'65 tri shield emblem

[RIVNIK]

Greetings, pals! The red shield on my trunk lock emblem has completely faded out over the years, a problem many of you have probably experienced. Oddly the other shields are like new. I can't believe what an NOS tri-shield prices out at these days. Granted, they are rare, but $700 !?!? Really? Anyway, I think I can restore mine with the right red paint if I can disassemble it. Has anyone done this? Is it even doable? Are the clear plastic & the metallic colored background separable? Any tips on removing, disassembling, and reinstalling? Can I screw up and not be able to open the trunk due to misalignment or something like that? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Drew

[Crazy4cruz]

Here is an article that walks you through exactly how to do this. It's one of the many things I want to do with mine as well. Just have not found the time yet.

[RivNut]

Not on a '65 but on a couple of other cars, I've found that finger nail polish is easy to apply, it flows out flat, and you can get it in a variety of shades. I've never taken an emblem apart to repaint it, the small brush that comes with the finger nail polish makes it easy to get into all of the corners, etc.

[RIVNIK]

Thanks for the article and the tips, guys! I was thinking that there was a chromed plate with the crosses & stags and painted three colors covered by a clear plastic "lens". Now I realize the colors are applied to the back of the clear plastic piece. I will mull over these two approaches for a few minutes or possibly a year & let you know how it turns out. I assume RivNut applied the nail polish to the outer face of the plastic, right? that might be the ticket since the other way is pretty intensive & won't do anything for a couple of pits on the top of the housing. Anyway, thanks again, & I'm on it!

[bb1970]

I took mine apart and painted the red. Take care to remove the old paint from the clear lens. But don't remove the chrome stag head or cross. Just paint over them. I used model paint.

Edited October 9, 2013 by bb1970 (see edit history)

[Patrick91914]

As one who has an NOS trunk lock emblem on my car, I can tell you that nothing beats the look; however, there is an alternative. Emblemagic (http://www.emblemagic.com/index.html) will restore your emblem to like new. It ain't cheap, but you'll get better results than digging through your wife's nail polish stash. To me, the trunk lock cover is one of the most critical details on that car's exterior. I wouldn't spend a gazillion dollars during the restoration only to cheap it out in the end by scrimping on this critical detail.

This reminds me of those paper Super Wildcat decals that are out there. I refused to put one on my car because they just don't look good enough. So, I paid big money to have them reproduced correctly. Hopefully, many folks enjoy their Super Wildcats today just a little more every time they lift the hood and see my decal.

While I understand the need for the "nail polish workaround" to avoid the sticker shock associated with purchasing an NOS emblem (I paid $300 for mine 15 years ago), I think that emblemagic may be a viable option for those who are willing to step up just a little. Good luck!

Edited October 15, 2013 by Patrick91914 (see edit history)

[RIVNIK]

Since antique parts started being sold on Ebay the prices have been escalating past the point of their increasing rarety & inflation. When there are Fat Cats who will pay $700+ for a tri shield it really spoils it for the working class shmo trying to pursue his passion. I'm not really complaining. That's the way of the world, I suppose.(insert large sigh here) Actually, I should note that the piece I'm thinking has been on auction for some time with no bids, but I'm sure it's being closely watched by some of you guys with a trishield or two in an old box and cha-ching signs in your eyes. This editorial brought to you by Rivnik

[DualQuadDave]

If you want to cry about part prices, buy a Mopar. I am restoring a 70 Charger R/T Super Trac Pac and everything costs $1000. The shifter, the shifter handle, the gauge cluster, the wood grain on the dash, etc. You sit in the car and you are surrounded by 20k worth of stuff and it is not near the quality of any first gen Riv. With 65 GS's bringing 40-80k, can you blame me for asking $750 for an NOS emblem? Btw, if you did not know, Ebay screws you for 15-18% of final sale price. I am happy to sell to ROA or HAMB guys cheaper, but realty is, restoring cars is quickly getting out the reach of the regular guy. Sad, but it had to happen eventually. It's not like they are making more old cars and great cars like Riv's are getting rarer by the day. FYI, the guys out of the country are really driving the prices. I cannot tell you how much stuff I have shipped to France, Australia, Japan, Canada, etc. They are buying quality stuff and in bulk.

[DualQuadDave]

Btw, if you need a good used tri shield emblem, I have several from $150-300 depending on condition.

[RIVNIK]

Too-shay, DualQuad, I dig what you're sayin'. It just feels good to ***** about it. I might have to take you up on one of those if this doesn't turn out right. Drew

[DualQuadDave]

No prob, Drew, and I understand what you are saying too. PM me your email and I will send pics of the emblems I have so you can make a decision. IMO, everybody should fix their car now and buy spares now, because the day is coming soon that the good parts will be unavailable at any price. I literally had 3 people approach me in the last month to buy me out of my inventory, some with intent to resell and some just hoarding spares. It is a crazy time. Take care and have a good night!

[RIVNIK]

Update; I finally got up the nerve to tear into my tri-shield project. I seem to always approach simple problems with unreasonable trepidation. This was no different. It comes off easy, comes apart easy, and is easy to repair with the right supplies & some patience. Just look at Ray Knotts article referred to by "Crazy"Richard, and heed bb1970s advice to remove ALL the paint from the clear lens. The back of the lens has v shaped ribs which require painstaking effort to remove all the paint from many facets. If you miss any it will stick out and you will have to do it again. I used a jewelers loupe & xacto & thought I had it all but did not, so be careful. The expert at the hobby shop saw me looking at Testors Enamel & recommended nail polish instead. According to him it has better UV resistance than model paint, and the variety is literally 100 times greater( as anyone co-habitating with a female person knows.) After removing the paint I found that all that scraping had left a dull, almost frosted finish to the backside of the lens. The faces of the lenses were also dull & scratched, so I got out my Turtle headlight cleaning kit, which consists of a lens clarifying cream & 4 grades of abrasive pads &, starting with #2,then #3 & #4, & using enough pressure to get down into the Vs, was able to clarify the ribbed side quite a lot, & got the outer surface to a near perfect finish. Several coats of bright red metallic nail polish completed the lens job, & I must say that, although not perfect, it looks really good. Only a concourse judge would spot it, & actually, considering the somewhat less than perfect condition of my car, he will not be looking at it anyway. Thanks again, Dave, I will be needing something else from you eventually. Just a matter of time. Drew

[bb1970]

A small blow to those fetching insane money for these emblems. Post pics!