How would you fix the Chevrolet badge on an 87 tailgate?

[bennylava]

It seems my big "CHEVROLET" badge on the back of my 87 has given up the ghost and let go. Luckily I saw it before I drove it somewhere and it broke completely off. One of the metal pins that fastens it to the tailgate broke, so now it will only hang by one side. I took it off to refurbish it and fix the issue.

What do you think is the best method of repairing this? Should I take it to a welding shop and have them tack me some new bolts on? I don't think glues or tapes of any kind would work out, because there is a plastic gasket that goes between the metal badge, and the tailgate itself. Any ideas would be appreciated. Pic below of what I'm talking about:

[TKCR]

They are not metal pins. The entire emblem is plastic. Probably be best just to get a new emblem.

[lolife99]

https://www.autometaldirect.com/amd-...n-p-23512.html

[TKCR]

Definitely the way to go, with the new emblem. I got one for myself awhile back.
While I had the tailgate band and emblem off, I took the time to clean & polish up the tailgate band before installing the new emblem.

[old Rusty C10]

i used black silicone and taped it in place until the silicone died you cant tell trick is to use just enough not too much

[LT7A]

Since it still looks good, I would forgo the gasket and use 3M automotive trim tape. No need for a gasket if you've got the tape between it and the metal.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Since it still looks good, I would forgo the gasket and use 3M automotive trim tape. No need for a gasket if you've got the tape between it and the metal.

Came here to say this.

K

[bennylava]

Originally Posted by TKCR

They are not metal pins. The entire emblem is plastic. Probably be best just to get a new emblem.

Mine is metal just like the one in the link. Maybe they started using plastic ones later, I dunno. You can hear the metal when it falls on the ground. I believe it's aluminum. Only the gasket is plastic.

https://www.autometaldirect.com/amd-...n-p-23512.html

Originally Posted by LT7A

Since it still looks good, I would forgo the gasket and use 3M automotive trim tape. No need for a gasket if you've got the tape between it and the metal.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but the back of the badge is concave. You'd need a flat surface to guarantee that tape would work. I have used that tape on several different things and it works great. But in this case you'd only be able to put it on the very edge of the emblem, which would be pretty weak.

[LT7A]

Originally Posted by bennylava

Mine is metal just like the one in the link. Maybe they started using plastic ones later, I dunno. You can hear the metal when it falls on the ground. I believe it's aluminum. Only the gasket is plastic.

https://www.autometaldirect.com/amd-...n-p-23512.html



Maybe I'm missing something here, but the back of the badge is concave. You'd need a flat surface to guarantee that tape would work. I have used that tape on several different things and it works great. But in this case you'd only be able to put it on the very edge of the emblem, which would be pretty weak.

I don't have that style badge, but I do think all the metal badges are pot metal, so no welding. I think you could epoxy the pin back on, or even use super glue with a little baking soda mixed in. And then I would use the trim tape. I would cut it to fit inside the concavity and build it up with enough layers so that it just protruded enough to stick to the paint without raising it away from the panel. I don't think I would trust just the pin or just the built up tape, but together I'll bet it'll stay on. Especially because it still has the one good pin.

[Just call me Sean]

It's pot metal. You can't weld it. It will melt.

[TKCR]

Earlier tailgate emblem. Top photo, that is the metal (pot metal).
81-87 tailgate emblem. Bottom photo, that emblem is plastic. It always has been. When I bought mine, it was a NOS GM part. It’s plastic, just like the fender emblems.

[TotallyHucked]

Originally Posted by TKCR

Earlier tailgate emblem. Top photo, that is the metal (pot metal).
81-87 tailgate emblem. Bottom photo, that emblem is plastic. It always has been. When I bought mine, it was a NOS GM part. It’s plastic, just like the fender emblems.

I work for Auto Metal Direct and can confirm, '81-87 has always been plastic for the tailgate lettering. Only '73-80 was metal. There's not really a good way to repair these or attach them with tape since they're hollow on the backside. It's best to just replace it with a fresh emblem

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by TotallyHucked

I work for Auto Metal Direct and can confirm, '81-87 has always been plastic for the tailgate lettering. Only '73-80 was metal. There's not really a good way to repair these or attach them with tape since they're hollow on the backside. It's best to just replace it with a fresh emblem

That’s what I was trying to explain, that the 81-87 style is plastic, and best to replace it.

[GOPAPA]

If any of you have a real nice tail gate badge except for the clips broken and it will never be able to be used on a tail gate again ,,send me a pm with pictures of it and a price for shipping it to 83686 and I might just buy it from you .

[bennylava]

Originally Posted by TKCR

Earlier tailgate emblem. Top photo, that is the metal (pot metal).
81-87 tailgate emblem. Bottom photo, that emblem is plastic. It always has been. When I bought mine, it was a NOS GM part. It’s plastic, just like the fender emblems.

