Yesterday I used a heat gun and putty knife to carefully remove my emblems so I can plastic dip them black. After I got them off, I decided to clean the remaining glue off.
What a pain! I used rubbing alcohol, goo gone and acetone, and it still took forever to get the thicker stuff off. I still have a shadow outline of the emblems.
What kind of solvent will break that, but not destroy the paint?

 

I would say wet sand it. Then buff it out with a wool pad and compound. Then finish it off with polish compound and a cotton or foam pad.

 

Have you let the goo gone soak it for a while? Wet a paper towel in goo gone and leave on top of the glue for sveral minutes.

Now factory they used double-sided tape which can harden after a long time but shouldn't be as difficult you are describing. Maybe someone actually used epoxy to stick the emblems back on at some point?

Last resort would be what 1JZPWRD said.

 

DO NOT USE 3M EMBLEM ADHESIVE! When re-installing them, it is nasty, messy, and almost impossible to get off paint.


Ask me how i know.

 

This was kind of a pita for me too, but I didn't stress too hard on getting all the hardened tape off. The 3m tape I used stuck on right over it. And I don't know how hard the tape actually is to get off, but I don't plan on ever changing them again, as chrome emblems are the only ones that look good on a sandstone SC IMO

 

If you havent already pulled all the emblems off, leave the rest on. You can plastidip them while on the car, just mask around them. Search the forums for a plastidip tutorial, i know someone in the IS forum posted one. I just did it last week to a friends car. Take a few hours but comes out great and isnt expensive. Just spray and then peel away the excess.

 

+1

 

Angle grinder and a well worn roloc disc. Took 17 year old tape off mine quite easily and very quick. The soft used disc doesn't bite as much as a new one and won't take material away from the emblem. Then throw some new double-sided tape on and paint.

 

Well did you get you it off?

 

I haven't worked on it anymore. My wife got mad at me for working on 'cosmetic' issues before doing the timing belt and water pump so it runs. I can still see a shadow outline, but I guess it isn't a big deal because they're going back on. I did try a scotchbrite type steel wool substitute, so will now have to buff it out, but I have to paint my rear quarter and corner of the bumper, so plan to blend my clear into the emblem area anyway.

Can I get new emblem grommets (the black plastic ones) anywhere? Some came out on the emblem pegs, and some stayed in the body. It would be easier to buff if I got them out of the body, but I don't want to destroy them unless I can get new ones.

I still need to clean the back of the emblems themselves, but figure they'll be easy to soak (unlike the back of the car).

 

I used a heat gun, goo gone and wd-40. It was a PITA but it all came off nicely

 

WD-40 is one thing I didn't try. Thanks.

 

Im not understanding why there was a need to remove the emblems for plastidip?

i used (very carefully) an exacto knife to remove my old adhesive when I changed front bumpers. Took less than 5 minutes.

 

Lighter fluid. It works wonders

 

Great idea. Can you smoke while you use it? Here in Colorado we're all puffin' the magic dragon these days.
It sounds a lot more exciting than WD-40.