Well, guys and gals and children of all ages...
The mission to REBADGE has been a success!
Allow me to extrapolate for awhile.
After receiving great posts from the TS Group, I realized that no one had replied with the definitive answer that I needed. So I set out on my own. This is what defines TS, so I thought I'd put my 2-bits in.
I was concerned about the splooge that would come out from behind the reapplied badge if I used some sort of adhesive from a tube. How do I deal with that? I researched 3M adhesives on the Internet and was just deluged. I did all the Google stuff searches: "reattach badge," "attach molding," "emblems" and never found anyone or any topic concerning rebadging a vehicle.
I decided to call a local auto parts store here in Elmtown, USA, and got two different leads on solving my problem. The guy on the phone recommended a windshield sealer or double-stick tape.
" Oh, yeah. People use this a lot to reattach their badges." Gasp! I'm not the only one!
I made it to the place just before they closed.
I brought into the store one of my refurbished, altered and cleaned TUNDRA badges, and one debadged Toyota-TUNDRA badges with the old goo-goo still intact on the underside. I told him I wanted to reattach the clean badge and needed a good adhesive. Either 3M tape or some 3M Sploogie Glue.
He came back with a roll of 3M "Scotch Mount - Super Strength Molding tape" (part # 03614). Half inch by fifteen feet by about a millimeter thick. He said that this will do the trick. $Six Fifty.
I got it back to my garage and opened up the plastic pak. I hacked off about a half-inch of this tape and...GASP! IT'S THE SAME STUFF I TOOK OFF WHEN I DEBADGED!!
I took the little piece of tape and examined it. It had the same strong, sticky, boogery consistency that the adhesive had when I took the badges off in the first place.
I proceeded to follow the directions and cleaned the "new" parts with tar remover and then rinsed them with isopropyl alcohol. Did the same to the truck where the badges would be ultimately mounted.
Then came the painstaking task of applying the tape to the badge and trimming the excess with an Exacto knife. It took about an hour and a half, but it got done. Next, I measured where I wanted the new badges to go on the truck. 4" down and 1 5/8" off the stake pocket. I made small marks on the paint with a pencil. Then peeled the tape and carefully placed the badge and pressed without making any dents. Did this on both sides.
Soooweeeeet! (cue Mormon Tabernacle Choir here in the "Alleluia Chorus". Aaaah-ley-lu-ya! Oh, shut up.)
Earlier today I printed out how to post pictures on TS and will hopefully take some pix of my Tundra tomorrow and post them for all to see.
I hope this experience is worth saving.
I have to go now because my mouth hurts from smiling so much.
Pffft!
Yorz drooley,
Grabo
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