Badge

chrisyork said:
Ian had a real sketch with the repro's he was trying to get done. Huge deposit and when the Chinese firm eventually owned up to not being able to do them a huge problem getting it back! And they kept the samples he sent out so now he has nothing to try again with!
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Worringly, I've heard of this happening before with a specialist for another make. He sent out a pair of now unobtainable rear lights to Chinese firm to replicate. They eventually said that they couldn't do them and his lights were never seen again.

I can't help but wonder if at some point we'll suddenly see new P6 badges and new Audi rear lights popping up for sale from China :x
 
A colleague at work made a mould out of an old badge of mine and produced quite a nice repro for me. I made a little bit of a mess of mounting it, so he's made another that I'll get next week. He's willing to make more at 25 pounds each if anyone's interested.
I'll take some photos next week so you can see what I'm talking about.
These are cast in clear resin and then painted. The area that normally cracks is beefed up a little so it shouldn't happen again.
To me, the finish looks excellent, retaining all the detail that I'd never realised was even there. Unfortunately, my original was cracked, so that's also slightly visible in the new casting. The top needs a bit of a polish and is perhaps not quite the right shape due to the beefing up, but nobody'd know the difference.

They come with no surround or back. I very carefully cut the stainless steel surround off my old badge, using a thin cutting disc in a grinder to leave the top two thirds of the surround intact - i.e. removing the bit that grips the back of the badge. I then set this onto my new badge, holding it in place with body filler. Using the same filler, I set in a brass plate and couple of threaded studs into the back for mounting. This worked well, but the filler, which is pale yellow, does show a little around the edge of the mount. I also managed to scrape a little of the paint, which shows through.

As a first attempt it's not bad, and looks fine from a couple of yards away. For the next one, I'll take more care with the filler, and see if I can get any in black, which shouldn't show up as much.
 
Hi all, Further to my earlier posting, The reply was that a batch is currently being made, Should be available about April, Cost about 65 pounds, But obviously we hav'nt seen a sample yet. Keith.
 
grifterkid said:
quattro said:
Wins advertise them for £19.00. I was going to get one but haven't got round to it yet.

They are 5mm smaller and self adhesive, so not direct replacement parts

http://www.winsandco.co.uk/

Rover Classics were taking orders for new ones but have now stopped as his supplier won't make them? Don't know why.

Perhaps if you get a few people together he might reconsider

http://www.rover-classics.co.uk/
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Lets have a hand count of who would like one... As per original spec' but reproduction... If we get enough people together, as you say quattro, we may stand a good chance of getting them made (fingers crossed!)
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Ian's supplier couldn't make them - he had to give up. Which is why there's a real market for decent badges at the moment. I sold a just useable one last night for getting on for £15.
 
NickDunning said:
Ian's supplier couldn't make them - he had to give up. Which is why there's a real market for decent badges at the moment. I sold a just useable one last night for getting on for £15.
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I know I bought it (it's a million times better than the one on my bonnet)...! I'll be PM'ing you shortly about collection... We really should push for getting some good, original spec, repro's done. I'm sure it'd be a good investment for whoever was prepared to do it...
 
The best thing to do if you really want one is to back Ian. Anybody who is willing to invest time & money in remanufacturing deserves support. Tooling costs are hideously expensive, that's if it's done properly of course. The supplier will then have a cost versus quantity dilemma. Obviously, the more of a part that is made then the lower the unit cost, but will they ever sell them all? Or you have fewer made but with a higher price, then nobody wants to buy it. You need to put your hands in your pockets to get the parts you want, otherwise you'll only get the parts you deserve. You can't get owt from nowt.
Roly.
 
Well, I have removed the badge and taken it to bits, very carefully.

It's not too good, with all of the paint in a mess, some of it missing, a vertical crack in the normal place, and some surface rust.

Good points are that the fixings are still in good condition, and I didn't break it taking it apart

badgeinbits.jpg


So I will be trying some renovations out in the next few days.

Anyone know what colours I should be using?

Richard
 
I found some sealant remover at work. As I don't really want to put paint stripper on it, I thought the sealant remover would do the job a little more gently.

I tried a small area and after 20 mins the paint just wiped off with a bit of work with some steel wool. So I then sprayed the whole badge with sealant remover and as I watched, it fell into two pieces :oops: D'oh!!

Oh well, I have an exerimental clear plastic glue (Structural stuff) and bonded it back together. It now looks like this.

100_8183.jpg


I might take a mould first, just in case I bug... ermm mess it up again. Also, the crazing is worse than I thought it was, so I might just make a new one.

