Another De-badge/Re-badge thread...

I know there are a few threads floating around TW on de-badging and re-badging a Tacoma. I decided to make my own thread using bits and pieces of what others did. I also just wanted to try making my own How-to

Supplies:

1. Heat Gun
2. 15 lb. Fishing Line
3. Acetone/Goo Gone
4. Rubbing Compound
5. Car Wax

Part I: De-Badging

So the first thing I did when deciding to de-badge was to heat up the badge to be removed using a heat gun on the lowest setting. I kept it a fair distance from the badge and truck finish to prevent damage and moved the heat gun back and forth to try and heat it evenly.

After heating the badge I used 15 lb fishing line to remove the badge from the truck. I did this by making a sawing motion up and down and GENTLY pulling behind the badge. Be careful not get caught on the edges of some of the letters as this will break the fishing line. TAKE YOUR TIME!!!

Once I removed all the badges from the truck I used the heat gun again to heat and remaining large chinks of adhesive up to make it pliable. I then removed any reaming large pieces of adhesive. For any residue left on the finish on the truck I used a terry clothe rag and some acetone to remove the residue. You may need to rub hard to get the residue off.

After removing the adhesive residue I followed up with some rubbing compound to rub out and scratches and to get the gloss back into the clear coat (the acetone takes away the clear coat gloss). I then applied a little bit of car wax to finish up.

That should do it for the de-badging portion of my how-to.

 

Part II: Re-Badging

Supplies:

1. Krylon Fusion Gloss Black
2. Krylon Fusion Clear
3. Duplicolor Adhesion Promoter
4. 3M 1/2" Double Sided Trim/Mold Tape
5. 3M Scuff Pad
6. 3M 1000 Grit Sand Paper
7. Xacto Knife with #11 Blades (not pictured)
8. Dawn Dish Soap (not pictured)
9. Scotch Blue Painter's Tape (not pictured)
10. Windex
11. Rubbing Alcohol

My first step in re-badging was to use the 3M scuff pad to create small scratches on the chrome badges. Any areas that were hard to reach or did not scuff well I followed up with the 3M sand paper. This scuffing and sanding is to help make the adhesive promoter stick better. I also took this time to remove the factory adhesive tape still left on the back of the badges. I could not find a way to help remove this easier, you will just have to use your finger nails to scrape the remaining adhesive off.



My next step after scuffing was to soak the badges in a bit of Dawn dish soap and warm/hot water, this helped to removed and dirt, grease, and residue from sanding. It also helped, sort of, to loosen any of the adhesive you could not get off the back of the badges in the first pass.

After letting the badges soak for about 30 minutes I removed them from the soapy water and rinsed them in cold tap water and then dried thoroughly.

Once the badges were dry I took them back to the garage and laid them out on a piece of cardboard. I then sprayed 2 thin coats of the Duplicolor Adhesion Promoter onto the badges. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE CAN!!!

Once the adhesion promoter was applied I then applied about 4 thin coats of the Krylon Fusion Gloss Black to the badges waiting 5 - 10 minutes between coats. NO NOT SPRAY HEAVY COATS OR IT WILL TURN OUT HORRIBLE!!! AGAIN FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE CAN!!!

I let the gloss black dry for about 45 minutes or so and then continued by applying the Fusion Clear coat. I sprayed about 3 or 4 coats waiting 1 minute between coats. FOLLOW THE CAN INSTRUCTIONS!! I then let everything dry for about 24 hours.



After letting the badges dry I proceeded to prep them for the 3M double sided tape. The first thing I did was apply blue painters tape to prevent any scratching or scuffing of the newly painted badges. I then cut off two lengths of the 1/2" 3M double sided tape and applied them to the back of the badges length wise (if you measure the Tacoma, SR5, V6 badges the letters are 1" high).



Once applied I proceeded by using an Xacto knife to trim the excess tape. In the end the tape exactly covered the letters. I took my time so not to slice into the badges with the Xacto. It's time consuming, but I think worth it in the end.



The final step was to apply the badges back onto the truck. I first prepped the area by using Windex to remove any dirt or wax. I then took measurements (mileage will vary) to my liking and applied blue painter's tape to help me line up the badges.



After getting the badges looking the way I wanted I did one final wipe down with rubbing alcohol. I then applied the badges making sure to press firmly and evening so they bonded good to the truck.



This concludes the second portion of my of my how to on how to de-badge and re-badge a Tacoma. Feel free to leave me any feedback!

 

Very detailed step-by-step and good pics.

A couple of proceedure changes I would reccomend for anyone else doing this mod:

1. If you want the badeges back in the original location, mark the location of the badges with blue painter's tape before removing them from the truck. You would think the tape would get in the way, but it doesn't, and it makes reapplying them much easier.

2. Use denatured alcohol in lieu of rubbing alcohol, Windex, and Dawn dishwashing soap. Windex and Dawn will leave a residue on the surface. Rubbing alcohol is made for medical use so I'm fairly certain it has additives that will not totally evaporate from the surface. Denatured alcohol and clean paper towels will get everything squeeky clean.

3. Do not use acetone on your painted finish. The denatured alcohol will remove the remaining residue without damaging the finish.

4. Do not wax the truck prior to reapplying the badges. Your procedure was to remove the badges and remaining adhesive, clean the surface, apply wax, and then use Windex to remove the wax. When reapplying the badges you want the surface clean of everything. Apply wax after the badges are on the truck.

5. Using Dawn dishwashing soap to clean the badges is fine, but again, the soap will leave residue that may effect the paint adhesion. The final step in cleaning anything you paint should always be a wipedown with denatured alcohol while being careful not to touch any of the surfaces with your fingers.

One lesson I learned when doing my badges was; apply the new badge tape before painting the badges. That way you don't take the chance of damaging the paint while applying the tape.

 

Nice write-up.


Heres some good information on exactly where the emblems are placed from the factory, for all models.

Factory Badging Placement

 

nice write up!

 

nice job man, good effort

 

Great write up and pics. I am planning on doing my truck eventually, so thanks!

 

Subd