Badge Fitting Advice

[SAFC Demon]

My Octy has been in the bodyshop this week for a repair of a dent on the boot lid lip that i did about 18 months ago and never got round to doing anything about

The dent itself was right under the Octavia word badge, although the badge itself wasn't damaged - here's a pic i took at the time

Anyway, the bodyshop that did the job was one of these independent crash repair places - Just Car Clinic in Durham. and they've done a great job on the bodywork repair but then they made an absolute hash of putting the badges back on - firstly they put the Octavia AND the MPi badge both on the same side, and second, they were rather crooked.

I voiced my displeasure asked them why they didn't use a reference or take a photo before they started, and i even went out and took a pic of a similar octavia in a car park to show the badge position so they could correct it

They took the badges back off and refitted them and they are now in the right place, and better, but the individual letters still aren't quite straight, and its pretty obvious that the badges have been off and replaced, and it just makes me think its obvious that its had some body work repairs. i think the badges themselves have suffered a bit for being on and off and on and off and on again too

anyway, i figured that i could keep rejecting it and the garage would keep trying to bodge it and never make it any better, so i decided to let it go, get it home and do the job properly myself.

So now i have two questions

1) how do i get the badges back off again safely without damaging the body work (i wish i'd told the garage just to leave them off)

2) can i get a template or guide for fitting the individual letters nicely lined up?

[Pete T]

The individual letters come pre-spaced on a backing sheet. Removing and replacing will already have been to the detriment of the adhesive.

I hate to say it but IMHO you need a new badge, at least that way they'll be lined up, spaced correctly and stuck for good.

[silver1011]

Easy peasy, you can just heat up the badges with the wife's hairdryer (don't let the neighbours see you!) and pull them off by getting your finger nail behind each letter.

On older badges that have been in place for a few years you often need some dental floss or fishing line to break the bond between the badge and the adhesive/foam backing.

When you buy a new badge it comes in a template so you can't get the letters wonky, unless you take them off and reapply (which the bodyshop has done).

The problem is now if you take the badges off you'll be in the same position, without the template. The template allows you to apply all the letters at once.

The only way to get this done right is to buy some new badges (£15 +VAT each!).

I'd be going back to the bodyshop!

Here is the template, remove the backing, apply to the boot lid and remove the front cover...

Edited 1 March, 2013 by silver1011

[Pete T]

Oh I forgot, to remove, heat them up with a hairdryer and peel off, you may need some fishing line or dental floss to help.

[SAFC Demon]

no problem at all buying a new badge if thats what it takes, if it comes nicely spaced out and ready that sounds like a plan to me, thanks

[Pete T]

As Silver says, get the bodyshop to supply the new badge, their **** up....

[SAFC Demon]

i might get out with the hairdryer tomorrow morning then, they were only put on today, so they should be quick to get off i hope

new badge it is, and problem solved. i probably need to buy a new Mpi one too then

[Pete T]

You might find they've fallen off by the morning anyway lol

[silver1011]

Poor show really, I admire your patience but I wouldn't be letting the garage off as lightly as you.

Not taking a quick phone picture of the badge location prior to removal is bad, in their line of work you'd think they'd have a fair idea by now! Even a 30 second 'Google Image' search would have revealed their exact location.

At £15 per side plus 20% VAT I'd be back down the road asking for two new badges!

[SAFC Demon]

you're right, it is a poor show, i was mighty suprised they didn't take a reference photo at least, at the end of the day it sounds like they should have just got new badges in the first place instead of trying to save the old ones, and if they'd have done that it would have no doubt have been added on my bill - they didn't include replacement badges in the quote, so if i take it back or do it myself, its still going to cost me, so its a lesson learnt, and if i fix it myself, i know its done right

[SAFC Demon]

and as for 20 quid a side, i think i'll replace the Octavia badge, but just take the MPi badge off and leave it off, no need to advertise a crap engined model

[Pete T]

Have a look how you like it without the badges for a few days, you'd not be the first to debadge......

[FriendlyFire]

There are several videos on YouTube showing the manufacturing of the Octavia. In at least one there is footage of a worker putting the badges on. Seems to involve a roller to the letters to ensure they are stuck.

Hth

[SAFC Demon]

no badges would suit me fine, i'm just thinking of this time next year when its time to trade it in

[Stormchaser]

I think they look nice de-badged

[SAFC Demon]

here it is dent and badge free, at least for the time being, i'll probably invest in a new octy badge at some point, but its fine as is for now