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So I found a front and rear ( nose and fuel door ) flag emblems NOS in the gm boxes . And they look great . But , there is always a butt . The red field background color is two different shades of red . Is this normally the case ? Has anyone else every notice this ? These have been in boxes indoors for almost 40 years so they are not sun faded.
It's not a big difference , and once installed I am sure no one could ever tell . But they are different side by side .
The reds used on GM emblems, often seemed to vary once they became service replacement parts. I don't know if it was a supplier thing, or a matter of using a red from a different year to save time and money in the painting process, or some other reason. When it came to service replacement parts, GM didn't worry to much about things like that, their main priority was usually if it fit and nothing else.
The reds used on GM emblems, often seemed to vary once they became service replacement parts. I don't know if it was a supplier thing, or a matter of using a red from a different year to save time and money in the painting process, or some other reason. When it came to service replacement parts, GM didn't worry to much about things like that, their main priority was usually if it fit and nothing else.
1980 . I should have said the in original post . I thought maybe different suppilers are to blame . Maybe I will try to find one or the other to match one or the other .
Is the affixment tape with red peel-off film on the back of the emblem?
GM did have basic emblem service part quality standards and I understand that the emblem supplier "rejects" were not completed by adding the tape - although, they anded up in the market; probably, sold out the supplier's back door as is still an issue today with some OE suppliers despite being VERY clearly prohibited in the tier 1 /tier 2 OEM-supplier agreements (especially Ford suppliers).
Even if it has its tape installed I agree with others that the paint quality of the nose and filler cap emblems is hit or miss. I bought and sent back three before finally receiving one that was acceptable and its still a far cry from today's quality standards. I suspect there was a process inconsistency in whatever manual/human paint application step there was. I met a guy who said his Dad worked for a GM supplier and had a "large box" of the vintage rejected C3 emblems and was selling them individually as "Genuine GB" on eBay, albeit without the tape which is a warning sign.
Info only
So the nose emblem had tape , the gas tank door emblem did not . I am presently looking for a match . Although motor is not in yet I will be on the hunt .
[QUOTE=OBX C3;1598945263]So the nose emblem had tape , the gas tank door emblem did not . I am presently looking for a match . Although motor is not in yet I will be on the hunt
Yes - only the nose emblem uses affixment tape, not the filler cap emblem.
In looking at the comparison pics, I'm surprised at the degree of lightness on the new one compared to the OE that has been in the sun during its life. Still, not a show stopper.
Quote
Yes - only the nose emblem uses affixment tape, not the filler cap emblem.
In looking at the comparison pics, I'm surprised at the degree of lightness on the new one compared to the OE that has been in the sun during its life. Still, not a show stopper.[/QUOTE]
Both of these are NOS .
I also just purchased emblems for a repaint. A couple are NOS. But all said 'dark red'. I should be receiving them soon. I'll take a pic and post.
That color difference would bug me for sure
Just my $0.02 but while there is always a chance of finding a perfect match I think it would be faster and easier to go to a local automotive paint store and have them match the color of the emblem you want it to be ! Once you have that ask them to sell you a spray can of a product called Bulldog ! Tape off the flag section and spray the Bulldog, this will make the paint stick ! Then spray your color !
After spraying color then you take a soft cloth with a small amount of reducer an a corner and lightly wipe the paint off off all the chrome allowing the chrome to dry each time you wipe it !
It takes a little time and patience and if you touch it where you don't want you just spay again till you get it right!
Best to start in the center and work to the outsides !
Because I do stuff like this all the time this would only take me about 15 minutes so you have an idea of the time frame involved!
Good luck with your project!
Just my $0.02 but while there is always a chance of finding a perfect match I think it would be faster and easier to go to a local automotive paint store and have them match the color of the emblem you want it to be ! Once you have that ask them to sell you a spray can of a product called Bulldog ! Tape off the flag section and spray the Bulldog, this will make the paint stick ! Then spray your color !
