Front license plate bolts messed up - advice?

[IdahoDoug]

Went to put my front Idaho plate on this morning and one of the bolts seemed rusted in place - twisted sideways and stopped. Didn't want to mess it up further but need advice. Is there a bracket on the chrome bumper I'm bending, or a captive nut in the inner bumper structure behind it? If I cut the bolt off, then remove the chrome bumper will I be able to easily get to the backside for PB Blaster, etc or is this a nightmare?

Motive here is to get my "Search and Rescue" plate on so the local constabulary will leave me alone in this ratty looking hippy-ish van

DougM
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1993 Toyota LandCruiser, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[BillWYellowstone]

Heaven knows what may be there now, mine just had nuts behind, but after multiple owners and 25 years, who knows? My plate bracket when I bought mine in MT had a plastic like bracket, apparently homemade, I removed it and made my own straps to raise the plate I wanted.
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Live Fulltime in motorhome
Have 86 Westy Camper 2.1 rebuilt
Work in Yellowstone NP year round.

[IdahoDoug]

Thanks Bill. So, I guess I still need to understand what's likely there. There is no front plate on it. Just a pair of rusty bolts. I cannot seem to get behind the chrome bumper to any bolts, so am clueless. If I cut the bolt off, I may then have a bad situation where I've left only a stump locked into a captive bolt inside of the inner bumper structure I still cannot get to. The other option is to keep twisting until I tear something loose - a good one if the captive nut will then come off with the chrome bumper (torn off the face of the inner bumper). A bad one if the captive nut is inside the bumper structure where I can't get to or replace it. So - help? Bentley is of course silent on this.

DougM
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1993 Toyota LandCruiser, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[presslab]

Did you try to take the bumper skin off? The bolt heads are under the rubber strips.
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1986 Vanagon Westfalia EJ25
1988 Subaru GL-10 EJ20G --- 2000 Honda XR650L
2010 Titus El Guapo --- 2011 On-One 456 Ti

[bquigs]

...heavy self threading screws held mine. It could be somthing else from a PO but I bet not, too much of a pain to put a nut bolt combo to hold on the plate. In any case the whole chrome bumber should come off by removing two bolts located under the rubber strips,. The nuts to THOSE bolts are indeed welded inside the unibody so blast them form the inside with some penetranting oil before going that route. You can see them from the holes under van in the bumber area. I know this becase i did break one of those loose and had to figure a way to fish a nut in there and hold it wile tightening the bolt (it is possible but sucked)
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87 Syncro Zetec

[WestyBob]

Not quite sure what it's all about but if you have a license plate mount directly on the center of the front chrome bumper (no outer brackets) then it's held on either with screws or bolts with nuts and possibly washers. I know of no stock chrome bumper that came with captive nuts or brackets on the back.

Judging from what you said I think it's fine to keep turning and see what happens - shouldn't hurt anything in back. A number of options if it doesn't release, but probably easiest to cut the bolt if you have room between it and the chrome bumper with a straight saw or something. Then the remaining bolt/washer/nut will fall down to the bottom of the bumper which you can reach with your fingers.

I like using thick, anti-rust-type sheet metal screws to mount a bracket to the bumper, then it's easier to mount the plate. Also, with screws you don't have to remove the bumper to mount the plate(s).

Ignore all if I'm not understanding the problem

[IdahoDoug]

ah, great info. I'll keep cranking then.
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1993 Toyota LandCruiser, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader