Faded Toyota badge! Anybody got any good remedies to bring this back to new or like new!?
Faded Toyota badge! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter WoolCruiser
- Start date
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CharlieS
GOLD Star
Never tried it, but one of those headlight polishing kits with a clearcoat would probably work.
I've used maguires PlastiX on motorcycle helmet shields with success, and might try that.
I'd probably make darn sure that isn't just dirty, starting with water and working my way up through some progressively aggressive solvents before doing anything invasive like buffing/sanding operations.
TBH, I was expecting them to be cheap... But I looked it up for my '16 (53141-71010) it is over $300. Why?
I've used maguires PlastiX on motorcycle helmet shields with success, and might try that.
I'd probably make darn sure that isn't just dirty, starting with water and working my way up through some progressively aggressive solvents before doing anything invasive like buffing/sanding operations.
TBH, I was expecting them to be cheap... But I looked it up for my '16 (53141-71010) it is over $300. Why?
I think the radar stuff is in that badge for 16+ year models.
CharlieS
GOLD Star
Good call! I must be confusing it with my former '13 (I think that was attached to a vertical radiator support). Thanks!
Clay bar? I always thought they were just for getting bugs off the paint but I used one on my convex blind spot mirrors which were starting to get black spots and they're almost as good as new now
- Thread starter
- #6
Thanks! Yeah it’s not just dirty. I have been experiencing this for about a year and a half. I want to say I tried the headlight cleaner and this is where it ended six months later. But I may need to try a different one, maybe with a polishing pads.
well I’ve got a clay bar so I’ll give that a try thanks! And mines a 2013 by the way.
Having replaced my grill, I have some insight into the badge + radar. They are separate. The radar is mounted to the grille behind the badge, easily removable with a few screws. The Toyota badge is just plastic and stays in place against the grille with some plastic clips and metal pinch-washers (not sure what they're actually called). It's pretty crazy that the badge by itself costs $300, because there's only a couple $ worth of plastic there. You can find them on ebay (usually with broken plastic clips or broken plastic pillars that the pinch-washers are supposed to cling to).
I had the same issue with mine. I buffed it out with PlastiX and then wipe 303 on it after every wash. It's WAY better.
Wetsand with 800 grit and apply 2k clearcoat or wetsand building up to 3000 grit, polish, and then apply PPF. Really only the permanent fixes aside from replacing the emblem. Unless thats actual dirt claying won't do anything.
Yeah . Those 3m headlight kits work well. Be patient and try to get a good sanding done on each level of paper/grit before getting to the clear coat finale
- Thread starter
- #11
Good stuff, do you have a ppf you recommend?
Personally, I‘d avoid any PP film. I know (from experience) if the badge gets covered in light snow or significant road grime the radar cruise and braking features are disabled until it’s cleaned off. I would suspect film would just increase the sensitivity to that occurring. If it were me, I’d use a 3M headlight kit and a DA polisher with plastic polishing compound, then seal it with the acrylic used in headlight restoration kits. I’ve have great luck with that on plastic parts.
- Thread starter
- #14
That’s kind of what I was hoping for! But all the ones I found on eBay are 7 1/2 inches in width and -6 1/2.
Did you say you found some T emblems that are 6 1/2” wide on eBay or did you mean less then 6 1/2”. I’m looking for one 6.5” to swap over on my LX but the one I purchased for a LC ended up being 7.5” and I don’t see sizes on any of the emblems offered on EBay.
- Thread starter
- #17
