Has anyone restored 80-81 emblems before. I got my car painted yesterday morning, and getting ready to put the stuff back on it, till I noticed the emblems. The clear coating over them is cracked and and is turning white from being in the sun over the years. Is there anyway to buy just the clear plastic pieces? The emblem itself doesn't need painting, it's just mainly the clear pieces that need attention. It's a shame GM D.C. the 81 nose emblem :( Would I just be better off to buy an 80 nose emblem, and paint the chrome black?

 

you can do that, or go to an older emblem, or something i toyed with, was to paint the flags on the nose and not worry about the plastic

 

Doc Rebuild has NOS front crossed flag emblems for 1981 for $39.00. Prices may have changed since the catalog was printed, call for current price.

George

 

I just joined this forum and I just had this problem. My plastic was not as far gone as yours, but the treatment might work. I wet sanded the clear plastic. The white fog is UV damage, and it is usually confined to the surface. I started with 1000 grit and when the fog started to lift I went to 2000 grit. It looked pretty good when wet so I used a real fine liquid buffing compound and buffed the embelms up with a rag. I had some suggestions from the detail guy at the bodyshop where all the parts that used to be my car are. But an old WWII B-29 guy told me you can use Bon Ami cleanser and toothpaste as a final polish on plexiglass and that works too. I learned this technique when I grabbed a blue and white can of glass cleaner off of the bench to clean my tach-speedo lens...only to find out what I sprayed was Aircraft Stripper. But it cleaned up OK. Had to start with 220 grit on that one.

So if the de-polymerized white fog polishes off (it has been protecting the paint underneath) bodyshops and their suppliers have new double sided stickem stuff. You clean out the old stuff and cut some new stuff to fit. BTW...I noticed that the 1981 emblem was a 1980 painted black. If you scratch the paint on the "V" it's chrome underneath. It is not the $39.00. It's the challenge. Good luck.

 

Sounds like a good tip to me! :cheers:


[Modified by Markm10431, 11:24 AM 8/13/2002]

 

The '80 emblems painted black will do fine. If you look at the 80 & 81 emblems together the 80 emblem is slightly larger, not a problem except to those "vette freaks" I have run into and noticed the front emblem was a painted 80 and not an 81.

I wish with my emblems I had that problem of UV whiting. My red flag on both emblems either "peeled off" or someone really wanted them from my driveway. :confused:

 

I've successfully used the 3M line of plastic refinisher and restorer products on plastic lenses for my C3 and C4. It removes hazes, fine scratches and restores the clear finish to the surface. My backup lenses on my C4 were hopelessly cloudy, enough that I bought a replacement pair. But once I had difficulty removing the old ones I figured I'd just try the restorer with the lenses in place. It worked fabulously! I was amazed. :yesnod: I bought the 2 bottles of stuff at the boating supply shop WestMarine. ~Juliet

 

I used that stuff once to get off the fog that ArmorAll leaves on clear plastic. I didn't know where it came from or what it was called. The stuff is magic. West Marine huh? Thanks

 

If you try the tooth paste trick use Ultra Brite barns. The clear gels have too much sugar in them. The pumice in the paste is what you want to cut the UV damaged plastic. Jim

 

Just looked on ebay for a 81 emblem new/used and actually found one used, but I don't think I'll be buying it anytime soon...cause I'm not paying $75 for one. Is this guy crazy?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=1850687717