Bumper Plugs: License Plate Hole Fillers

One of the first things that had to change once I bought my Cayenne GTS was the front license plate.

While technically required in California, the law to have one installed is largely not enforced unless you’re getting pulled over for something much more serious…and even if that does happen, it’s generally a fix-it ticket rather than something that accrues points on your license.

So like my TTRS and B7 S4, I removed my front plate and rid the car of the “bugs bunny” look it had originally…thankfully my previous two cars never had front plates installed, so there were no drilled holes to cover up.

Sadly my Cayenne GTS came with a dealer installed license plate holder. To install, the dealer drilled four holes in the bumper, and while a black car hides the holes reasonably well, I knew I could do better.

At first I considered just screwing in four black license plate screws into the holes, which looked okay but microfiber towels would snag on it.

Then I saw a posting on Rennlist about Bumper Plugs and promptly placed an order to try them out myself.

Bumper Plugs are small circular covers that go into the drilled holes and cover them up.

You order them paint matched to your car’s OEM paint code finish (Porsche Jet Black Metallic in my case) in sets of two.

I picked up two sets (for a total of four) and they arrived within two days, which was kind of crazy since they came from North Carolina.

To install, the instructions are pretty simple and self explanatory; drill out the existing holes to 9/32″ with a drill bit, then pop in the Bumper Plugs.

Unfortunately I didn’t have a 9/32″ drill bit, but I did have a 8/32″ drill bit (aka 1/4″) and that was good enough. The instructions do warn you not to force them into place, but they slid in just fine without much force.

After installing, I wiped down with a spray detailer than put a coat of Cquartz Reload so that they would have some ceramic protection as well.

Just like that, the holes are gone!

These guys aren’t paying me to write this and I paid full retail price (minus a 10% off coupon I found on Rennlist), but it’s a cool service for anyone who had dealer installed front plate mounts and wants to hide it, but doesn’t want to pay to have their bumper resprayed or try to fill the holes and touch them up themselves.

These take about 3 minutes to install and is definitely the easiest way to fix the problem.

They come in 1,800 colors according to their website, so to order just figure out what color your car was painted in and make sure they have it.

While there is no reason to get these other than aesthetics, I’m a firm believer that the small details really add up…not only does the car look SO MUCH better without the front plate, but these little caps really finish the look.

In the rear of my car I am of course running a license plate but opted for the CA Heritage Plates which come in black and keep a clean look.

Thanks to bumper plugs and the California DMV I’ve been able to hide the ugly white plates and give the car a much fresher look for under $100 dollars (CA plates are about $50 as well).

These Bumper Plugs would work for just about any hole less than a 1/4″ in your that is on a relatively flat surface, if for whatever reason you’ve drilled other holes too (maybe a previously installed spoiler?). They also offer door plugs and tow plugs for your key hole and tow hook, respectively.

Until dealers stop drilling holes into bumpers of brand new cars (which they sometimes will, if you ask), I’d say Bumper Plugs is about the best solution I can think of.

What are some other ways to clean up the look of the car on the cheap?

Leave me a comment with your suggestions!