Not joined yet? Register for free and enjoy features such as alerts, private messaging and viewing latest posts and topics.

How to de-badge your car

Post Reply
Steiner
Member
Member
Posts: 122
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 4:41 pm

How to de-badge your car

Post by Steiner » Sun Jul 29, 2012 9:30 pm

I wrote this 5 years ago, in Icelandic. It's a very easy process but you can easily cause damage to your paint if you're not careful. I did this on a 2000 BMW E46 318i, which was my second car and my first BMW (haven't driven anything else but BMWs since then). I did this for a cleaner look, as I'm not a big fan of badges on cars. I've just done the sides on my Z4 and I love the difference it made.

This isn't the only way to debadge a car, but I found this one to be very easy and fool-proof. I'm sure there are many more writeups like this one out there (perhaps even here), but I hope that this will help someone despite that. Please, be careful. You can easily damage your paint if you're not careful.

Equipment needed:
  • Hair dryer
  • A few rags (microfibers preferred)
  • Light polishing compound (I used Dodo Juice Lime Prime, it did the job this time around)
  • WD-40, or some sort of goo-remover. WD-40 was the only thing I had around.
  • Dental floss
  • Some sort of tool to safely remove remains (I used my nails (not recommended and a clay bar to remove the very last remains of the glue)
  • Car wax
1.

Image

Start by heating the badge you are about to remove. Be careful, as you can easily overheat the paint causing permanent damage to it. 10 seconds or so should to the job, but please be careful.

2.

Image

Spray some WD-40 (or chemical of your choice) on the badge. A smart thing to do is to place a cheap rag underneath the badge to prevent the chemical leaking over everything.

3.

Image

Heat the badge for another 10 seconds or so. This should loosen up the glue, making the next step that much easier.

4.

Image

Take a decent length of floss and go to town on the badge using smooth motions. Be sure to grab the badge when it falls!

5.

Image

After the badge has been removed, you most likely have a bunch of glue remaining. The first time around, I used an old credit card to pry the glue. You can also use your nails or anything plastic (and not too sharp) you have around, but you can easily scratch the paint if you‘re not careful.

Image

After removing most of the residue, I removed the smallest particles using my clay bar.

6.

Image

Now you‘ve exposed paint that has never seen the light of day, and it will show. You need to even the paint out using a polishing compound. I used Dodo Juice Lime Prime this time around, as the paint didn‘t need a lot of polishing to even it out.

7.

Image

I would recommend washing the area afterwards. Doing this, you‘ll be able to see if your polishing did its job or if you have to do more. Afterwards, wax the area and you‘ll be done.

The end result:

Image
Image

User avatar
AlanJ
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 7725
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:54 pm
Location: North Yorks

Re: How to de-badge your car

Post by AlanJ » Sun Jul 29, 2012 9:39 pm

Good write up :thumbsup:
///M tri colour steering wheel, mud flaps and loads of other extras! ZHP illuminated gear lever..... Pre Purchase Checks,Getting the Best out of Dealers http://www.bmwz4roadster.net

User avatar
andysat
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 16731
Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2009 6:52 pm

Re: How to de-badge your car

Post by andysat » Sun Jul 29, 2012 9:41 pm

:thumbsup:
Image
Gone but not forgotten.
New ride silver e93.

User avatar
deka
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 2020
Joined: Thu Dec 27, 2007 12:59 pm

Re: How to de-badge your car

Post by deka » Sun Jul 29, 2012 9:44 pm

nice write up :thumbsup:
E89 2.5I Blue rubbish wheels
Gone But not forgotton. Z4 06 roadster 2.5 Midnight blue Hardtop black heated leather, stubby, phone kit, 108's PDC. ZHP
Image

Steiner
Member
Member
Posts: 122
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 4:41 pm

Re: How to de-badge your car

Post by Steiner » Sun Jul 29, 2012 10:04 pm

Thanks! It held up well for something I wrote more than 5 years ago! :)
Image

User avatar
Bing
Legend
Legend
Posts: 26514
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:19 pm
Location: Exiled Scot in Maidstone

Re: How to de-badge your car

Post by Bing » Sun Jul 29, 2012 10:15 pm

Nice write up - simple, elegant mod :thumbsup:

I am a fingernail guy - found they I could feel what I was doing, and definitely wouldn't scratch the paint. Took ages to get the glue out from under my nails though :D
Current... Silver Grey ///M Roadster, non-flimper spec, Imola Red nappa, permanent ear-to-ear grin 8)

Previous... 3.0Si Sport Roadster, Black Sapphire, Dream Red leather with lots of toys and lots of mods...

User avatar
bcworkz
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 1740
Joined: Wed May 04, 2011 10:56 pm
Location: ǝɹǝɥ ƃuoɹʍ s,sƃuıɥʇǝɯos

Re: How to de-badge your car

Post by bcworkz » Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:28 pm

Doesn't seem to be a problem for most, but it might be a good idea to use an old toothbrush and very soapy water to dislodge any small bits of grit that may have lodged in the joint between badge and paint.

I neglected to do this on my first badge removal. The grit got picked up by the floss and badly scratched the paint, despite liberal lubricant use. Fortunately, my Zed was not the first.
Image
"The cause of most problems are solutions" (06 3.0si, sport pkg)

Steve220
Member
Member
Posts: 344
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2012 10:36 pm
Location: Moray

Re: How to de-badge your car

Post by Steve220 » Wed Aug 01, 2012 4:58 pm

There is a much quicker and easier way - spray Tardis above the badge for it to run into the foam, leave it for 2 minutes, use a hairdryer and it will fall off :)
Image

2006 Z4MC - Midnight Blue on CSL's!! :D ///M Power - Fun begins after 4k rpm ;)

User avatar
Taz
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 19497
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2009 9:56 pm
Location: Saddleworth

Re: How to de-badge your car

Post by Taz » Wed Aug 01, 2012 5:04 pm

nice write up, only thing i would change is the credit card/plastic bit, i would use baby wipes

Steiner
Member
Member
Posts: 122
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 4:41 pm

Re: How to de-badge your car

Post by Steiner » Wed Aug 01, 2012 9:02 pm

Thanks for the comments guys! :)

Tardis sounds interesting, but I've never heard of it being sold over here.

But Taz, I'm not sure that baby wipes would be very helpful when you have all the glue / foam left (like in my case). But I may very well be wrong, I've never given it a shot! I used my nails this time and followed up with a clay bar, which gave me a foam free zone. :)
Image

User avatar
Bunnyboileravoider
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon May 31, 2021 10:21 am

How to de-badge your car

Post by Bunnyboileravoider » Wed Jun 09, 2021 10:58 am

For what it's worth, this thread may be old, but it's still every bit as helpful. I've just bought an old Z4 to drive around Europe for the Summer, and whilst for me the car is simply a means to an end (i.e. I don't mind racking up 10K miles on it), I don't want it to look shabby. This helped make it a 10 minute job to remove the tatty, 15-year old badges, so thank you.
You only live twice. I'm on my 2nd.

Toys: (Audi Q7 2018, BMW Z4 2006, Ferrari 348 Spider 1994, Le Mans Noble 1971)

Old-Duckman
Member
Member
Posts: 491
Joined: Tue Feb 11, 2020 2:27 pm
Location: SW Pennsylvania USA

How to de-badge your car

Post by Old-Duckman » Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:26 pm

Personally I like the badges. The only thing I removed was the dealer's name decal. It was like a PVC decal and a hair dryer alone did the trick in that instance.

Post Reply