After spraying color then you take a soft cloth with a small amount of reducer an a corner and lightly wipe the paint off off all the chrome allowing the chrome to dry each time you wipe it !
It takes a little time and patience and if you touch it where you don't want you just spay again till you get it right!
Best to start in the center and work to the outsides !
Because I do stuff like this all the time this would only take me about 15 minutes so you have an idea of the time frame involved!
Good luck with your project!
That is a great idea. But I don't know how an auto paint supplier would match the color, (there is not enough space to put a colorimeter on the part). I think he'd point you at all his color books and say " Here you go, pick a color."
My emblems arrived today. Here is a picture of them. They all match pretty much perfectly.
I'm so use to going to my paint supplier and asking for spot matches that I forget a lot of them will do just that!
They point at the book and say choose a color !
For me because I've been with them for so long they will work on it when they have spare time as long as I'm not in a hurry and do a custom match !
Another suggestion I can offer is using the model car paints ! They come in small bottles , they're cheap , and enamel based so you can bake them in the wife's oven as long as you don't tell her !!
There's another thread on right now that shows how good they can look with the Testors paints !
Looks like yours will look great on your car Skeetshooter , I've got a set that are identical to them !
Is the affixment tape with red peel-off film on the back of the emblem?
GM did have basic emblem service part quality standards and I understand that the emblem supplier "rejects" were not completed by adding the tape - although, they anded up in the market; probably, sold out the supplier's back door as is still an issue today with some OE suppliers despite being VERY clearly prohibited in the tier 1 /tier 2 OEM-supplier agreements (especially Ford suppliers).
Even if it has its tape installed I agree with others that the paint quality of the nose and filler cap emblems is hit or miss. I bought and sent back three before finally receiving one that was acceptable and its still a far cry from today's quality standards. I suspect there was a process inconsistency in whatever manual/human paint application step there was. I met a guy who said his Dad worked for a GM supplier and had a "large box" of the vintage rejected C3 emblems and was selling them individually as "Genuine GB" on eBay, albeit without the tape which is a warning sign.
Info only
Not to wander too far afield here; but to your point about the OEMs prohibition of reject parts finding their way into the market, the current IATF 16949 requires any contained parts to be rendered unusable before they can leave the facility. One of the responsibilities of the MRB is to cut a vital attachment (for example the balljoint hoop on a control arm) off every reject, even when those rejects are going to our own facility to be remelted.
Well what a saga these emblems are becoming! I very nice member sent a private message telling me that in the picture I posted 3 of the 4 emblems have white corner checkers while the rear gas door emblem has black checkers. The black checkers in the right corners is the correct one for my car. I looked at a few pictures of my car and the originals are black corners. I'll be sending the other 3 back and getting the correct ones. Now, no one seems to make the front hood emblem with the black corner checkers. I'll end up painting the right checkering on the front. Another quandary I put myself in is I am waiting on seat covers. I asked for the emblem to be embroidered on the tops and sent them a picture. Well the picture I sent was the wrong style UGH!! I called the vender and asked to send me a picture of the covers since they were done but not shipped. Much to my delight they didn't follow the picture I sent and actually did embroider the correct black corner flag. I'll need to do a better job of investigating before buying things.
Last edited by Skeetshooter; Mar 2, 2019 at 10:33 AM.
Reason: spelling
Well I had a chance to go digging around again in the same old dealership warehouse . And I found myself a matching color gas tank emblem. So for me the saga is over . But now what to do with the maroon one . Wall art ?
Well I had a chance to go digging around again in the same old dealership warehouse . And I found myself a matching color gas tank emblem. So for me the saga is over . But now what to do with the maroon one . Wall art ?
Two quick things.
1.) Thanks for following up and remember to click the "thanks" button if you happen to think of it for the other folks who helped you on the forum. And, obviously do the same for others as you share your experiences/learnings.
2.) Your car in the avatar is gorgeous (you ought to take a pic by itself). I admire yellow on all C3's, but there's something or other uniquely different about the `80-`81 yellow - it just pops.
Emblems
