HOW TO: Putting Mazdaspeed3 badge back on...

[Jackyll]

I took the Mazdaspeed3 badge off my hatch a few weeks after I bought the car and liked it so I left it off. I originally was going to paint all of my badges black and put them back on so I had just masked off where the badge was supposed to go, but since I liked it with it off I took the tape off too. Now that I actually painted it a month or so later I think it would look good, but I don't know exactly where it's supposed to go...

Does anyone have measurements of where exactly the "MAZDASPEED" and the "3" parts of the badge go? Or a diagram or something? I'd like it to be exactly where it should be from the factory.

Thanks!

**Moved to How-to Section - GoFast

 

[MaikuMS3]

find a pic and measure it?

 

[TKMS3]

find a pic and measure it?

Can't really do that if he doesn't know the scale of the picture

 

[BillTheCat]

MMMmmm... you can figure the scale. Since he has the original badge, measure that. Measure the badge in the pic & figure the scale. (i.e. say real badge is 8" wide, and badge in pic is 6" wide. Scale 6:8 or 75%)

Measure the distances from whatever fixed points/edges make most sense, and convert. So if the distance from point A to point B in the pic is 3", it will be 4" in real life. (3 is 75% of 4, or 3x1.33=4, whatever method makes your brian feel good)

That, or one of us lazy louts could just go measure. LOL I go home at 7 a.m. Eastern. Will try to remember to take a pic & measure, then post here.

 

[TKMS3]

Perhaps bill will have better measurements than me. I didn't bother measuring the "3" because it looked too complicated (uhm)
These numbers are all pretty approximate (I used a wooden ruler, a pencil, and paper)

1.) Measuring along the edge of the hatch, the bottom left corner of the "m" is about 3 inches down from the tail light.
2.) The space between the edge and the bottom left corner of the "m" is about .75 inches.
3.) With a ruler flat and perpendicular to the top of the letters, the space from the space in between the hatch and tail light measures 1.75 inches all the way across

 

[BillTheCat]

OK, I took pics!!! Uploading here failed, so I slapped 'em on Photobucket. I just taped a tailor's measuring tape onto my hatch in several positions. Tried to get the tick marks lined up with either the badge or the edge of the sheet metal. I'll let you do the math.

Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.

Based on what I see in my photos, I'd probaby measure up from the bottom edge of the sheet metal, about 2 1/8" in several spots & make a litle grease pencil or other non-permanent mark. Then play connect the dots with a piece of maskig tape to create a horizontal baseline for where the emblem will sit. Make sure the tape line runs off the left edge of the sheet metal. Then, measure in 5/8 to 3/4" from the left edge, mark that spot on the masking tape, and use that as the lower left point for the "M" in Mazdaspeed & place the emblem from there, using the horizontal baseline to keep it straight/level. I'm sure these things will vary by 1/8 to 1/4" from the factory, so no need to get completely anal, right?

And yeah, my car's filthy. Deal with it, homies. (breakn)(nana)

 

[Jackyll]

Thanks a ton for the pics guys. I'll get the badge on tonight hopefully and see how it looks. Thanks again!

 

[Kain]

Motion to sticky this thread, say aye.

 

[Hank3]

Or at least change the title and put it in the How-To forum.

 

[5-4-fighting]

Ok, great topic for me as well. I'm painting all my badging. How do you get the original badging back on the car to stay?

gerry

 

[Sergius64]

aye

 

[Jackyll]

Followed Billthecat's pictures and it looked perfect. The "3" part took some eye-balling but it looked good. But I used some crap 3M Emblem Adhesive stuff and it ran out from under the badge a little and when I tried to wipe it off it took off some of the black paint from the badge lol. It also left some residue I can't get off on the car... hopefully claybarring it will get off what I couldn't with normal cleaners. So I'm just going to leave it off for now and try again later when I can find something to use to stick the badge on that's not so runny and won't remove the paint.

Thought about getting one of those hobby knifes or whatever they're called and using some double sided tape but I don't think I have the patience for all that so I'll probably just buy some new badges that are already painted and have adhesive on them and try again.

 

[340CID]

The problem with making this a sticky is that all the ricers (M3 owners) will now know where to properly place their bought MS3 sitcker/emblem.

 

[meicalnissyen]

OK, I took pics!



And yeah, my car's filthy. Deal with it, homies. (breakn)(nana)

We have water restrictions now so no home washing, it sux
fortunately it rains like hell every day


Mebbe you could try this with your emblem ???

 

[Sport6]

Motion to sticky this thread, say aye.

Aye!

 

[TKMS3]

Ok, great topic for me as well. I'm painting all my badging. How do you get the original badging back on the car to stay?

gerry

If you haven't removed them yet, you should outline the badges with tape so you know the exact spot rather than measuring

 

[irnbru83]

Just don't remove them!!

 

[GoFast]

moved to how to section and edited title

 

[Jackyll]

Ok, great topic for me as well. I'm painting all my badging. How do you get the original badging back on the car to stay?

gerry

After the 3M Emblem Adhesive cement stuff ruined the paint on my badges, I tried this...

Went out and got a hobby knife/exacto knife/whatever you want to call it and some of that 3M double sided tape (it's a gray color and red backing). Covered the back of the badges with the tape and used the exacto-knife to cut around the edges and inside the As and Ds and such. Yes... it sucked and took forever but I don't feel like spending $85 or so for this stuff from SU.

Repainting tomorrow and will attach when back from vacation.