GnatGoSplat Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Got bored on Saturday and thought I'd attempt something I'd been planning to do for awhile - changing the color of the emblem on the front of the convertible since I'm going for the monochromatic look on this car. Here's what the nose of the car looked like before, in its rock-chipped, bug-gut covered glory: It's held on by double-sided tape and has a post near the top. I sprayed a soapy water solution into the cracks and that loosened it up quite a bit. I used an old credit card to pry it out. Some how, I still managed to bust the plastic post off, it sticks TIGHT into the fascia, I couldn't even get it out after the fact so I just left it in there. No biggie, it's not something you can see. Here it is, freshly pulled off. It wasn't in that great of shape to begin with. The red was fading on the edges, and it's got a lot of rock chips in it and even a hairline crack. To get to the inside of the emblem, I had to pull the black plastic backing out of it. Just a little prying with an old credit card and it comes apart easily. It's held together with clear RTV silicone. Unfortunately, some of the gunmetal gray border color stuck to the silicone. I removed the red using a Q-tip and lacquer thinner. I got the corners and edges out by gently scraping the paint off with a tiny pocket knife. Eventually, I got the red areas completely clear. I think this process took me about 2-hours to get ALL the red out, a rather long time for such a small detail. I started to wonder why I bothered, but once I'd started, it was too late. You can see on the top and bottom left of the border area where some of the gunmetal gray color didn't stick very well. Since the gray color was still sticking to the silicone, when I put it back together, you can't really tell it pulled off. So I decided to mask off the border with masking tape to prevent black paint getting into those areas. That turned out to be a big mistake. When I pulled off the tape, it pulled off some of the chrome. Yikes! Apparently vacuum metallized chrome doesn't stick real good! So I had to touch up those spots with some "chrome" paint (which really looks more metallic). Had I been shooting for perfection, I could have used something like Bare Metal Foil or actually paying to get the vacuum metallization redone. If you should try this, I don't recommend bothering to mask off the border at all. Anyway, making the inside black simply involved painting the back of the emblem. I probably used about 4-coats, you may need more if you want to use a different color since the edges seem to lay on thinner. Anyway, I'm not completely happy with the finished product and if this car were anywhere near perfect I might actually care, but considering the paint is all rock-chipped and damaged by bug guts anyway, it looks good enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euro Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 wow that looks really good. I like it shawn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Shawn I think that looks awesome! Maybe I should do that with my old olds symbol. Hrm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psych0matt Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 hmmm, I think i still have my old spare somewhere (found a near perfect one thats on now, pocketed it ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastbird232 Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 I think it looks pretty cool, actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 nice work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runt Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 I really like that. I should rip one off of a 2nd Gen GP someone and try to do that. Hell with fucking with my good one on the car now...lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97CuttySupSL Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 bumpp..nice job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Thats Cool Shawn Can I Steal that idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted April 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Thats Cool Shawn Can I Steal that idea? Go for it. If I were worried about someone stealing my idea, I wouldn't post how to do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skiiirt Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Awesome idea I am thinking of doing the same to match the black panel on the trunk. I am in need of one in better shape tho. Mine has way too many rock chips in it to waste my time on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted April 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 I didn't bother trying to do anything with the rock chips on mine since the whole front end looks like that, but the thought had crossed my mind that you could possibly use some of that water-clear windshield repair epoxy to fill in the chips, then gently wetsand with a very fine grit sandpaper and buff. Might come out looking like new. I might try that when I get the bumper and hood repainted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skiiirt Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Wouldnt hurt to try. I have tons of wetsanding to do this year so perhaps I'll give it a shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97CuttySupSL Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 i might respray mine black...or i might jus spray it gunmetal..maybe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToroToro Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Pretty sweet! I got my old fucked up emblem sitting here... Think I might do the rocket in bright red. Good idea Shawn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97CuttySupSL Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Pretty sweet! I got my old fucked up emblem sitting here... Think I might do the rocket in bright red. Good idea Shawn! like those rims wat color did you paint the inside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToroToro Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Rustoleum Charcoal Grey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted April 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Here's another one I did a couple years ago to the "24 VALVE" part of the DOHC emblem which were badly deteriorated. Before: They're attached using clear RTV and came off easily using an old credit card. Stripped them completely clean by soaking them in Castrol Super Clean (good way to strip paint off delicate plastics without hurting it). After: (sorry, bad pic, took it at night in the garage with no flash, but looks better than when I tried it with flash) I used "chrome" spray paint which is why it came out looking gray. Chrome paint never really looks chrome, and looks even duller painted from behind. Anyway, I sprayed them from behind with the "chrome" first, then used lacquer thinner to clean the silver off the lettering. After that, I sprayed them from behind with black. To get the original brushed-aluminum looking finish, I would have had to get them vacuum metallized from behind. Maybe someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skiiirt Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 I think those look really good. Compared to what they were before. I have the same problem. I went to the dealership lookin to replace my emblems. Just the DOHC ones are $44/ea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Rockstar Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Just the DOHC ones are $44/ea. :willynilly: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Pretty cool. I had wanted to paint the red on the chevy emblem grey to match the black/grey theme on the Z, but never got around to it. I think in the Legend, if I don't completely shave the emblems, I might color match them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted April 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 I think in the Legen, if I don't completely shave the emblems, I might color match them. The wha??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 I think in the Legen, if I don't completely shave the emblems, I might color match them. The wha??? Oops, got it fixed now. My keyboard is old and sticks. Legend, as in Acura Legend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted April 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Ooooh, Acura Legend. I don't remember you mentioning it before. Coupe or sedan? I love the last gen coupes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Ooooh, Acura Legend. I don't remember you mentioning it before. Coupe or sedan? I love the last gen coupes! I like the coupes as well, but mine is a sedan. 1991 fully load LS sedan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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