Debadge and Lift Handle Questions.

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deafanddiabetic
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Joined: Tue May 12, 2015 5:30 am

Debadge and Lift Handle Questions.

Post by deafanddiabetic »

I've dug through a few posts but can't quite find a solid answer.

I have a 2008 Vibe, are there holes under my Arrowhead or can I take it off without issue?

My other question is the Pontiac pressed into the grey lift hatch handle, has anybody made a custom one or somehow "debadged" that area too? I'd love to see an example or figure out how to entirely replace it.

Thanks for everything!
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vibenvy
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Re: Debadge and Lift Handle Questions.

Post by vibenvy »

For the arrowhead, are you referring to the one on the front bumper cover or the one on the hatch? I’m not super familiar with the 1st gens, but I believe the one on the front bumper cover does have holes under it, but the one on the hatch does not and is only held on with double sided tape.

As far as the Pontiac indentation on the hatch, the only thing I’ve really seen anyone do with it is add an inlay from Grafx Werks.
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2009 Liquid Platinum Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
2009 Steel Blue Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
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ctgottapee
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Re: Debadge and Lift Handle Questions.

Post by ctgottapee »

deafanddiabetic wrote:I've dug through a few posts but can't quite find a solid answer.

I have a 2008 Vibe, are there holes under my Arrowhead or can I take it off without issue?

My other question is the Pontiac pressed into the grey lift hatch handle, has anybody made a custom one or somehow "debadged" that area too? I'd love to see an example or figure out how to entirely replace it.

Thanks for everything!
The best way to de-badge and indent like that is to use the bondo top putty (not bondo but a topping); then wet sand the whole thing.
Then you paint over; if you don't want or can't get a paint match or paint well, then you paint in the molding color, like a black rubber.
You might be able to find a chrome cover made for the handle - or buy a larger blank template - and use that over it, and paint it if you like.

I haven't seen it for sure, but the back is metal so there won't be holes behind it.
The front would still have a pontiac indentation even if it doesn't have a hole(s) behind it. You could google for replacement bumper pics, which will show it without the emblem, grills, etc if they are actual.
deafanddiabetic
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Re: Debadge and Lift Handle Questions.

Post by deafanddiabetic »

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I did do the debadge this weekend and it went beautifully, no holes on the 1st gen rear Arrowhead.

BUT, my right side has a glue mold of the "vibe" word that I cannot get off. The badge itself came off but there's a layer of really thick, hard glue underneath that Goo-Gone and Acetone did not take off. I'll post a picture later, it almost looks like someone painted over an existing decal or something.

ctgottapee, that's an awesome suggestion. I do a lot of body work for motorcycle tanks and fenders, bondo, welding plates, etc and I never even thought about just filling those holes and repainting. It sounds kinda fun to try!
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ctgottapee
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Re: Debadge and Lift Handle Questions.

Post by ctgottapee »

deafanddiabetic wrote:Thanks for the replies, guys.

I did do the debadge this weekend and it went beautifully, no holes on the 1st gen rear Arrowhead.

BUT, my right side has a glue mold of the "vibe" word that I cannot get off. The badge itself came off but there's a layer of really thick, hard glue underneath that Goo-Gone and Acetone did not take off. I'll post a picture later, it almost looks like someone painted over an existing decal or something.

ctgottapee, that's an awesome suggestion. I do a lot of body work for motorcycle tanks and fenders, bondo, welding plates, etc and I never even thought about just filling those holes and repainting. It sounds kinda fun to try!
for the glue mold/outline/etch try clay bar first, then you may have to try some mild abrasive polish. what you are seeing is buried in the clear coat (and hopefully not the paint too, but the clear cost is soft and thin on these models)
because it is first gen and been out there for a while, it might even require wet sanding to get it really good, but it's risky if your new to it - to get a result that you'll be happy with.

for the bondo, just try the bondo top coat stuff, not the actual bondo in a can. it's used for fine detail work, and real easy to work with, and you can get a tube fairly cheap. hell you could almost fill it with anything, like epoxy, etc. if it were me, i would first look to see if anyone sells aftermarket door handle covers, and if you can't get the color you want, like it only comes in chrome, then paint it. you'll get a good result with little work and little room for error, and you can remove it if you want to try something else.
i have a 2nd gen so not sure how deep it is, but you could even experiment with layering the rubberized paints, although overtime they'll likely settle and you'll see the outline.
KITT222
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Re: Debadge and Lift Handle Questions.

Post by KITT222 »

For debadging the front bumper, Rockauto has debadged front upper covers for $30 plus shipping. Just an idea!
deafanddiabetic
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Re: Debadge and Lift Handle Questions.

Post by deafanddiabetic »

Posting a few pictures of the residue and what's left over. See if anyone has thoughts on how to fix it. It's literally 100 degrees in Nebraska today so I'm going to try and dental floss it again, see if maybe some more junk comes off.
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ctgottapee
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Re: Debadge and Lift Handle Questions.

Post by ctgottapee »

heat gun with the dental floss;
Isopropyl Alcohol, WD40, Carb Cleaner or Auto bug and tar remover; 3M makes a product you can find most places
Soak rag and hold it on there for a bit - be careful not to ignite

If there is a lot of excess glue on there, pushing packing tape on and then peeling it off can help pull off some of the mess
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vibenvy
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Re: Debadge and Lift Handle Questions.

Post by vibenvy »

I have also heard of people using rubber eraser wheels to remove excess adhesive and residue after de-badging.
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2009 Liquid Platinum Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
2009 Steel Blue Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
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