[BmerMeUp]

Hi.
I tried, but not really sure what to search for to find this answer in the forum.


I just debadged (I've always called it "shaved...") my 2008 E91 in Monaco and although the lettering came off clean, as I feared they might, they left behind a UV/faded ghost of themselves. It is only visible in strong direct light at the right angle... but now that I know it's there, it's naturally making me a bit kookoo. I doubt the camera will even pick it up as it is so subtle (didn't try yet), but at the right angle it is plainly visible as a faint off-colour ghost of the original lettering.

Can something like that be ScratchX'd out, or am I looking at a deeper buffing problem?

Thanks!

[SE3P_to_E90]

My friend has this same issue when he debadged his G35... I thought the ghost emblems looked pretty cool. In any case, after about a month or so, it faded a lot more. It was really visible when he first debadged it, but now, we have to look for it to find it. Hopefully, it will even out for you. Otherwise, good luck!

[Wesley Crusher]

Try a little bit of Scratch X and see what happens. When I debadged my car, I also noticed some very slight discoloration. Scratch X worked for me.

[Lowandslow115]

i used rubbing compound first then waxed it and it took it right away

[BmerMeUp]

Originally Posted by SE3P_to_E90

... It was really visible when he first debadged it, but now, we have to look for it to find it. Hopefully, it will even out for you. Otherwise, good luck!

Hopefully then, yes - I'll wait a bit too. It's winter and covered in goop between washes anyway...

Originally Posted by Wesley Crusher

... Scratch X worked for me.

Wesley! Love your show.
Thanks - if it doesn't fade, ScratchX is worth a try.

Originally Posted by Lowandslow115

i used rubbing compound first then waxed it and it took it right away

Ok, perfect last effort then. Wait for fade, try ScratchX... if not - gonna rub that bad boy clean off in the spring waxing session!

Thanks for all your input.

[UncleWede]

Go EASY on the rubbing compound. Oh, and you WILL need to polish if you do use it, so be ready.

[Denny347]

I had the same issue with my 06...5 years of the badges being there, when I pulled them off you could see the outline. I used nothing more than swirl remover on an orange pad with my polisher. Gone forever.

[BmerMeUp]

Originally Posted by Denny347

I had the same issue with my 06...5 years of the badges being there, when I pulled them off you could see the outline. I used nothing more than swirl remover on an orange pad with my polisher. Gone forever.

Very inspiring and good to hear - thank you! Freaked me out a little, but I'm hearing the same thing, it should fade or is easily corrected.

[RIPTuning]

A few rounds of Meguiar's fine cut cleaner did the trick for one of our employees. Never heard of the Scratch-X, we'll have to try it.

[Otruba_843]

rubbing compound, IPA, or bug and tar remover will all take it off.

[BillionPa]

I use TR3 resin glaze first, then a polishing compound, the TR3 again, then wax

[DetailersDomain]

do you have an orbital polisher handy?

[BmerMeUp]

Originally Posted by DetailersDomain

do you have an orbital polisher handy?

No orbital polisher here - fortunately all my orbits appear to be fully polished.


I'm afraid I'm weak on the detailing - I keep her immacculate on the inside, but for me, she's a DD working gurl - I should call her Cinderella. She works so hard every day, she only stays clean for a few minutes at a time - basically the space between my hose and the highway on-ramp.

So I can't justify as much work on the outside as I wish I could - as long as the ghost disappears I'll be happy, but I have no fancy tools to keep her gleaming. I haven't noticed the ghost on the last few winter-washes (didn't check super-close as 5 minutes later I know she'll be covered in road-snot anyway), but will check again to see if it faded naturally; if not, once the snow finally melts I will try the "glass-slipper" rubbing fixes for her as above, until I find one that fits.