Well, Im going to debadge today, install my bushwackers, superchips, and gears all next week, so well see.

Anyway, I have a red 03, and am taking off the 1500 badges on the side. Has anyone ever had paint fade or anything like that. I mean my truck has been sitting in the sun for 6 years, lol. Do you think there will be a difference in the color underneath the badge, like it will be brighter due to being blocked from the sun?

Anyone with an 02-04 I would like feedback, its kinda not applicable for a 08 owner to comment on this...lol, unless of course they debadge an older vehicle too, then im all for it!

 

try to clay bar the truck, it will take the buildup out of the paint. I haven't debadged mine, but i would imagine that a clay bar, some cleaner wax (usually included in the clay bar kit), and a good paste wax would make it a non-issue.

 

Yeah that was my thought process, is if it did slightly differ to just clay bar the damn thing, well, Ill take before and after pics to show off.

 

I have an 04 with 49,000 miles on it. I de-badged about 4 months ago or so, and I didnt have any color issues, however...

I did have problems with buildup around the outsides of the badges, I forget the technical name for up. Anyhow, I had to use a rubbing compound, and a whole lot of elbow grease.

I dont know if the clay will help with the color. The clay is designed to pull contaminates out of the paint, not so much to restore color. But you never know.

 

When I debadged my 01 (which was red) the paint was a different color under the badges as compared to the rest of the truck. I ended up using a color polish on the areas that didn't match. It blended it in good enough that it wasn't noticable unless you were looking for it.

I just did my 04 this week and the paint was the same color under the badges as it was on the rest of the truck. Couldn't tell a difference between the badge areas and the rest of the truck.

 

Contaminants in the paint definitely can be visible over time. Removing them will make the color more vibrant, closer to like it was on day 1. Will it help the color, no per se, but it will clean up the clearcoat so the paint is more visible underneath.

 

Contaminates in the paint are visible from the factory to be truthful. But you do have a good point in saying that clearing the paint up will give it a more luster look. Not a bad step at any rate.

 

Using a clay bar is a good start to remove surface contaminants, but it won't really change the color. I would suggest polishing the entire truck with something like Meguiar's #105 or Menzerna Super Intensive Polish, and then follow up with a fine polish like Meguiar's #9 or #205. Then apply your favorite wax or sealant. The area that was debadged will look slightly different until the red paint, which is trapped under a clear coat, fades from UV light exposure to match the rest of the truck.

For techniques on polishing go to the Autopia forums. Check out their Machine Polishing forum. If you don't want to do it yourself (polishing is a LOT of work), you can go to one of their regional forums to find a professional detailer in your area.

 

I used some polishing compound and then waxed when I debadged my 06. It really stood out on the black.

 

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