Bought my 350 last year and this morning decided to take off my front license plate just for the hell of it to give it a more clean look. Dealer asked me if i wanted it on when I bought it, but didnt say how permanent that would be. When I took it off I about fell over when I saw holes drilled into the bumper to hold it on.

I Cannot believe MB would allow a quick and dirty way to attach a plate. So now I currently have 4 gaping holes in my absolutely freaking beautiful $50,000 machine. I just cant stop feeling that utter disgust knowing that its there. Covering the holes and re matching the paint (diamond white...) would cost a fortune. I guess I'll put back on the plate for now if I can manage to get it back on.

Any suggestions?
yes i know its illegal in most states so putting it back on makes the most sense. This is more of just a rant.

trim, fill it up with puddy/clay/bondo and touch up paint
quick cheap fix, wont be perfect but better than a hole

I would rather have the plate back on than a cheap looking fix. Thanks for the suggestion though.

I also think you should put it back. May be buy yourself a nice AMG or Lakers license plate!

~ bumperplugs.com perhaps?

https://www.bumperplugs.com/index.ph...gory&path=1_11

Many manufacturers drill holes for front plates. I hate front plates too, but not really the dealers fault. They did you a favor of even asking you in the first place. How else did you think it was going to be attached?

I did not know how it was going to be attached, and that is exactly my point. You would think a customer would be warned that holes would be drilled on your brand new car? I didnt see any big holes on the showroom floor model. This is my first car purchase so I didnt know that this is a common practice, so yes you are correct. It is my fault for being ignorant on the matter. I had no idea how they would be mounted, but if you had asked me prior to, drilling holes would have been far down the list of guesses. Quite unfortunate, but lesson learned.

There are plenty of aftermarket hole-less mounting brackets out there.
Im sure MB could develop their own if they felt like it.

Also thanks for the previous reply about the bumper fillers. I think Im just gonna leave the plate where it is.

I took your advice and got me some very attractive carbon fiber license plate brackets!!

I would say that if you want the best possible fix, then replace the front bumper cover, have it painted by an MB dealership, and then invest in a front tow hook license plate bracket. Or you could go with the bumper plugs that Drew recommended. My buddy used them, and they seem pretty legit.

I found this guy on line after weeks of searching. He works out of his garage. Everything is CNC machined from high quality billet aluminum. He has great prices, and the fitment is phenomenal. I'm not one to endorse or push any company or business, but this guy rocks. I would recommend this guy to everyone.

http://www.moweraxle.com/licenseplat...esbmwkits.html

While it sounds easy, the first time the bumper bends, twists or gets pushed, the repair is going to crack out like Bobby and Whitneys coffee table.

You're so lucky to be able to drive without front plate in US