Tie-Down Bracket on Nose for Kayak

I'm gonna ask some advice and hope I can explain what I'm lookin gor...

My friend has and Element and carries two kayaks on it with a pair of 835XTR Hull-a-Port Thule racks. The kayaks need to be tied down at both the front and rear of the car. My concern is the rope rubbing on the front of the hood or elsewhere on the front of the car.

Here's my idea...
I've seen other vehicles, specifically trucks, with metal brackets mounted under the hood that stick out and serve as a tie-down point. I've also seen cars with similar brackets used to display military rank flags on general office vehicles. If I could buy or fabricate such brackets, they'd give the tie-down point a bit of standoff from the hood and would keep the rope away from the paint.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

TIA,
Jon