New 2014 Fusion Hybrid Titanium "California"

[m8knuthink]

Hello all, I've only had my car for a week but I've done some things to it already and will share later.

After 7 days I've finally had to get gas, I normally filled up twice in my Dodge so I am happy about that change. Over the past week I traveled 461 miles on my first tank with the computer stating I could go another 31 miles before empty and the computer says I'm at 35 MPG.

 

[SteveB_TX]

Howdy and Welcome! :)

[corncobs]

Welcome and don't wait too long before sharing your mods :)

 

Sounds like you are happy with the MPG you are getting.

In case it tickles you to get into the 50's there is plenty of goog advice around this forum.

[m8knuthink]

Here are a couple shots, I've got the windows tinted, blacked out the grill.. I removed the entire bumper and it was super easy and added some 20'TSW rims. Lights are coming next!

 

 

 

[corncobs]

Nice!

 

I had some TSW wheels years ago I always like their styles.

 

Looks like il you have some license plate hole to cover. ;)

[m8knuthink]

yeah, I was bummed I couldn't get it before they put the front plates on.

[FordService]

Hello all, I've only had my car for a week but I've done some things to it already and will share later.

After 7 days I've finally had to get gas, I normally filled up twice in my Dodge so I am happy about that change. Over the past week I traveled 461 miles on my first tank with the computer stating I could go another 31 miles before empty and the computer says I'm at 35 MPG.

 

 

Congratulations and welcome, m8knuthink! We're glad to have you here. :)

 

Crystal

[hybridbear]

yeah, I was bummed I couldn't get it before they put the front plates on.

Congrats & welcome!

 

Doesn't Cali require front plates?

Edited August 27, 2014 by hybridbear

[GrySql]

Congrats & welcome!

 

Doesn't Cali require front plates?

Normally all CA highway vehicles are issued two license plates.

 

CA DMV V C Section 5200

Display of License Plates

5200. (a) When two license plates are issued by the department for use upon a vehicle, they shall be attached to the vehicle for which they were issued, one in the front and the other in the rear.

(b) When only one license plate is issued for use upon a vehicle, it shall be attached to the rear thereof , unless the license plate is issued for use upon a truck tractor, in which case the license plate shall be displayed in accordance with Section 4850.5.

Amended Sec. 27, Ch. 594, Stats. 2003. Effective January 1, 2004.

[Sleddog]

I think there will be a ticket, and not just the fix it kind, in his future.

[GrySql]

Law enforcement here is so busy that I doubt a missing front plate would be a primary reason to be pulled over, more likely an add-on to a ticket.

Unless it's a bad luck day.

But his car looks so good it will be admired, not penalized. ;)

Edited August 27, 2014 by GrySql

[Sleddog]

Having experienced Komifornia's (no offense intended) finest, both local and state, he'll get one. A missing front tag will get you stopped. Even if it's the rental car company's fault that they let you drive off with a missing front plate.

 

I was lucky enough to get stopped 7 times during my last visit in may. The rental company paid the ticket. But having to explain the issue multiple times to multiple agencies makes me 99.999999999% sure he's gonna get one.

 

It's a good reason to stop you, once stopped, it's always good time to search the car. 7 stops, 3 voluntary searches. The 4th search request was met with a firm "No". Of course the next words were "search warranty". And mine were "fine, go for it but, if I'm not under arrest, I'm leaving." I was allowed to leaving shortly thereafter.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Sleddog

[GrySql]

I was lucky enough to get stopped 7 times during my last visit in may.

Amazing...

[mwr]

I got by without a front plate for years, but got stopped a couple of years ago (fix-it ticket). Had to get a new set of plates with a new number. They're much more strict about that than they used to be.

[nv rick]

I think there will be a ticket, and not just the fix it kind, in his future.

I live in NV and do not have a front plate, although it's "required". I would guess, by observation that more cars here do not have a front plate than do. I wonder if CA is more stringent on enforcement being how they generally seem happy to create more laws than are actually needed.

I was lucky and was able to have the front bracket just thrown in the trunk, so no front bumper holes for me!

I retired here from WI, and believe me, the front plate law there IS enforced.

I think that front plate bracket really ruins the look of cars like the FF and MKZ.

[jonessoda]

How did you do the grille? I just did the Plasti Dip thing on the Ford emblems, and it came out great, so I was thinking of doing the grille next. I've also shaved off all of the chrome lettering off the car, it looks pretty slick.

 

Depending on what tire you put on there, you might take a pretty big hit in mpg. Just by putting sport rims and touring tires on mine, my overall went down by ~10 mpg.

[B25Nut]

I'm probably jinxing myself for saying this, but I've gone for over 20 years without a front California plate on three vehicles. For 9 years my Pacifica did have a B-25 photo plate up front. My wife has gone over 16 years without a front plate. We've never been confronted by anyone about it. I know we've been very lucky. I attribute it to not looking threatening, and no tickets in California for 30 years. I have been pulled over and was given three warnings about speeding. It helps, I think, having a beautiful women as a passenger. My wife says the warnings were an act of God. It's also nice not worrying about traffic cameras.

[hermans]

I'm probably jinxing myself for saying this, but I've gone for over 20 years without a front California plate on three vehicles. For 9 years my Pacifica did have a B-25 photo plate up front. My wife has gone over 16 years without a front plate. We've never been confronted by anyone about it. I know we've been very lucky. I attribute it to not looking threatening, and no tickets in California for 30 years. I have been pulled over and was given three warnings about speeding. It helps, I think, having a beautiful women as a passenger. My wife says the warnings were an act of God. It's also nice not worrying about traffic cameras.

