My original trunk emblem fell off awhile back and the cheap replacement doesnt look quite right.
Ive had it on my mind for a while to get a custom emblem water jetted.
What do you think?



It would be metal to strengthen the embem due to the cut away sectons and so that I could bend it to fit the contours of my trunk..
The only companies that ive found that would do this for me can only make verticle cuts, so sadly the emblem would be flat unlike the stock pyramid shaped emblem.
I am going to paint it black too


Feel free to give any input, thoughts, or send me a picture of a custom emblem if you think that youve got one better. Im open to all suggestions before I go out and actually get one of these made for myself.

 

Wouldn't an OEM emblem be less $?

 

OEMs are fine, the biggest problem this one will have is that it's going to be flat, and look flat. there's a reason pretty much all OEM emblems have a bevel to them if they're not block letters.

I'm emblemless, but if i ever get one again I'll have it pinstriped on.

 

yes. oem would be less.
But i just love this design and the idea of badging my car with something that I created from nothing.
Thats the true deffinition of customization isnt it?

Ive considered getting a few made and dremmeling the edges until I get one perfectly beveled like oem.

To each his own. If I get this done it will go in the "just for the hell of it mods" thread for sure though.

 

Maybe casting it instead of cuttin it from a piece of flat stock?

 

Ive thought about that and a cnc machine too.
I just dont have the cad skills or the money to pay someone with them to create a 3d model

 

what ever your pocketbook comes up with, will be fine.... if you like it, we will live with it.

check this:

 

Keep us posted.

 

Ive come across that before and I think it was a good idea in theory, but that it would just look gaudy on an ls.



Im going to my local waterjet company today to get their input and possibly get this started.

 

waterjet quote came back low enough for me to go ahead with this.
I havent decided on a material yet though. Black rubber would eliminate the need for paint and make it easier to form it to the contours of the trunk so I might just go with that instead of metal.
I like the idea of a metal emblem so much more though. We will see...

 

ohh in for the results! please share the total cost if you are willing.

 

Quote was $65 for the initial setup and programming + $12 for each piece + materials
Overpriced for an emblem but this means enough to me to make it worth it.
Every online waterjet company wanted atleat $120 for setup, which I wouldnt do so Im glad I decided to try a local gasket company.

Im probably going to get a atleast one made in rubber/silicon and one in metal to see which I like and incase one gets stolen

 

Metal with a rubber backing.

 

My embelm is done.
The difficulties in beveling a custom emblem led me to take a different approach.
That and necessary repairs taking a dent out of my wallet...

But I took the cheap fleabay emblem and cut it into my design.


After cutting with a dremel:


Spray painted it and the other emblems flat black then glued them to the car.
The paint came out kind of bubly but from 5 feet away you absolutely cannot tell.



I ground the old adhesive off since it would not come off with any solvent. You can really tell how the cheap emblem didnt match up with the oem in these pictures. I plan to get some touch up paint and fix the grind marks but advance auto has stopped stocking 051, so I'll need to order it. More pics after thats done.

Over all I am quite pleased. A cheap subtle mod that makes the car 100% unique.

 

Glad it worked out.

How bad were the ghost markings on the paint from the old emblem? Looks like it left an obvious imprint behind unless that is a dirty pic.