I have a 2005 Honda CR-V SE in Taffeta White, with the optional gold emblem kit. While the two "H" logos look alright at the moment, I am absolutely disgusted with the way the gold "CR-V" emblem has weathered - or not - the past ten months, including a very mild winter season. There's what looks to be a very thin, brittle plastic film curling off of the lettering, along with some tiny greenish pitting on the letters' surface. Some areas remain bright and shiny when polished up, but for the most part, the emblem's pretty dull. So, what I'd really like to know is if there's some special product and/or procedure for rejuvenating these emblems and preventing them from deteriorating further? I'm sure I'm going to have to replace one or more of the emblems more sooner than later, but, in light of the cost of the gold kit, I was hoping to get a little more life out of what I have. So, any input that you folks can offer would be greatly appreciated, and I'll certainly be looking forward to reading your replies! Thanks in advance for your help and Happy Motoring! --SCOTT Suburban Buffalo, N.Y.
(Scott) wrote in 3217.bay.webtv.net: These pieces are vacuum-metallized, AFAIK. (Similarly to the inside of a potato chip bag.) There is no way of fixing them other than re-metallizing them, and I don't even know if that's possible on plastic parts. You can phone metal plating companies in your area to see if anyone knows more.
as tegger says, they're metalized plastic. unless you have free access to the gear, re-plating is uneconomic. when you replace the emblems, next time, /do not/ over-clean or attempt to polish them. they're coated in a thin layer of plastic on top of the metal film, and once that's been worn through, the [thin] metal is free to corrode. just lightly clean with mild soap and a brush, but otherwise leave alone as much as possible. no abrasives or polishing compounds.
Am I missing something here? Isn't this just a 1000% markup dealer add-on? I met a guy who wanted the gold on his Lexus. He found out the name of the guy who did it for the dealer and got him to do it on the side for a fraction of the price. I don't see why the gold couldn't be reapplied to the old part.
yeah, and? you could, but it's cheaper to just buy new emblems and stick them on yourself. the emblems are not plated with real gold btw, just a gold colored metal. that's why they corrode if the protectant is removed.
(Gordon McGrew) wrote in Hence my advice to the OP to call around to plating places in his area. The problem is getting the flaky old stuff off without eating the plastic that's underneath. Putting it on a NEW part wouldn't be a problem.
