How to de-badge?

[Quincy_W140]

Hi,

I'm thinking of de-badging my W140 - the question is, how do I do this without damaging the paintwork? Perhaps a hairdryer to soften the glue holding the lettering in place?

TIA,

Q.

 

[eGuru]

I used the same method. Hair drier to soften the glue and dental floss to prise the badge off.

 

[jaymanek]

If your badge has been on the boot for 10 years plus you may want to bear in mind that there may be a difference in colour when you remove the badges...

 

[television]

Yes hair drier/heat gun not too hot and pull off with finger nails or fishing line, dental floss.

Take off residue with lighter fuel / petrol/ label remover

 

[Roger Jones]

I've done this successfully on two cars. It was clear on one that the badge had been applied before a respray had dried completely; a trace of the badge is still visible, but only from a certain angle in unusual light.

After hairdryer and dental floss, first try a tar remover (e,g, Autoglym Intensive Tar Remover), then an ordinary slightly abrasive polish (e.g. Autoglym Super Resin). If that doesn't remove residual traces fully, then try a paint restorer (e.g. Autoglym Paint Renovator). Finish off with polish anyway and add a protective finishing layer (e.g. Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection).

I don't work for Autoglym and I'm sure there are good equivalent products from other sources.

 

[jadefox]

Can I just ask, why do people de-badge?

Also, is there a conversion kit from going from the star which sticks up to the flat badge?

 

[josefk]

Can I just ask, why do people de-badge?

Personally, sheer panic. I'm going to do this soon (bonnet star to flat badge and sport grille and removal of everything off the boot except the star). My reason being that I have to travel to and park in some questionable areas. Even parked outside my house I peek out the window to see if I can still see the bonnet star. It's becoming tiring and I'm not enjoying this constant jumpy feeling. Obviously I'll be hanging onto the swapped out parts to put back on in case they decide to imprison/poison/shoot all the little scrotes who tend to rip off things like these. Also, I like the clean look, hence why my 'E270' and 'CDI' are going.

 

[television]

Can I just ask, why do people de-badge?

Also, is there a conversion kit from going from the star which sticks up to the flat badge?

If you have no badges, your car could be the smallest in the range, of the biggest in the range, and no one can tell what it is. Some prefer a clean look.

Some folk change their star for a flat badge

 

[jadefox]

how do you do that, and is it a simple thing to do?

 

[television]

how do you do that, and is it a simple thing to do?

You do it as above, and its a quick death for the badges as they cant be re used. New sets cost around £15 but the hardest thing is the fitting, the only way to keep them straight is to tape a stick onto the boot and stand all of the figures onto it,, so If you have a 180 for £15 you can turn it into a 600

 

[Wild Woods]

I found that hot water from a recently boiled kettle quickly softened the glue on the letters and saved me borrowing the wifes hair drier.

 

[television]

I found that hot water from a recently boiled kettle quickly softened the glue on the letters and saved me borrowing the wifes hair drier.

Thats another good tip and thank you, and a big welcome to the forum:bannana:

 

[jadefox]

I would only want to do the front sticky up star.....although it's good as a parking aid - I'm just terrified of someone pulling it off. I suppose it'll stay put till someone does and then I'll change it for a flat front badge.

 

[josefk]

I would only want to do the front sticky up star.....although it's good as a parking aid - I'm just terrified of someone pulling it off. I suppose it'll stay put till someone does and then I'll change it for a flat front badge.

I'm probably getting mine here, along with the grille. This supplier has been recommended to me by an independent local to me (he uses them). I understand the fear of popping into a shop for a couple of minutes on a dark night and hoping like hell the star is still standing when I return. It's not needed as a parking aid (I have Parktronic) so losing it wouldn't take anything away from me in that respect.

If you're intending to change it at some point, it would probably be worth your while to change it sooner rather than later. If you wait till it's ripped off the bonnet you might have to take into account the cost of touching up damage to the paintwork as well. If they want the star - they won't care how hard they have to pull or how hard they dig the screwdriver in to get it off.

By all accounts it is a simple job (do a search) involving popping off the star and popping a flat badge in like a press stud inside the bonnet. Though I think it would look a tad odd without a star on the front which is why I'll change the grille at the same time. However, I'm paying a little man to order the parts and do the swap. It can't possibly go wrong then.

 

[television]

Some have Stars on the bonnet, others have them on the chrome grill, there are conversions for both, one was done here recently

 

[josefk]

Well, I'm now debadged on my rear. I was fixing the computers at a car wash and got it machine polished at the same time (been to the same bloke for this before) so it looks fairly s****y right now. If you don't notice the stone chips that the glass look bonnet now shows up hideously well...

I got a quote this morning for a flat badge and a sport grille which I'm going to order in the next week or so once money stops swilling into and out of my account.

Now all I need is my wipers working (new stalk booked to be fitted on Tuesday) and stone chips sorted and then I'll no doubt start thinking of what else I might want doing. I'm kind of looking at exhausts and saying 'coo' to myself but not sure if that'll mean I'm in Tosserville territory.

P.S. The starred out text above should read s w a n k y. Wonder why it won't go through...

 

[Adam230K]

I'd love to debadge mine but since my cam cover is all flakey and "kompressor" has been rubbed off, i might have a hard time convincing the next buyer that its supercharged

 

[Quincy_W140]

Thank you everyone for your replies

Q.