De-badging hints please?

[Dr. Ferdinand]

Kids these days are useless, I can just about remember when the local scalls would have you're badges off in 30 seconds flat!

Anyway, seeing as the local hoodies won't remove the 'passat' and 'tdi' scripts for me, does anyone have any tips on how this is done without leaving adhesive residues/paint damage?

[kite]

Use dental floss or fishing line behind the badges to remove then clean the sticky residue with WD40 or some tar remover...

[Epoch]

Also heating the badge area (gently) before trying your floss or fin=shing line will help

Hair dryers are OK, heat guns are NOT

A steamer is also a useful tool for this but most won't have access.

[Slick]

paitience aswell, as it took me a long time to get rid of the remaining residue using some tar and glue remover!

[Spudrig]

I used boiling water and a credit card, but I ended up burning my fingers! It worked though and any excess adhesive was removed using petrol on a cloth. I then polished the badge area using Autoglym Super Resin Polish

[audievo]

Yep i use a hair dryer to soften the adhesive, seem to come off no probs then glue and tar remover as said or the wifes nail varnish remover ...........................it is hers honest :Blush2:

[Quatrelle]

I think I'd be a bit wary of using nail varnish remover, whoever's it is;)

After I'd done mine with WD40, from certain angles you could still just see the outline of where it had been so, like Spudrig, I finished it off with polish.

[audievo]

Nail varnish is acetone based and evaporates off the paint very quickly, no damage.
I've even used thinners before with no ill effects!
T-cut will also prob do the job and the t-cut scratch remover is wonderful stuff (but not too much or you'll lose the paint)

[audievo]

sorry "nail varnish" ............remover i meant!

[jonsey24]

I went down the dental floss route and it worked a dream, when the badges were off i picked the sticky residue off with my fingers then used a good polish to remove any dregs

[jimgironde]

I really don't understand why so many people want to/or have debadged?

Can someone please explain:confused::confused:

[Hex69]

I really don't understand why so many people want to/or have debadged?

Can someone please explain:confused::confused:

Don't you want a nice clean backside......;)

[mk4gtiturbo]

I can't see the point of badges.

Anyone who needs to read the badge to know what the car is won't be impressed by the car anyway and anyone who is likely to be impressed by the car will know what it is anyway.

All of my cars have been debadged, makes cleaning and polishing a lot easier as well!! :Blush2:

[Stuart W]

I can't see the point of badges.


Perhaps, but if it is badged then I can't really see the point of removing it.

TBH if I was buying a car and was faced with identical models one badged and one debadged I'd probably choose the badged one because the latter might make me suspicious about dodgy mods and the like - it might indicate someone who likes to fiddle around with their car too much :p

[Quatrelle]

Perhaps, but if it is badged then I can't really see the point of removing it.

TBH if I was buying a car and was faced with identical models one badged and one debadged I'd probably choose the badged one because the latter might make me suspicious about dodgy mods and the like - it might indicate someone who likes to fiddle around with their car too much :p

That's me out then. Mine's debadged, chrome grill, sill plates with 'Passat' on them, and a stainless steel bootlip/bumper protector - all very understated! However, since I don't envisage selling it for at least ten years.....

When I were 'lad, cars didn't have badges like they do now. My mind was made up some years ago when I saw a Honda with badges that stretched halfway across the back of the car.:(

Finally, of course, it might indicate someone who really likes and looks after their car - me.:approve:

[jimgironde]

When I was a lad I had an 1100 (shows his age) and it did have badges. It said Austin on the front and Morris on the back:biglaugh::biglaugh:

Apologies to anybody not old enough to follow that:approve:

[Quatrelle]

Nice one. I liked the 1100 (Austin and/or Morris!) - always felt very solid.

Reminds me of a friend with a Ford (can't remember which) that had different wheel trims on each side. Took him 6 months to realise it.

[jimgironde]

problem was that the sub frame was very prone to rusting out, not necessarily a problem........then they introduced the MOT test:biglaugh:

[Stuart W]

Finally, of course, it might indicate someone who really likes and looks after their car - me.:approve:

Absolutely correct, Quatrelle.

I buy my cars to do at least 200,000 miles, and for that and other reasons I tend to leave them as God intended as far as is possilbe, most obviously I wouldn't go near any remap or the like.

And as my car is a licensed taxi the authorities are perhaps a bit more finicky about mods and the like.

Not that debadging is really significant in that regard, but I suppose it just pricks a suspicion somewhere, even if it's gounded in prejudice.

BTW, have you chaps got rid of the VW badges at the back and front, which seem to have gotten bigger over the years? ;)

[Quatrelle]

Wait till they get as big as they used to be on the Transporter!

The other reason for debadging - in the words of the Beach Boys - "It's my little deuce 'coup', you don't know what I've got".:p

It is of course a factory option on many cars, esp. Mercs.

[jimgironde]

I have known quite a few BMW drivers who had 316/318 and felt embarrased and wanted people to think maybe it was a 325 etc, they debadged!
I have always been proud of what I have driven and 8 or 9 years ago had a passat with the coveted TDI all in red. The last thing I would have wanted to do would have been to take them off;)

[Spudrig]

It is of course a factory option on many cars, esp. Mercs.

Debadging is also a factory option for VW cars too Quatrelle and I think its a free option :p

[mustrum]

problem was that the sub frame was very prone to rusting out, not necessarily a problem........then they introduced the MOT test:biglaugh:
Ahh - but then dropping the sub frame and replacing it was a relatively simple(!!) job. Done it twice - on an 1100 & a 1300. I imagine that getting hold of a sub frame would be tricky these days...

[Quatrelle]

Ahh - but then dropping the sub frame and replacing it was a relatively simple(!!) job.

That's true - lift the car up and it fell off :D

[mustrum]

:biglaugh: It didn't come that easily when I did it. Sounds like you had larger problems than just the sub frame!

[Quatrelle]

You're right - saved undoing the bolts though!