Restoring Emblems and Badges

[Electra63]

Hello fellow antique automobile enthusiasts

I purchased a 63 Buick Electra 6 months ago and the front and rear badges/emblems were in dire need of restoring or replacing.

After hunting YouTube and various forums for advice or 'how to' I couldn't find much of anything on the topic, so I decided to try it myself.

You can see my progress, some issues I ran into and the end result in a couple of videos I uploaded to YouTube.

I restored both the front emblem from the center of the grille and the hinged rear one which covers the lock on the trunk.

I hope the videos inspire others to take on the challenge of restoring their original emblems !

 

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by Electra63 (see edit history)

[sebastienbuick]

superb work ! , thanks for the videos !  

[Electra63]

Thanks for the comment, Sebastienbuick. 

It was quite painstaking but worth the effort.  I was especially worried about damaging the rear one beyond repair while taking it apart but it all worked out, thankfully

Mark

[rodneybeauchamp]

Hi Mark,

really two good videos describing the process. The plastic shield is so fragile and can be easily broken. Great results. Did a similar process on the front badge on my ‘63 Skylark using thin brass wire to remove the paint. Again used a hobby paint (Humbrol) to repaint it and it turned out great. Short description found under Me and My Buick (Rodneys 1963 Buick Skylark Convertible)

 

It is those little things like badges and nameplates that make such a difference!

Rodney 😀😀😀😀😀

Edited December 7, 2022 by rodneybeauchamp
Corrections (see edit history)

[drhach]

Great work, I did a similar exercise on the trunk emblem of my 62 last year. I was confronted with similar issues. I like the mirror finish. I wasn't able to figure this one out, so I left intact whatever I could. I found some translucent paints that mimicked the colors then I backed them with silver. One of the issues I encountered was that the red is highly UV sensitive and didn't even make it through the Summer. I would recommend a clear UV coat over the top of the emblem if i did this again. Also, for the grooves, I tried used a frayed toothpick and some mineral spirits. Same concern as voiced above. I didn't want to scratch or fog the plastic. 

[Fordy]

There is a member of the local club where I live who does the Cloisonne enamel badge restorations. As far as I am aware she is one of the very few left in Australia doing this type of work. Had her do one for my Hupp and it turned out great 

[Electra63]

Thanks everyone for your feedback and to rodneybeauchamp for sharing your pics. 

I agree that the badges/emblems are a detail that either adds or takes away from the overall look.  Hence I hope people are encouraged to restore theirs....

As for the cleaning of the old paint I like the suggestions.  There was a comment posted on the YouTube warning against using acetone (too strong) which I tend to agree with.  Mineral spirits are probably a better/safer option.  I'm not cut out for paint and finishing projects as I'm too impatient 😏 so the acetone seemed great to me as it meant less elbow grease  and perhaps I got lucky by not damaging the plastic.

I understand the comment about UV from drhach.  My son told me he saw a recommendation of spraying clear coat to protect plastic headlights from yellowing after restoration so I agree something like that could be an option to protect the plastic.  I'm in Southern California so I guess I'll soon find out if UV damage is going to be an issue !

thanks again for the interactive feedback.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Electra63 (see edit history)