I got the "PONTIAC" emblem for the rear of my car from The Fiero Store. I was able to knock off most of the old "PONTIAC" emblem with a plastic spatula, and some careful razor blade work. However, I'm left with this yellowish glue residue (at least I think it is a residue):
The emblem seems to have an adhesive backing, but before I install it,I'd like to clean up as much of the residue as possible. Can anyone recommend something to clean it off? I was considering baking soda, or mineral spirits, though those might be harsh.
I just want to make sure that the adhesive on the new emblem sticks.
Thanks, in advance,
[This message has been edited by gjgpff (edited 07-18-2020).]
We use 3M adhesive remover to clean off the old adhesive residue. Works great but sometimes requires a couple of applications. The best part is that will not harm the paint.
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[This message has been edited by Dennis LaGrua (edited 07-18-2020).]
I got some 3M Advanced Adhesive Remover at Autozone for $15.99. I'm waiting til this evening to avoid applying in full sunlight, the instructions seem to suggest that you may need to keep the surface wet for several minutes with reapplications in order to have the full effect. I'll post pics.
Goof Off and WD-40 have already been tried. The Goof Off did get some of the residue off, the WD-40 was tried afterwards didn't appear to have any effect. Neither did the Baking Soda toothpaste!
I got the "PONTIAC" emblem for the rear of my car from The Fiero Store.
I think you'll find that the "chrome" on the face of that PONTIAC emblem will be coming off easier than the residue you're trying to remove. That was my experience with this Fiero Store emblem anyway. Had to repaint the letters with silver paint within two years.
I think you'll find that the "chrome" on the face of that PONTIAC emblem will be coming off easier than the residue you're trying to remove. That was my experience with this Fiero Store emblem anyway. Had to repaint the letters with silver paint within two years.
Don't say that! Yeah, aftermarket emblems almost never hold up. I suspect the quarter panel Pontiac arrowhead emblems will also fail/fade fairly quickly. Anyways, regardless of how the adhesive remover works, I'm sticking the damn embem on tonight!
So, I went at it with the 3M Adhesive remover for about an hour this evening, with no obvious improvement. It may be that, after 32 years, the fascia is discolored by the adhesive, and this kind of thing is most visible on white cars. Hard to know. Anyway, here's what it looked like after an hour of spraying and wiping, including a 10 minute period of just keeping the area wet with the remover, per the instructions. Given that the discoloration is completely hidden by the new emblem, this is just academic. Here's what it looked like after an hour, hardly different from before, if at all:
Here's what I used along with the new, destined to fade too soon, emblem:
Patrick, did the silver painting last a lot longer? I hope so. Did you have a specific technique to it?
[This message has been edited by gjgpff (edited 07-19-2020).]
Patrick, did the silver painting last a lot longer? I hope so. Did you have a specific technique to it?
When the "chrome" disappeared within two years (and the emblem became completely black), I used a relatively small brush and painted the top "face" of each letter by hand, probably a couple of coats. I'll double-check tomorrow as to the paint I used, but it was the same stuff I used to paint the rockers silver (using a roller) on my Formula. I'd say it's been on there 4-5 years now, and it's held up very well.
[EDIT] This is what I used... Armor Coat Rust Paint, Aluminum color. No primer required. Yes, I know it's marketed as for use on metal, but I've used on plastic rockers and body panels... and emblems... and it works great. If you don't have this brand where you are, other "rust" paints would probably work as well.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 07-19-2020).]
If you want to save the chrome for as long as possible, you could have sprayed it with a urethane clearcoat. And I don't mean standard spray paint can. Spraymax makes a true, 2 part spray paint style clearcoat. Once activated, you have 24 hours to spray it or it hardens in the can. Or, if you have an airbrush, you could do the same with automotive clearcoat.
[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 07-19-2020).]
If you want to save the chrome for as long as possible, you could have sprayed it with a urethane clearcoat. And I don't mean standard spray paint can. Spraymax makes a true, 2 part spray paint style clearcoat. Once activated, you have 24 hours to spray it or it hardens in the can. Or, if you have an airbrush, you could do the same with automotive clearcoat.
Damn, that's a lot of trouble for small emblem! And to be honest, I would've thought this should've been done to the emblems at the place of manufacture.
Ah, progress is always too late for some. I will give the Pontiac arrows on the rear sail panels the clearcoat treatment though, so I'll save in the long run! This is really great information, I hope it saves other poor Fiero owners!
That was my experience with this Fiero Store emblem anyway. Had to repaint the letters with silver paint within two years.
Yeah, aftermarket emblems almost never hold up. I suspect the quarter panel Pontiac arrowhead emblems will also fail/fade fairly quickly. Anyways, regardless of how the adhesive remover works, I'm sticking the damn embem on tonight!
And to be honest, I would've thought this should've been done to the emblems at the place of manufacture.
