How to Remove Emblems From Old Car Doors

Emblems on old car doors are symbols of the car, and were designed to be stylish at the time the vehicle was built. Over time, however, emblems can chip, fade or just not look right anymore. Most emblems are held on with either a rubber compound or an adhesive, and the backing adheres to the paint. If you don't want the emblem on your old car door, learn how to remove it with these easy steps.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Heat gun or hair dryer Waxed dental floss Goo-Gone adhesive remover (or other adhesive remover of your choice) Clean rag

1. Turn on the heat gun and begin heating the edges of the emblem you want to remove. Work the heat gun back and forth over the edges until the underlying adhesive starts to become tacky.

2. Slide the dental floss against the body of the car and work it behind the emblem by sliding the floss up and down (or back and forth) in a "sawing" motion.

3. Gently pull the floss towards you once you have worked the floss under the emblem. Lift hard enough to begin to separate the emblem from the car, but do not apply excessive force or you may pry the emblem off too quickly and damage the car's paint in the process.

4. Continue working the floss under the emblem area that you just heated until the underlying adhesive begins to dry. Do not allow the adhesive to re-bond the emblem to the car door.

5. Continue heating areas of the emblem until the adhesive becomes tacky, and continue to work the dental floss under the emblem until you have completely separated the emblem from the old car door.

6. Place a liberal amount of "goo-gone" adhesive remover to a clean rag and work it into the area where the emblem was to remove any remaining residue.

References

• "Chilton's Auto Body Repair: Step-by-Step Auto Body Repair Procedures"; Thomas A. Mellon, A.S.E., S.A.E.; 1990