It's bound to work :)

Richard
 
Your doing very well Richard I'm intrigued, Keep it up and good luck I'm watching intently, Regards, Keith.
 
You will get a good result when you paint it.

I found that the Black and red bled through the cracks and crazing.

Might be an idea to coat the inside with clear nail varnish or similar before any paint.

Colin
 
I have made a mould so that I can make a new one with some doming resin if I ever get time.

100_8230.jpg


Also, I have made an attempt to paint the original badge, after checking very carefully to see if the crazing went through to the inside (It didn't).

1stattempt.jpg


Not brilliant, but a lot better than it was to start with. I will be sraping some small bits of the paint away and touching up a bit. Better than paying out £150 for a new one 8)

Richard
 
I have made a mould so that I can make a new one with some doming resin if I ever get time.
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Hello Richard. I hope you find/make the time! Very resourceful of you. I'll buy a replacement badge at a realistic price from you, if you're able to reproduce them. Can I put my name on the list now? I'm not prepared to shell out £150 for a NOS badge, but I'd pay for a replacement clear section, either to paint it and remount it to the metal surround myself, or as a complete replacement item if you offer that. I look forward to your feedback, and I'm sure enough people would be interested if you were to offer them for sale.
 
Hi Richard,

I know these things can often look better in the photo than real-life, but the difference between the before and after of your bonnet badge is superb.

I've got the plastic for the boot mount badge if you fancy making a mould ..... to complete your set?

mini-poorbootbadge.jpg


You can borrow it if you like, but you'll need to PM me your details.

Brian.
 
Hi Mr Task

My company is working on a UV resistant, clear acrylic resin at the moment, and I might just give it a go when we get it right.

I have a auto quality doming resin here but there are two problems with it.

1/. It doesn't 'dome'.

2/. It doesn't set completely hard, still a bit soft and bendy.

So I will keep you informed of this 8)

Hi Brian

I have a perfect boot mount badge that I bought from Rover Classics and to be honest I would have bought a bonnet badge from him too, but he has now said that he cannot make them :(

Richard
 
Hello Richard
Personally I don't think I would mind in the slightest if a remade badge didn't have such a pronounced 'dome' shape to the clear bit. I dare say it would look very good with a 'flatter' clear piece, as long as that retained the curved edge toward the chrome piece. On the other hand people would most properly want a perfect facsimile of the original badge.
Ideally I would like my bonnet to feature just such a 'flatter' badge, recessed further into the bonnet. I think the customising crowd called that 'Frenched' when I used to read Custom Car as a lad. I don't mean with a pronounced geometric shape so much as a gentle inward curve in the aluminium bonnet allowing the badge to sit 'deeper' and thus not stand so 'proud'. More like the way the badge on my daily BMW is fitted 'in' rather than 'on' the hood and bootlid. I've always thought the 'domed' original Rover P6 badge looks a little bit too 'stuck on', like an afterthought.
Keep us informed by all means. :)
 
You could probably make it look more slimline by having a self adhesive backiing instead of the studs .It would then sit closer to the bonnet
 
mrtask said:
Hello Richard
Personally I don't think I would mind in the slightest if a remade badge didn't have such a pronounced 'dome' shape to the clear bit. I dare say it would look very good with a 'flatter' clear piece, as long as that retained the curved edge toward the chrome piece. On the other hand people would most properly want a perfect facsimile of the original badge.
Ideally I would like my bonnet to feature just such a 'flatter' badge, recessed further into the bonnet. I think the customising crowd called that 'Frenched' when I used to read Custom Car as a lad. I don't mean with a pronounced geometric shape so much as a gentle inward curve in the aluminium bonnet allowing the badge to sit 'deeper' and thus not stand so 'proud'. More like the way the badge on my daily BMW is fitted 'in' rather than 'on' the hood and bootlid. I've always thought the 'domed' original Rover P6 badge looks a little bit too 'stuck on', like an afterthought.
Keep us informed by all means. :)
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The badge has to be more domed than I can currently make it because the front of the ship and the viking head are raised and are very close to the inside of the badge plastic. This is why the badge suffers from the vertical cracks, as the plastic is very thin along the centre vertical ine.

The badge that I managed to make was flatter, but the head actually protruded through the front.

The only way that I could do it, is to make a complete mould of the front as well.

Richard
 
Just had an update from Ian Wilson while ordering some spares. He has found a factor for bonnet badges in the U.S. who'll be supplying them shortly. They'll go for £65 a piece he says, for the complete badge.
 
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