Installing Emblems- Drilling through paint

[Carl Beck]

Yes

Carl B.

[lm71z]

Did you end up using Automotive GOOP for your hood emblem? Or did you use RTV?

[geezer]

lm71z has accepted my offer to make some templates to locate the quarter panel emblem holes. I'll make them tomorrow after picking up a mylar sheet. That in itself is a simple task, but leaves me uneasy and I would like to hear the opinions of others.

We had a previous discussion about these holes not being made at the time of the quarter panel stampings being made because of a market variance requiring a different emblem and stud mounting points. Also, replacement quarter panels did not come with the holes. This means that at some point during the cars construction and journey through the metal shop the proper holes were drilled according to the market destination. Some type of hand held locating fixtures must have been used to locate and drill the holes. Here is what worries me. It is one thing to drill holes with acceptable accuracy when there are none present, but trying to match up with holes hidden just below the surface is another matter. Do you think it would be better to make access holes and drill from the backside, or attempt to use a template made from another car???

If it was my car I would drill from the backside, to be sure of getting it right.

Edited February 15, 2009 by geezer
spelling

[lm71z]

Yeah I see what you mean. The only problem is that the holes cannot be seen from the backside because of the metal blocking that area of the quarter panels. Maybe I should just make new holes??

[Carl Beck]

Did you end up using Automotive GOOP for your hood emblem? Or did you use RTV?

During my original experience - after the Z was stripped and repainted - I mounted the new hood emblem using the steel clips. On the first highway trip - while passing an 18 wheeler - the emblem lifted and blew off at about 80 mph.

When I returned home - got another emblem - Thinking that I must have done something wrong the first time - I put the second one on more carefully, but using the same method..... da... On the next road trip the same thing happened. Double da.... What the hell was I thinking???

The third emblem - I installed using Permitex RTV. I coated the studs, and filled the holes. That was years ago - and I really can't remember if I applied extra RTV to the center of the emblem or not...

As the years passed - I started using the Automotive GOOP where stronger adhesion was required. Properly applied it is amazingly good STUFF. The 3M emblem adhesive is also very good, as is the double sided tapes. The problem with the tapes, is that they can hold the emblem too far off the surface is you have to stack too much up, or will not hold as well if you can't press them down securely. I like the GOOP because you can put a fairly large/high bead on the emblem - press it down to its proper mounting height, and wipe off the excess if any oozes out from under it.

FWIW,

Carl B.

[MikeW]

Here's a crazy idea that just might work for locating the original holes under the paint - assuming that they weren't welded shut. Find a finishing nail with a head smaller than the emblem holes. Attach a magnet to the nail and carefully touch the head of the nail to the suspected hole location. As you move the nail around you should be able to notice a decrease in attraction where the filler is. A layer of masking tape might be a good idea to protect the paint as you're sliding the nail around. If you find exactly two spots of low attraction you can feel confident about the locations, especially if the distance between them matches your new emblems.

[geezer]

lm71z - PM me your mailing address so I can send the templates.

All I ask is that you keep them and pass them on to whoever may need them next.