I have had a KG WORKS license plate bracket on my '92 Sunburst for several years now. When I bought my wife a 93LE, I wanted to get a second one, but was unable to track one down. While searching and considering other options, a garageSTAR bracket fell into my lap. Rather than simply installing it, I decided to spend some time comparing it to the KG WORKS.
Here are the the 2 brackets side by side (garageSTAR on top, KG WORKS on bottom).
Holes- The 1st thing you notice is that there is an extra hole on the KG. This is because the original holes were for a Japanese plate with different hole spacing, so I had to drill a new hole to work with a US plate. Advantage- garageSTAR
Position- The 2nd difference is the distance between the car and plate mounting points. This leaves the garageSTAR sitting lower than the KG WORKS (seen in pictures at the end). Advantage- personal preference.
When I roll the brackets over, you notice a few more differences...
Slot vs hole- The garageSTAR features a slot rather than a hole for the car-side mounting point. Both brackets sandwich a baby tooth, but the garageSTAR slot allows you more adjustability. Advantage- garageSTAR
Metal gauge- The garageSTAR seemed to have thicker metal so I took a digital caliper to each to confirm:
garageSTAR 3.1mm, KG WORKS- 2mm. Advantage- garageSTAR
Hardware: The hardware included in each kit is similar, but different.
Bolts- The garageSTAR bolts that attach the license to the bracket are a little too long for my taste. I prefer the shorter bolts of the KG WORKS as there is less chance of bumper contact. Advantage- KG WORKS
Nuts- gargaeSTAR uses nylon lock nuts while KG uses lock washers. Advantage- garageSTAR
Washers- The garageSTAR contains no washers for the plate to bracket attachment. This, combined with the small head of the included bolt and the rather large hole that comes on a TX plate caused me issues. I ended up adding washers. Advantage- KG WORKS
Cost- KG WORKS was purchased from Leni Metro before he closed shop for $52.95 plus $10.95 shipping. The garageSTAR is $45 shipped. Advantage- garageSTAR
Availability- KG WORKS seems to be unavailable at the moment, so Advantage- garageSTAR
Final thoughts... The garageSTAR is superior in almost every way. With a small improvement to the hardware, it would be a clean sweep for the garageSTAR. I ended up placing the new garageSTAR bracket on my 92 Sunburst and put the KG WORKS plate on my wife's 93LE.
Here are the the 2 brackets side by side (garageSTAR on top, KG WORKS on bottom).
Holes- The 1st thing you notice is that there is an extra hole on the KG. This is because the original holes were for a Japanese plate with different hole spacing, so I had to drill a new hole to work with a US plate. Advantage- garageSTAR
Position- The 2nd difference is the distance between the car and plate mounting points. This leaves the garageSTAR sitting lower than the KG WORKS (seen in pictures at the end). Advantage- personal preference.
When I roll the brackets over, you notice a few more differences...
Slot vs hole- The garageSTAR features a slot rather than a hole for the car-side mounting point. Both brackets sandwich a baby tooth, but the garageSTAR slot allows you more adjustability. Advantage- garageSTAR
Metal gauge- The garageSTAR seemed to have thicker metal so I took a digital caliper to each to confirm:
garageSTAR 3.1mm, KG WORKS- 2mm. Advantage- garageSTAR
Hardware: The hardware included in each kit is similar, but different.
Bolts- The garageSTAR bolts that attach the license to the bracket are a little too long for my taste. I prefer the shorter bolts of the KG WORKS as there is less chance of bumper contact. Advantage- KG WORKS
Nuts- gargaeSTAR uses nylon lock nuts while KG uses lock washers. Advantage- garageSTAR
Washers- The garageSTAR contains no washers for the plate to bracket attachment. This, combined with the small head of the included bolt and the rather large hole that comes on a TX plate caused me issues. I ended up adding washers. Advantage- KG WORKS
Cost- KG WORKS was purchased from Leni Metro before he closed shop for $52.95 plus $10.95 shipping. The garageSTAR is $45 shipped. Advantage- garageSTAR
Availability- KG WORKS seems to be unavailable at the moment, so Advantage- garageSTAR
Final thoughts... The garageSTAR is superior in almost every way. With a small improvement to the hardware, it would be a clean sweep for the garageSTAR. I ended up placing the new garageSTAR bracket on my 92 Sunburst and put the KG WORKS plate on my wife's 93LE.