I want to paint my badges black but I'm wondering what to use to stick them back on when I'm done.

I searched and found how to take them off but nobody mentioning anything but a glue gun to put them back on. Would epoxy work?

 

Use 3M double sided tape or a glue gun, otherwise if someone was to debadge you, any thing else might strip the paint off.

 

Just an FYI for others planning on removing the badges, the rear badges DO NOT require you to remove the trunk liner. The glue is all that holds them on. The posts just slide right through. The MAZDA badge didn't even have any glue on my car... It just pulled right off. The Flying M was a bitch to remove. The glue took a lot to get loose.

I'll do the front on Friday but I'm wondering now if you even need to remove the bumper.

 

Go to an auto parts store and buy 3M trim mounting adhesive, it is the same thing that Mazda uses to mount the dang things. Besides, there are also clips on all but the RX-8 badge, three posts and two clips on two of the posts. These come off rather easy but make sure you heat the tape up to dislodge it from the body. Scrape as much as you can off the badge or use rubbing alcohol to disolve the adhesive.

Your biggest problem is painting them. The chrome is almost like teflon, it will not hold paint. You will have to sand and sand and sand them to get a surface that can be primed before painting. Nothing sticks well to the bare chrome surface of these things. I ended up making a mold of the M badge and I can paint it any color I want. I will eventually make a mold of the MAZDA and RX-8 to offer anyone who wants to have it in a different color.

For those of you who want to debadge, I am designing plugs that will be painted in the OEM colors for filling the holes eventually. They will fit in the holes from the rear and be flush with the surface. You will have to look close to see them when they are done.

 

Sounds like someone forgot to put the clips on your rear badges. The front had clips, you will need to take off the bumper to get it off and it also has the adhesive tape, double the trouble, trust me.

 

As for painting, I took some 300 grit sand paper to them until I couldn't see chrome anymore and then used Testors Primer, then 3 coats of Testors flat black, then 3 coats of Testors Gloss Clearcoat... I figured that the Testors paint is made for plastic models so it would work on these. They look great. I'm going to try and do the front today.

 

hot glue is easier to apply and tgo work with. small amount is fine. you can remove the excess with sharp blade (with heaps of care) :D
the the 3M tape, it will be spending hours cutting it to the right shape(s).

use dental floss and grease/wax remover to remove the badges.
you can use 300 grit, but i'd suggest use something smoother, like 400/500 grit and take your time, you can even use scotch bright to get the surface shine off.
then apply a couple coats of plastic primer, when its touch dry on the last coat, apply the colour you want. take your time between each coat. apply clear coats if you wish.

dont spray in a windy condition.... unless you like the sandpaper finish :D

 

Sounds like you are on the right track. Make sure you post some pics when you are finished. Did you have to take the front end off to get the front badge off like I said? Mine had the small clamps holding it on.

Here is a pic of my front end with the black M badge.

P.S. I now have a black rotary accent on the front too. I wanted to keep it simple in the color scheme, just Velocity Red and Black accents, though the eye lids are CF.

 

I just ordered new OEM badges and painted them. I didn't want to mess with re-applying 3M tape.
They come with it.

 

Yeah, I found out the hard way how hard it was to get the double sided tape to be cut into the right shapes. It probably didn't help that I used the clear stuff (A lot more gummy). I'll get to the front sometime this week but the back looks much better IMO.

 

wow cgrx your car looks really good with the black badges.

 

those black badges look awesome... i would probably do it too but am too clumsy and cant work with double sided tape (i have fat fingers muaha )