Debadging

[Payman]

I just watched a video on the C8. Some young youtuber who has several Vettes (including a C7 Zo6) went with his equally well-off buddies to a car show to check out the C8. He states that he already ordered a black one, while waiting to order an Elkhart Blue one. Anyways, when he and his buddies look over a C8, the most important things were "yeah that Stingray has to go (pointing to the emblem on the decklid), and that CORVETTE badge". "Yeah and the emblem on the nose". Another buddy drives up in a C7 Zo6, completely devoid of any badging.

Last week while test driving the Cayenne, there was a gorgeous black '13 Boxster S in the showroom next to it. Shorn of all badges. I actually told the salesman "nice Boxster, but I don't trust any car without its badges in place". I'm serious. What else did the owner do to the car? Do people that do this think it looks better? To me the badges are part of the car, especially the emblems. You'd never do this with a classic car, unless you want to drop its value considerably. I don't get it.

[CALL_911]

I debadged my cars. Looks cleaner to me

[Payman]

I debadged my cars. Looks cleaner to me

What does that mean? Did you rip off all the trim too?

[FoMoJo]

So, how are the badges attached and do you have to buff up the paint underneath?

Way back, guys would get rid of all the badges and chrome and fill the little clip holes with body filler, sand and repaint.  We called it 'shaving'.

[CALL_911]

What does that mean? Did you rip off all the trim too?

No I took the badges off. My car no longer has a "340i" or an "xDrive" badge

[MX793]

So, how are the badges attached and do you have to buff up the paint underneath?

Way back, guys would get rid of all the badges and chrome and fill the little clip holes with body filler, sand and repaint.  We called it 'shaving'.

A lot of badges are just adhered with double-sided tape.  A hair dryer, some dental floss, and some goo gone will take them right off.

[MX793]

I think some of the German brands offer badge deletes as an option when you buy the car.

[giant_mtb]

I debadged Taco a bit. The tailgate only has the "Toyota" left and I put a small sticker of the five great lakes where the SR5 and Tacoma used to be. The badges on the doors now read "TACO" instead of the full "TACOMA."  I removed the TRD Sport stickers on the rear fenders ages ago.

Debadging can look great. Cleans up the lines a lot.

But I wouldn't jump to it right away.  It's one of those things, for me anyway, that gets mulled over in the brain for a while.  And certain badges should stay. Just depends on the car and your style.

The REAL sin...adding badges.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I always remove the bullshit dealer badge/decal.

[FoMoJo]

A lot of badges are just adhered with double-sided tape.  A hair dryer, some dental floss, and some goo gone will take them right off.

That's too easy.  I completely stripped everything I could off my first car, including the grille.  I though it looked cool, but it likely just looked rubbish.

[giant_mtb]

I always remove the bullshit dealer badge/decal.

I hate those. I wish more people would ask me to remove them.

[cawimmer430]

This is quite common in Germany for many reasons, but one of them is Sozialneid (social jealousy). Some people will get upset with others for buying "unsensible" cars.

For example, I once knew a guy who owned a bank and he drove a CLK500 - but on the trunk lid it said "CLK200 Kompressor". He did this so his employees would think he was sensible and conservative with his car-buying habits. I guess now he doesn't care because he's driving a Porsche Panamera and also has a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

[Laconian]

It's the opposite here. You debadge to make people wonder if your base model I4 is really a V8. Or you just put a ///M badge on the trunk. Make the plebes jelly.

[shp4man]

All badges intact! "C10" badge on the cowl panels. '65 only. Love this old truck.

[Payman]

WTH, we don't buy Polo shirts and then yank the horses off them, or Lacoste shirts and de-alligator them. 

[Payman]

All badges intact! "C10" badge on the cowl panels. '65 only. Love this old truck.

Proper. 

[Morris Minor]

I always remove the bullshit dealer badge/decal.

Same here. Dealer license plate frames also get thrown in the rubbish.
I also remove (& store) the front license plate mount, which is another favorite for dealer advertising.

[CaminoRacer]

I removed all the badges on the El Camino except the blue bowtie in the grill. Had to fill the holes (with metal, not bondo) before paint.

I don't bother with any of the real badges on newer cars. Dealership plate frames go in the trash and I won't buy a car from a dealership that puts a badge or sticker on the paint.

[Morris Minor]

This is quite common in Germany for many reasons, but one of them is Sozialneid (social jealousy). Some people will get upset with others for buying "unsensible" cars.

For example, I once knew a guy who owned a bank and he drove a CLK500 - but on the trunk lid it said "CLK200 Kompressor". He did this so his employees would think he was sensible and conservative with his car-buying habits. I guess now he doesn't care because he's driving a Porsche Panamera and also has a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

Sozialneid - is a word English speakers need to borrow (like we did schadenfreude.)


Badging was very important in the era of company cars in the UK - you wanted the world to know that yours was a Ford Capri 2.0GT XLR and not a losercruiser 1.6 GL.

[CALL_911]

For example, I once knew a guy who owned a bank and he drove a CLK500 - but on the trunk lid it said "CLK200 Kompressor". He did this so his employees would think he was sensible and conservative with his car-buying habits. I guess now he doesn't care because he's driving a Porsche Panamera and also has a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

That's just bizarre and def not a normal thing to do anywhere in the world

[12,000 RPM]

WTH, we don't buy Polo shirts and then yank the horses off them, or Lacoste shirts and de-alligator them. 

I guess my question is.... why do the badges matter that much to you?

[Laconian]

I guess my question is.... why do the badges matter that much to you?

Why are you making it about him?

[Soup DeVille]

WTH, we don't buy Polo shirts and then yank the horses off them, or Lacoste shirts and de-alligator them. 

No, but I don't buy shirts that are dependent on the logos anyways. 

It all depends on whether or not the badges look good. Some domestics just go overboard. Some Japanese cars used to. IMO, you of course get the marque and model badges and keep them, but badges for trims and features better not look cheezy.

[Speed_Racer]

I removed the "SUZUKI" badge off my trunklid because I hated the font. Kept the S and Kizashi though. 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Once in a while I'll see a Chrysler Sebring like this, with way too many badges on the trunk lid, mis-matched fonts  and odd spacing.



The first time I saw one, I thought the owner was a dumbass, but then I started seeing more. Chrysler is the dumbass.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I debadged my G8. They come off easy enough with a heat gun. Some guys used fishing line. I used WD40 to remove left over glue......

[Laconian]

Once in a while I'll see a Chrysler Sebring like this, with way too many badges on the trunk lid, mis-matched fonts  and odd spacing.



The first time I saw one, I thought the owner was a dumbass, but then I started seeing more. Chrysler is the dumbass.

That was one of Cerberus' early innovations. People don't buy the Sebring because they don't know what one looks like! Yeah.. right..

[giant_mtb]

I debadged my G8. They come off easy enough with a heat gun. Some guys used fishing line. I used WD40 to remove left over glue......

A heat gun is ideal for removing sticky things. Isopropyl alcohol is wonderful for removing leftover sticky-stuff residue, and doesn't leave a lick of junk behind, unlike WD40, Goo Gone, etc. 

[cawimmer430]

Sozialneid - is a word English speakers need to borrow (like we did schadenfreude.)

Try Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän. That's an actual German word. 


https://theweek.com/articles/463500/8-favorite-ridiculously-long-german-words

[cawimmer430]

That's just bizarre and def not a normal thing to do anywhere in the world

It's a purely German thing due to the envious and jealous mentalities here.

If you're driving a CLK200 Kompressor you're still some rich douchebag, but you're not such a big douchebag as the show-off who drives a CLK500 or CLK55 AMG...