Hey fellas,

Im am petrified to death to replace my GTA/bird emblems without
screwing up or bubbling the paint.. and I am not sure what kinds of
material to use to actually safely "lift" the badging that has been on
there for a few years...

Any thoughts/experiences? Thanks.

 

I need to replace my 5.7L F.I. hood stickers too, and have some of the same concerns. The problem is, 20+ year old stickers like that will most likely tear into a hundred little pieces when you start picking at them. Have you thought about using a hair dryer to warm them up? I haven't tried it either, but had thought about it. If you can get the outer layer off, bug and tar remover should take the adhesive off. Of course, you'd have to hit with Dawn or something after that to make sure you're new sticker held on. Just a thought.....

 

They make a buffing wheel that is supposed to remove stickers/decals without damaging the paint but I have not personally used one. I have used a heat gun to remove decals and badges in the past without damaging the paint underneath. The key to using a heat gun is to constantly move it around and not concentrate on one area but a lot of people will probably disagree with this method.

 

Yeah, that was my first thought too. Dig out the old hair dryer/heat gun and give it a shot. Or, let the car sit in the sun for a few hours in August, that might help do it.....

 

The emblems in question are the hard placard GTA type insignias, which were placed in the wrong locations by someone none the wiser to the actual placement.. But nonetheless the RPO codes verify a GTA L98 car.

Ill see what I can do, but using heat I don't think will get to the adhesive used on
the back of the hard placard insignias!

 

if you are speaking of the hard plastic or metal emblems and NOT decals, there is a very simple way to get them off

1st use an old credit card to loosen the corner
2nd wrap a few layers of tape around your index fingers for padding
3rd cut off about 15 inches of waxed dental floss and wrap the ends around taped fingers
4th work dental floss under corner you loosened
5th gently use sawing motion with floss under emblem to cut through foam and glue until emblem is off

finally use a product found in store called GOOF-OFF. It will break down the adhesive

you can also use it to ease the flossing process

after soaking the remaining adhesive for a bit, use your fingernail to remove adheasive and foam

it will take a bit of time but the finish will not be harmed

i use it all the time to de-badge cars that ive owned

see ya'
Craig

 

That sounds like a promising course of action Craig!
ill give it a go tomorrow night! Im placing an order of
new emblems as we speak..

Thanks!

-Austin

 

Oh ok, I see. I thought you were talking about the bird sticker decals on the sail panel.

 

Youre welcome

 

As for the decals, I have used the decal remover wheel on many occations and it works flawlessly. Customers usually have the door moldings peel off on the Suburbans and Tahoes and the wheel takes all the adhesive off without any damage to the surface. Use an electric drill and set the clutch accordingly. No real worries here.

As for another question, the IROC-Z badges on the lower ground effects did not come off easily for me. This had to be done to remove the ground effects. What is the easiest way to remove the badges without harming them or the ground effect?

 

see above

 

The waxed dental floss worked like a charm! Today I will be using the Goof-off to work
the remaining adhesive/foam off the sails and fender emblems..

Quick question though, to re-attach the said emblems.. Where can I get my hands
on the foam adhesive? Id hate to get the wrong stuff and hurt the finish later on!


Thanks again for the help gentlemen!

 

This works great. Make sure the surface is very clean and wax free. Also, once positioned and attached, it ain't going ANYWHERE! Good Luck!

Auto Parts Stores has it

 

I appreciate the education on the subject, so far the process is going quite well... Still persuading the last of the adhesive off, but the finish is looking good. I'm trying to track down some of the foam adhesive to reattach the placards, the local part store only had the white 3M double sided foam tape, and I didn't want that to stand out underneath the badging. I'll find the appropriate material and post up my success!

Again, much appreciated!

 

3M has the black for auto's. I used it on my GTA nose emblem.

This is what I used.

3M Super Strong Automotive Attachment Tape - 03609

Not try'n to educate ya, just help ya out,

 

Happy to assist with your project !!!
If you need any other questions answered, I'm here...

Be sure there is ZERO wax or oils on either surface you are applying the foam tape to, or some not-so-nice person will get them off.

If you want the tape to really hold tight... use a heat gun to warm the panel, then apply before it has had a chance to cool.

A few minutes after it cools, it will be just as the factory originally placed it

Craig

 

Well, the majority of the adhesive is off... However, I still have either some residual or an outline of the badging on all 4 areas! I'll keep trying to work it.. But I may need some professional detailing assistance to blend the areas with a quality wax/buff.

I can't say whether its slight paint fade, or just the adhesive hanging on for dear life!

 

...

 

I'd stay away from Goof-Off and instead use 3M-Adhesive remover. It's what Griots Garage in Tacoma sells and recommends because it won't damage paint or clearcoat.

 

Or go to Home Depot. They sell 3M 20 lb. double sided tape (it's better holding then their 10 lb tape). I bought it for mounting a helmet camera . It's made for outdoor use too.

 

Thers also 3-Ms emblem adheasive (clear glue) you can get at the parts store. plus the clear double stick tape you can try I prefer the the glue when I'm reusing the old emblems.

 

Update on the progress, I had the car professionally buffed and worked, addressing the
issue of the adhesive outline and the minor paint fade. I must say I am impressed with
the outcome even though it isn't 100%.

I re-installed the emblems using the 3M super tape in the proper locations, and it
looks like a million bucks. In time, I imagine the sun will do it's job and gently
blend the very slight discoloration with the rest of the car. Ill post up some
pictures shortly!

 

Very pleased, thank you everyone for the assistance!
The pictures don't come close to doing it justice....

 

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