i think im gonna cry...
 

a portion of my Z emblem froze/broke off after the winter storms. i attempted to follow the instructions on previous posts for taking it off and replacing it, but this was the result:

http://i61.tinypic.com/29go8y8.jpg

the paint chipped, and whatever was used to glue it on wont come out. i tried goo gone but remnants of the plastic cement (that's what it looks and feels like) still remain.

is there anything else aside from goo gone that would take this stuff off? do i need to repaint the chip before putting on the replacement emblem that i have?

my heart weeps.

Try some dawn soap, or even some rubbing alcohol? You'll probably have to wet a paper towel and scrape it off slowly but surely with your finger nail.

You could try dr.colorchip for the chip, but if the "Z" covers it I probably would just apply the "Z" over it.

^^This. When doing stuff like that, it is better to take a little off at a time versus trying to rush it. I was in a hurry fixing a couple of rock chips on my front bumper..needless to say, I ended up having to respray the whole thing! :icon17:.

I know your pain but it could definitely be much worse than what it is. What I would do: remove the leftover glue, touch up the chip (let it dry for at least a few days) then stick on a new "z", covering as much of the chip as possible without it looking odd. Should be as good as new ;)

thanks for the advice. the Z should fit perfectly over the chip, but my concern is that somehow moisture would seep in and it will rust / spread while underneath. i'm probably just paranoid. the plan today is to go back to work on the adhesive stuff and reassess the chip. ill most order some Dr. ColorChip anyway, since i wanted to touch up a couple other places as well. will report back later....

The bumper cover is plastic/urethane and you won't have to worry about any rust on that particular part of the car. If it were a steel panel like a rear quarter, then your concern would be very valid.

whewww...great to know, thanks phunk. im soaking the adhesive for a bit and will check on it soon. i also ordered some Dr. ColorChip for some touch up work later on (its probably good to have it handy anyway).

any thoughts on putting the Z emblem over the residual glue should it not come off? the new emblem used double-sided tape, so my first thought is that i can just be able to stick it on top without it being noticeable.

:iagree: just make sure you clean it good before replacing it. I would use a quality silicone that will take to a large temperature range such as Permatex 80050 (-75F-400F continuous)

Its probably OK to put it over some of the old adhesive but you want to make sure its not going to cause it to raise up and sit uneven or it will drive you crazy.

alright, so here are the results. it was the best i could do since i tried everything all morning to get the residue off. i understand that it may not be perfect, but this is my DD and have come to the reality long ago that i cant keep it in show room condition, so im willing to deal with some imperfections. hope it turned out ok:

http://i59.tinypic.com/10shvsh.jpg

http://i61.tinypic.com/zkn12a.jpg

http://i58.tinypic.com/2lk5rmf.jpg

for future reference, They make emblem adhesive remover in an aerosol. One little squirt, and off she comes.

You could have used this as an opportunity for a well placed and bad-*** "Hello Kitty!" sticker.

You missed your chance to transform that Z from mild to wild.

Ha...true, but I didn't want to take away from the matching aluminum eyelashes my wife and I have on her mini my Z's headlights

The bottom of the Z is supposed to line up with the bottom of the numbers, but other then that, good job. I don't think anyone will notice.

op-was your car repaired (before you damaged it)? the spacing seems a bit extreme... :confused:

yeah, the spacing is not exact, but as cooltoy said, i dont think its that noticeable unless you're a Z fanatic (i.e. on this board) :)