You have found the secret. When I was a police officer and working traffic, what would cause me to notice you was erratic driving in a crowd of moving cars. If you were in a group of cars going 65 in a 55 zone, what caught my eye and singled you out was the quick, continous lane changes.

 

In all the years, I only once ticketed someone for not having two license plates ( in a state that required two). I stopped the guy only to give him a verbal warning, but he immediately became defensive and verbaly hostile towards me - it was then I decided to cite him. When I handed him the ticket the abuse increased and he refused to sign the ticket. All his signature guarenteed was his appearence in Court. Since he refused to sign, I was required to transport him to the jail where he had to post bond. Before he went to Court the front license plate was on the car and it remained on for years to come. Morale of the story....don't talk yourself into a ticket.

Edited September 1, 2014 by hermans

[Sleddog]

I guess I was lucky enough to get stopped. Maybe it was because I was doing the speed limit. Maybe it was because I was driving a large SUV that wasn't a Ford. Maybe it was because I was on the back roads going to and from Yosemite. Maybe it was because I was seen leaving Travis AFB. Maybe it was because the SUV had a barcode sticker on the windshield that identified it as a rental.

 

But then again, when I was stationed at Travis in the 80's I got stopped for a headlight out. The headlight died the morning I was stopped. I was also heading to base to prep for a ORI exercise. The nice local officer ran me though the wringer about where I was going, what was I doing, and why was I out driving around at 3 in the morning. I guess I was lucky I was in a flight suit or he would have probably arrested me.

 

Just my opinion, but I never thought much the law enforcement folks in that state. They seem to have issues with the military personnel when I was stationed there. No offense intended to anyone that's in LE. And since local LE is getting access to hand me down military equipment many departments appear to think they are now military.

 

"On the soap box"

 

Here in the Orlando area, a cop was just charged with shooting into an occupied vehicle, and illegal discharge of a firearm. What did he do? He shot at a suspect in a car that was 90 feet away. He shot 23 rounds of .556 from an AR and managed to hit everything except the suspects car.

 

An Orlando cop "accidentally" shot and killed an innocent bystander when attempting to shoot a suspect with a gun. They shot the suspect, he will recover. The bystander was a girl in her early 20's that was inside a night club.

 

The city of Melbourne PD "lost" a fully automatic M-16 that was on loan from the military. It was lost for 2 years, but was "account for", meaning it was in the PD's "possession" during that time. It was found in an officer's home. If I'm not mistaken, that's illegal possession of an automatic weapon since he did not a have a form 1 on file with the ATF. But yet nothing happened to him. If it was you or me in possession of the firearm, we would be in jail.

 

I have a Sig Arms AR pistol. It has an adapter that straps it to your arm. These were developed by a Vet that had lost the ability to use a rifle due to a war injury. It has a 10 inch barrel. Normally a rifle with a 10 inch barrel is classified as a SBR ( short barrel rifle ) and requires a form 1, tax stamp, and engraving on the barrel to be legally possessed. But since it is a pistol, none of that is needed. But, it can be shot as a rifle. Which is illegal per the way it is built. I was at a range practicing with it, as a pistol. When I packed up and left, a local cop, in uniform, started talking to me in the parking lot. He asked my if I had any illegal firearms in my car. Of course I didn't. He said the SBR in my car that was not engraved with any trust or ownership info. I had to explain how it was built to this guy and show him the letter from Sig explaining that it was pistol.

 

So what's my issue? I feel my stops were legal. BUT, they were more of an excuse to search my vehicle than anything else. That's why I refused the last search request. After telling this to some of my LE friends, they recommended to me to refuse any search request and have them get a warrant. Reason being, you never know what someone left in the rental, or will drop into your vehicle when it's being searched. The search warrant requires probable cause. Just stopping me for the missing plate, or refusing a search request is not probably cause.

 

It appears to me LE is going way overboard with what they do and how they do it. And it is not just local, it is nation wide.

 

"Off the soapbox"

Edited September 1, 2014 by Sleddog

[GrySql]

Well, the OP has had this Thread trampled on but it's kind of his fault.

His user name 'm8knuthink' sure did it's job. ;)

 

While all this other conversation has been going on I wonder what else he has done to personalize his new FFH?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[m8knuthink]

Who would of thought not having a front plate would generate such a discussion...lol!

I have been pulled over before for not having a front plate on my other vehicle but it was only a fix it ticket. nothing big.

I did the grill by removing the entire front bumper and it was easier than you think. I'll probably do it again when I put in the new headlights I purchased, I also plan on smoking the taillights and will post those pictures when i'm done. After that I think i'm done doing what i want to the car.

[keith705]

I saw a black Fusion with blacked out rims & grill and tinted tail lights, it was pretty sharp looking. They only tinted the red plastic on the tail lights so you could still see them from plenty far when they were lit up. I'm curios to see what the whole setup will look like on a white Fusion, make sure you post pics :)

[acdii]

I nearly rear ended someone the other day with blacked out tail lights, could NOT see them! Had the 3rd brake light been out, I would have hit them for sure.

[TwoDozen]

I live outside of LA and never been stopped for a missing front plate. It is the law though.

[m8knuthink]

I ordered these lights and they finally got in but they forgot to smoke the orange reflectors... have to send them back and wait some more.

 

Edited September 17, 2014 by m8knuthink