Restoring your Mopar can be...
Restoring your Mopar can be a very satisfying experience, but don't forget the little items. Attention to details, such as the emblems on your car, will set it apart from others. This month, we'll show you how to restore emblems to look as good as new.
When we look for cars to feature in the pages of Mopar Muscle, our attention is often grabbed by a car with a super-straight body sporting multiple coats of lustrous paint, or a big, fire-breathing powerplant stuck between the fenders. More often than not, however, it's the little details that will separate a car from the hundreds of others we see at the shows and races we attend, and attention to detail is just what makes the difference when we're deciding whether or not to feature a car in the magazine. One of the areas that is often overlooked during the restoration is the car's badging and emblems.
There are a couple of reasons that emblems get overlooked during a restoration. First, many of us simply don't think the emblems matter too much because they're so small. In actuality, placing dull, corroded emblems next to a shiny new paint job really distracts from the paint, and draws attention to the worst looking part of the car-the emblem. Second, the emblems are either hard to find, or they're not available for the car you're working on. Fortunately, companies like YearOne stock hundreds of both reproduction and N.O.S. emblems for many different models, and most are very reasonably priced. So if you find the emblems for your car in the YearOne catalog, you can simply order and install them. If you're like us and occasionally work on a car for which new emblems aren't available, don't worry. We'll show you how to make your existing emblems look as good as they did when your car left the factory.
Since reproduction emblems aren't very expensive, it just makes sense to purchase them if you can find them for your car. If your car is an obscure model, however, or if you just like doing things yourself, you can also refurbish the emblems in your home garage. Most emblems can simply be cleaned up, repainted, and polished to look great. If your emblems are significantly pitted or corroded, they can be rechromed as a last resort. Usually, it's better to find a clean set of emblems to start with as rechroming can be expensive. Follow along as we show you how to resurrect your old factory emblems.
Reproduction emblems are great...
Reproduction emblems are great if you can find them, but if you're driving a car that nobody reproduces emblems for, don't worry. Restoring your factory emblems is an easy job.
The first step is to remove...
The first step is to remove the emblem from the vehicle. This may require the removal of fairings or access panels (such as the splash panel shown here) to get to the emblem's fasteners.
Most emblems, like ours, are...
Most emblems, like ours, are chrome plated with the sides of the emblem painted black for contrast. Ours were covered in green overspray from a previous paint job, so we lightly used 400-grit sandpaper to remove the overspray. Be careful not to scratch the chrome surface with the sandpaper.
We used a jeweler's file ...
We used a jeweler's file to remove minor pitting and burrs from the emblem. Again, don't scratch the chrome surface of the emblem's face. If the face of the emblem is pitted or corroded, you may need to consider rechroming the emblem.
With the emblem filed and...
With the emblem filed and sanded, simply poke some holes in a piece of cardboard to hold the emblem in place for painting.
Using rattle-can paint, paint...
Using rattle-can paint, paint the entire emblem satin black. We've actually found engine spray-paint to be more durable than standard paint for this operation. Don't worry about taping off the shiny part of the emblem, just paint the whole thing.
When the paint dries completely,...
When the paint dries completely, use very fine (1,500-2,000) grit sandpaper to sand the paint from the top surface of the emblem, leaving the paint on the sides of the emblem. Just sand the paint so you can begin to see the chrome underneath; don't sand the paint completely off.
Now use very fine steel wool...
Now use very fine steel wool to finish removing the paint and give the chrome a lustrous shine. Using a little care, it's easy to remove the paint from the shiny surface of the emblem while leaving the paint on the sides.
The emblems can now be re-installed...
The emblems can now be re-installed on the car and will look much better than the faded, over-sprayed emblems we started with.