De-Badging

[Gucci]

I de-badged my ML350 Inspiration. It looked so much cleaner and certainly wasn't a "base model".

It comes down to personal taste. Some people think it's tasteful to put a massive sticker down the side of the vehicle that says TURBO or MERCEDES - I can only guess these are for the benefit of the visually impaired. If you think these kind of things are desirable - take a look at a car forecourt and see how many you see applied to the cars.

However, they'll be more than happy to sell a de-badged car. It's understated cool. The fact that some people don't 'get it' - makes it cool

 

[crankiejohn]

why de badge a car unless your embarrsed about it

 

[6pot]

I Added a sticker to cover a scratch but i must admit i like the clean look more. I Am tempted to remove the e320 badge now.

 

[Simon_M]

I debadge mine to clean up the look. I was really offended by the 'CLS 320CDI' on the rump of mine. I am not trying to hide anything as it is obviously a diesel due to the noise. It just looks messy, like those older cars that had 'turbodiesel' on them.

The CLK is much the same, I prefer the symmetrical look with the central badge only.

The new C63 will be the same as I don't want it too blinged-up, I've even requested the '6.3 AMG' badges off the sides.

 

[Cabe]

I might take the "Elegance" badges off the side of mine, they are just too big and distract from the wings I feel.

I would never, ever, get rid of my bonnet star. Ignoring the look, it's useful for so many things, my personal favourite being target acquisition

 

[A210AMG]

Its just personel taste, no right or wrong answer?

Most big engined cars in Germany tend to be debadged its just the way they do things. Most of us are (geek) enough to know what's what, so can tell single pipe, oval pipe, down pipe etc between the models and exactly what it is.

Fact is we drive a Mercedes Benz so what ever model it is then its better than any other make

 

[flango]

hmmmm , I have a bit of a dilemma in this area, my CLK has the Brabus K1 engine upgrade + Brabus suspension + Brabus Exhaust etc.. which was done by Brabus when the car was new and is on the Brabus register.

The rear of the car displays a Brabus badge on the left (which is correct and was on when I bought it) instead of the CLK230 and the Kompressor badge on the right.

I keep thinking of debadging as does the Brabus upgrades make it a Brabus car?

 

[A210AMG]

^ If its on the Brabus register than surely its a Brabus car to Brabus so yes

 

[flango]

^ If its on the Brabus register than surely its a Brabus car to Brabus so yes

Yes definitely recorded by them as to all the work carried out on the new car. When I was trying to check its history they were so helpful it was incredible best customer service I have ever had told me everything I needed to know 12 years after they did the work, amazing

 

[mja]

Thanks for those tips guys, mine is now de-badged. Simple to do, just heat up the letter /number with a hair dryer for about a minute and then use dental floss to dislodge it. This leaves a glue residue that can be removed with very hot soapy a rough flannel and a some elbow grease. Finish off with some Mer polish or similar. Its as if they were never there.

 

[keysl]

Thanks for those tips guys, mine is now de-badged. Simple to do, just heat up the letter /number with a hair dryer for about a minute and then use dental floss to dislodge it. This leaves a glue residue that can be removed with very hot soapy a rough flannel and a some elbow grease. Finish off with some Mer polish or similar. Its as if they were never there.

Unfortunately on my SL a previous owner way back when had decided to re-glue one of the letters thus leaving an awful mark. Had to have the lid repainted to sort.

First time I've ever come across such a thing though!

 

[Insain]

hair dryer plus floss +10

 

[Insain]

if uv got a brabus engine then obviously you have a brabus...

dont get rid of the brabus badging you should be getting rid of the clk kompressor...

i hate it when people do it other way round, trying to make a car into something its not. yours is definitely a brabus so let it say so...........

 

[Insain]

i like.

 

[Privatedoc]

Let's not forget that the absolute worst move is sticking an amg or bra bus 'ebay special' badge on your base model...badge / debadge, is personal taste, misrepresentation just proves you're a prat!........ There's a w202 round our way with an AMG S65 KOMPRESSOR badge on the back...oh, and limo tints,chrome arches and a cd hanging from the rear view mirror ...pmsl. (pi$$ed myself laughing)

 

[219]

I don't mind either way - sometimes I feel that the only badge that matters is the Three-Pointed-Star !

 

[neilrr]

why de badge a car unless your embarrsed about it

The embarrassment is on the other foot. I do it to keep the owners of cars costing 15 times as much and 15 years newer guessing as I disappear ahead of them!

 

[Privatedoc]

When all is said and done, originality matters to me so mine are badged but I entirely see and understand other points of view, there has to be something quite fun about having a c32 badged as a c180 and leaving others for dead!

 

[Burger]

But when you can order the car from the factory de-badged, what is originality?

 

[Privatedoc]

That's what I meant, keep it as supplied, badged or not is fine...it's misrepresentation that sucks!