Emblem install help paint problems
 

Hey so super excited to get my birthday present today ....fender emblems for our 1957 gmc! But needing advice The previous owner was converting to a chevy and so he bondoed and painted over the holes. Curious if you have advice to open thethem up. Figured i would just start with a little drill bit and see what happens but unfamiliar with paint and worried I'll make a cracked mess
Thanks

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

What about putting double sided tape on the emblem and attaching it that way. That way you won't have to drill any holes

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

^^^ That's what I would do with fresh paint^^^

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

X3 on the 3m tape....
Or drill out the holes if you can find them....some tape where the holes are might help keep the paint from chipping....some touch up paint in the little bottles may help prevent future rust in the holes....

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

I don't know, tape doesn't sound like a very good method to me. Maybe to temporarily install to see how they look, but then a chance of making a mess....When I installed my hood ornament on my '55 I gave it some thought for a while and decided to put it on. My holes had been welded shut by a PO. I used a Dremel tool with a pointed stone to open the holes up from the back side. If your holes are bondo'ed he may have put a backing piece behind or not. Take a look at the back and see what gives.

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

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Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

3M double sided tape is what all the auto manufactures use to mount all the emblems on new cars and trucks for decades.

As long as the surface is clean and prepped the parts will stay on for decades.

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

Thanks so much I appreciate the help. So they didn't do an amazing job I'll attach a photo of some of the holes. Th e photo is from the mirror holes So as you can see I I can see where they are they didn't do a great job and there's like Bondo snakes coming out the backside. So I figure from your suggestions I'll take the front and maybe come from the backside? Plus I have to figure this out anyways because they did the same thing to my rearview mirror holes and im pretty sure I'm not taping those bad boys on haha. But if I don't like how the 1st hole goes 3m tape sounds awesome for at least the emblems hadnt thought of that
Thanks so much for the advice I'll keep you posted. You all are awesome

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

Bondo snakes.... Ha Ha Ha Good luck with your pretty blue GMC!:lol:

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

Bondo is not a hole filler and will fail as such. Moisture is it's enemy and your starting to see the effects. Clean it out of the holes to help stop the failure. Once the holes are back to clean as can get metal, paint the exposed areas to prevent further deterioration.
Good thing you have the emblems to cover the holes, otherwise you'd be welding them up and painting.

Emblem tape is a fantastic product but not an option in your case.

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

Is that because of the weight of these old emblems? I know these older emblems are a lot heavier than the plastic emblems.

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

Let me make something perfectly clear, you could put a friggin fender on with todays two sided tape and that is NOT an exaggeration!

The thing is the substrate it's going on would need to be as strong as the tape. So peeling paint is not an option to stick it on! The paint on that fender where she is holding the measuring tape doesn't look very good! A big emblem like that may not hang on simply because of the paint failing, NOT the tape.

Besides, it really depends on the backside of the emblem, if it has a big recess in it, how can tape be applied? There are lots of old emblems that simply couldn't be taped on because of the recess in the back, it's not solid 3/8"-1/2" thick pot metal, it's hollowed out and thus can't be taped on.

But I think this is all a moot point being the holes are sitting right there! Knock the bondo out with a friggin ball point pen and bolt the emblem on as it was a the factory and roll down the road with a smile on your face.

Brian

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

Exactly what Brian said.

Any holes filled with bondo will fail as you are seeing in your truck. Some lazy ass didn't weld them up and took a cheap and innefective shortcut that will inevitably fail.

Again, bondo is not designed to close off holes.

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

Well didn't go quite as planned as soon as we started messing with the Bondo they kinda just pooped out. Thankfully not horribly. Now I guess just clean the edges and seal like someone suggested for rust? The holes for the mirrors are harder to find and haven't failed yet so will probably have to try the drilling method.

I knew they did a lazy mans job on the truck but it was the cleanest best thing we could find at the time and so we have some interesting adventures ahead haha

Thanks again for the advice. On a positive note since the holes popped out so easy we had some time and also got the old fuel tank pulled and my daughter cleaned the headliner. Awesome day of progress and memories

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

Excellent results!
Take some paint and touch up any bare steel you might have or even some seam sealer wouldn't hurt either.

I would avoid drilling if at all possible. The bondo is soft, and like Brian said, a ball point pen should be a good tool for popping it lose. The mirror mounts should be easy to see if they didn't weld them shut. Use a flashlight in a dark room, the different angles of the light might show a ghosting of those holes. You just need to find one of the three to get started.

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

Your daughter is darling! Yep, life treasure time there!

You may get a kick out this.

https://www.hotrodders.com/forum/exa...ng-151203.html

Brian

Re: Emblem install help paint problems
 

Martinsr that is awesome thank for sharing! Thats awesome! Yeah wish I would have had my dad teach me all these years but I'm trying to learn a few things now. Haha. My daughter looks to be on a better track though with our project 😁

Well here she is showing off her gmc glory. Thanks again for the advice!