Mine's metal. It's the top one. That first truck I posted is not mine I just grabbed it from google. Didn't realize that much of a difference. This got me curious and I called the previous owner (2 owner truck including me) and he said his dad backed into something way back when, and apparently they had to replace it. Even he did not notice that the emblem was wrong afterwards. So I guess I'm not the only one...

Originally Posted by GOPAPA

If any of you have a real nice tail gate badge except for the clips broken and it will never be able to be used on a tail gate again ,,send me a pm with pictures of it and a price for shipping it to 83686 and I might just buy it from you .

You can get one here:

https://www.autometaldirect.com/amd-...n-p-23512.html

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by bennylava

Mine's metal. It's the top one. That first truck I posted is not mine I just grabbed it from google. Didn't realize that much of a difference. This got me curious and I called the previous owner (2 owner truck including me) and he said his dad backed into something way back when, and apparently they had to replace it. Even he did not notice that the emblem was wrong afterwards. So I guess I'm not the only one.

Now that makes more since. Because the picture you grabbed from Google is the plastic emblem for the 81-87 Band, not the metal emblem for the earlier band. I would have thought that the previous owner would have noticed that right away, because I don’t believe the stud placement isn’t even the same on the 2 Emblems. I’m pretty positive I noticed that one time when I had the emblems off a couple of tailgate bands, when I was cleaning & polishing them. But that’s been awhile ago.

[GOPAPA]

bennylava thanks

Beings I do not have a tail gate band and know of no one close by me with one on their truck to see in person ,,then I do not know how the two parts connect together ..meaning the Band and the lettering .. you have shown me this lettering advertisement,,, I could buy just the lettering and use screws to fasten it the tail gate .. I believe that would really look good on my dark brown gate..I need to see the lettering and find if it can be bolted to the tail gate properly so it would stay ,,any more help would be appreciated ,, pictures would even be better. from anyone reading this ..

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by GOPAPA

bennylava thanks

Beings I do not have a tail gate band and know of no one close by me with one on their truck to see in person ,,then I do not know how the two parts connect together ..meaning the Band and the lettering .. you have shown me this lettering advertisement,,, I could buy just the lettering and use screws to fasten it the tail gate .. I believe that would really look good on my dark brown gate..I need to see the lettering and find if it can be bolted to the tail gate properly so it would stay ,,any more help would be appreciated ,, pictures would even be better. from anyone reading this ..

This won’t work. The studs on the emblem are not long enough to go thru the tailgate. They are meant to attach to the tailgate band, then the tailgate band gets attached to the tailgate. I’ll see if I can find some pictures to explain.

[TKCR]

So this is the backside of a tailgate band. There are holes, I marked them in black. This is where the emblem studs come thru the band, and there are access holes to attach speed nuts to the studs on the emblem. There are holes all down the backside, because the backing is universal for all the different emblem placements. Like the GMC emblem would go on the other end.
The places I marked in red. There are weld nut clips that slide onto to back. Then there are holes that are drilled into the tailgate itself. Screws are used to attached the band to the tailgate. The screws are longer because they pass thru the thickness of the tailgate to reach the nut clips on the band.
Hopefully this makes since.
But just buying an emblem, you will not be able to attach it directly to the tailgate.

[GOPAPA]

Originally Posted by TKCR

This won’t work. The studs on the emblem are not long enough to go thru the tailgate. They are meant to attach to the tailgate band, then the tailgate band gets attached to the tailgate. I’ll see if I can find some pictures to explain.

thx T So , what I would be looking for is a good tail gate band along with a emblem that has a stud or studs broke off ? Then it would be up to me to figure a way to make a new stud and therefore able me to fasten the embem to the band .and the band to the tail gate ?
Another question is ::: Is the emblem with the letters all hooked together CHEVROLET or are they on a backing board with the letters ?.. (my lack of another way to say it )

[KQQL IT]

Is yours plastic?
This one has 3 of 4 studs yet.

[GOPAPA]

Even without seeing a lettered Emblem up close ,, I still think a person could drill out the studs that will enable a person to run a screw through the stud on center and on into the tail gate metal and have a nice looking tail gate no one else has ..if a stud is broken off then improvise something that looks good or does not show and make it work.. Now ,, are there any of you that have a real good looking emblem that they would sell to me for a darn good price

[mongocanfly]

Papa ,3m emblem tape will hold it on there, it's been holding my fender emblems for yrs, those studs were broke off as well

[GOPAPA]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

Papa ,3m emblem tape will hold it on there, it's been holding my fender emblems for yrs, those studs were broke off as well

thx that's my answer ,,now to find a real nice one. pick and pull around here is not where I will find one..

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by GOPAPA

thx that's my answer ,,now to find a real nice one. pick and pull around here is not where I will find one..

I have one, I just can’t figure out where it’s at. No studs, they all broke off. I even have a tailgate band. I believe it’s a 81-87 Chevy. I bought it off someone local, to cleanup and resell, but haven’t done it yet. It’s in a box out in the garage. I’ll have to get it out and take some pics for you.