible to adhere with 3M tape without drilling. So, what I did this time was use the drill method for the top two holes and applied the revision process (adhesion promoter and sandpaper) for the lower hole. That way, I have it secure AND I didn’t drill into non-dimpled bumper. I will monitor and continue observing the bond of the lower portion of the frame at regular intervals to see if it holds up
- Update 8/24/25: With the physical attachments, my bracket has not fallen off, of course. I went to try and tug on the bottom part of the frame where there is just the adhesion, and while it didn’t move much, I can’t really get a good read because of the hardware on the upper portion. At this point, I’m going to say that I do NOT recommend the No-Drill method, but you are welcome to try! If you do, comment and let me know if it works for you!
- If you look at the wording on the back of the plate frame, you see the letters “PP+EPDM.” These stand for PolyPropylene (PP), plastic, and ethylene-propylene-diene monomers (EPDM), a synthetic rubber.
Hardware Information
Container License Plate Hardware
BB53-17A386-AA
Ford
1/4″ thickness in hole
1/4″ thickness screws
Plastic Pop Rivet – How it Works
Top View
Bottom View
For fun, I tried it with double thickness to see what would happen. The first attempt failed, highlighting that if the ridged portion does not grab, then it will not stay in place and become loose. The second attempt succeeded but was extremely difficult to squeeze.
Here’s the failed rivet
