Removal of Auto Emblems to Save on Paint Repair Costs

If you are having some paint repair work done on your car, there are a few things that you can do to reduce the cost of the professional services. One such thing is to remove the emblems on your car prior to taking it in for the paint work. Here, you will learn how to safely and effectively remove those emblems in a manner that will make them easy to replace once the paint has cured.

Mark the Placement

Putting the emblems back on your car as perfectly as they came off can be difficult if you don't plan ahead. Fortunately, you can use some masking tape and a permanent marker to mark the placement of them so that you can get the emblems put back exactly as they were prior to removing them.

Line your masking tape up with a permanent body line on your car. For example, run a strip of tape from the seam of your trunk lid to the point directly under the emblem. You will use the body line to guide you with the placement of the emblem later.

Once you have the tape put in place, use the permanent marker to mark the placement of each emblem on the tape. If you are marking letters, put one line on the tape where the letter starts and one where the letter ends. You can then place the letter between the two lines when replacing it.

Tip: If you don't have any good body lines to work with, you can use measurements instead. This can take a little more effort, but it is just as effective in ensuring that the emblems are replaced perfectly.

After you have everything marked, carefully remove the tape and stick it to a wall or flat surface where it will not be lost, folded or damaged while you wait to replace the emblems.  

Remove the Emblems

On many cars, the emblems are held in place with strong adhesive. To remove the emblems, you must heat up the emblems enough to soften the adhesive holding them in place. To do this, you can park the car in the hot sun for a few hours, or you can use a heat gun. If you choose to use the heat gun, be careful not to overheat the paint. This could cause the paint to bubble and require more repair work.

After you have heated the adhesive, a metal putty knife can be used to gently lift the emblem off of the car. Be gentle as you work the knife under the emblem so that you don't gouge the paint.

This step does take some patience. Don't rush through it or you could end up breaking the emblem and/or damaging the paint.

Clean Away the Adhesive

The best way to clean away the adhesive is to invest in a small tool called an eraser wheel. This tool mounts to your drill and will quickly remove the adhesive that is left behind.

After using the eraser wheel, give your car a good scrubbing, focusing on the area where you have removed the emblems to ensure that the adhesive is completely removed.

This is just one step that you can do at home during the days leading up to the paint work. Talk more with your local auto paint expert, like Franks Auto Body Inc, to learn other ways to reduce the cost of the job by doing some of the prep work yourself.


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