Hey 93jetjockey! Would you care to tell me how you took the old emblems off after you took off the nuts? I have been wanting to change out my emblems but didn't know the best way to take the old ones off without scratching the paint. If you use a heat gun will there still be adhesive left on the paint? If so how do you get that off? Thanks in advance!

 

I did manage to remove the emblem today and it is a 10MM pal nut. As usual, even though I put tape on the socket, one fell into the black hole. Off to the hardware store tomorrow it's just started to rain.

 

Absolutely... I followed the service manual procedures except I made some substitutions.

Remove the two nuts. (If your doing the hood emblem use a deep well 10mm socket and if you have clay barred your car before and have some laying around stuff some in the socket to hold the nut so it don't drop. A pen type magnet is helpful if you don't have something sticky to grab the nut.)

It says heat with a heat gun but I substituted a hair dryer. I did the gas door first. Start heating it up. The rings will heat up the fastest and then use your finger/fingernail to start lifting up on it while fanning it with the heat source. It gets pretty hot so your like touching it quickly and giving it a pry up then letting go. Now you don't way over heat it by holding the source steady you move it back and forth. They will eventually pop free. Then start working on the bowtie ends. I started on one side, heating all edges and start prying again with my finger. As you get it started coming free, I moved then to the other side and worked on it some. Once I got the edges free I could direct heat for a moment or two while lifting the edge. It will start to come free and as it does it kind of hang up a little by the offset pins. You'll get the feel of it before you do the hood. It will leave some of the sticky tape behind and lots of crud and dirt.

Use the a cleaner to remove the remaining stuff on there, I substituted 3M Adhesive Cleaner for Naptha. I had the 3M Adhesive Cleaner from doing the weatherstrips. It disolves adhesives without harming the finish. It does take the wax off but thats it.

DO NOT SCRAP AT THE REMAINING MATERIAL THERE. You will take the paint right off no matter what you use, as the paint is warm and softer. Just spray it several times over and over with the cleaner wiping with a soft cloth. Much of it will roll free, some are stubborn spots and require a little more attention.

After its clean I recommend using a finish paint cleaner such as 3M Swirl Mark Remover or a good cleaner wax and buff up the area. Then I applied a coat of Zaino and buffed it dry.

To install, its pretty straight forward remove the protective tape align it up and push it down. Then go to the underside and start and tighten the two nuts. Only lightly tighten them.Your cutting the threads into a solid piece of plastic post. On both of mine when I started peeling the protective tape off it has a tab of excess and on the bow tie edges it started to pull the new sticky tape free, so I used my finger nail to hold the very exposed edge and real slow are carefully remove the protective tape. Since both of my new one's were like that I figured I would mention that.

The new ones may not completely stick initially, like you'll feel the center stick and release as you press down on it. No problem just put it in the sun for a couple hours and it will adhere itself.

Good luck.

 

I just put new ones on my '85.......MAN, what a difference!!

 

Thank you 93JetJockey!

 

Glad to help.

 

i took some measurements from my gas door emblem, and my hood emblem, and they seem to be the same, if i may ask what do you plan on doing with the old emblems?

 

I have a cork board in the garage that I pin up small Vette parts like bushings and different size fasteners in the bags, so I hung them there with stick pins.

 

Ok, went to the hardware store and could not find the correct nuts for the emblem. So I went to a GM dealer and asked the parts man if he had pal nuts. He said no. mine are just the regular kind. OK, I showed him what I wanted and he gave me four, for free. THe old emblem did come off without any problem. You don't realize how worn the old one was until you get a new one.

 

Kewl, I agree it did make a difference.