A badge on your car is most obvious and single feature, however you can give it a fresh clean look by removing the badge.

Here are the options below for debadging your car grill and see which option will be the best for you.

Usually, you can decide the type of badge you have by looking behind the grill and poking around with your finger. The manufacture grills and badges come in a few primary types. Some have the badge shape pre moulded into the grill and then have a chrome insert added to them forming the actual badge, whereas a few have the badge actually moulded into the grill itself. Other makers’ badges are simply stuck on to the grill.

In the case of badges affixed to the grill, you can simply remove these. A few will have pins that slot into the grill and the grill will need to be filled and painted to cover this up. Where there is a large moulding in the grill for the badge things start to get complicated. To make the look complete you really need to replace the horizontal slats of the grill and cut out the badge mounting area.

Actually, it is easier for you to buy a replacement badgeless grill by finding lots of auto part suppliers selling online. They are a simple drop in replacement indeed and are an effective way of creating a smooth look.

Another option is to cut out the entire interior of the grill, and then filling in the resulting hole with a mesh of some description. The mesh will need to be weather proof. We see some pretty nasty rusting on some chrome effect meshes. In addition, it will need to be quite firmly and tightly mounted as it will look awful if it sags.

Moreover, to get a “debadged look” is to spray your grill and badge black. Some have chrome inserts and even chrome detailing around the edge. When the whole thing is painted black it can look very effective. A fact noticed by Audi and produced to a small degree in the “Black editions” of their cars.

If you are good at bodywork or know a good bodyshop then you could always bring the top of the bonnet down to close up the gap (but ensure the engine bay area has sufficient ventilation.)

Furthermore, it will look better if you remove all the badges and decals from the car. Euro style cars are typified by the removal of trims, badges and all hard edges and creases are smoothed out. Plan your cars look in photoshop first and then see what options out there will best help you to achieve that look.

Follow the steps to get a debadged look.

Step1. Wash the areas around the badges you want to remove.

Step2. Heat up badge with hair dryer for ten to fifteen seconds, test the amount of heat you are putting on the paint with your hand. Note: Do not over heat the paint. Remove lettering or numbering work on one character at a time.

Step3. Spray 3M adhesive remover on badge, hold a cloth below the badge to keep the adhesive remover from dripping.

Step4. Heat again for another five to ten seconds and check the heat again.

Step5. Use the dental tape to cut the badges off. Pull the dental tape away from the car so that it is rubbing on the badge and not the car. If there is much resistance to the dental floss cutting the adhesive reheat and reapply 3M adhesive remover. Having a friend hold the badge helps so they do not go flying off.

Step6. Deal with the leftover adhesive with the badge off. Carefully try to peel off the corner, if there is much resistance, reapply heat and 3M adhesive remover. Slowly peel the adhesive off and be careful not to scratch the paint when removing adhesive.

Step7. Use a wet wash mitt or towel to clean the dirt that you could not get before, when clean dry the area.

Finally, you can stand back and admire your work.

i wasn’t going to throw out the badges so easily. i decided to follow in the cressida’s bigger brother’s foot steps and place it on the front fender. i think it adds a little more character to the car. the original plan was to paint them gold but it seems too time consuming and i will slowly collect gold grande badges from toyota camry vienta grandes. as far as badging, i’d like to also put a grande badge on the front grille (where the toyota letters were) and figure out some sort of rear pillar badge.

as this blog is becoming quite lengthy for a single page, i will try and figure out how to make a new one tomorrow. also, tomorrow brings a very long post and will be a guaranteed strong read.

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