I did a thing.

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
02/03/2018 at 21:35 • Filed to: sportcross

As of now, the Sportcross is fully un-debadged. It was a fun little afternoon project. And I found out that ebay has screwed me again, but whatever.

When I bought these badges, the description said they were OEM. Those with a discerning eye may have noticed something right away: True OEM side emblems are actually noticeably smaller! I did some research on the IS Forums and confirmed my fears. For whatever reason, most aftermarket badges are bigger. That’s why the black ones you see some people put on the IS sedan look just a bit out of proportion. At least I don’t have a trunk lid to draw attention to my gigantic WRONG badges.

Here are some correct badges:

SO TINY

Notice how much smaller the OEM ones are...

.Ugh, son of a bitch... Well whatever. This will be good practice for if I ever decide to buy other ones.

You’ll notice in press photos, etc., that the side badges are actually lower than the center badge, but since these are bigger as they are NOT OEM!!! it would look odd now to have them staggered. So I chose have the bases align.

Putting on the LEXUS badge was going to be the easiest. It’s just one piece, whereas the IS 300 badge is in 3 pieces. I marked out the edges based on the above patterns. Next, I applied those same “reveals” and marked for the right side, mirroring the dimensions from the left side.

Next I used some glazing silicone and tooled it with a pin on the backside. Aaaaand squish.

Anyway, we will see how I feel about this once I get it out of my garage and park it somewhere so I can stare at it for 45 minutes wondering if I can live with myself.

So now, I’ve got aftermarket badges, above my repainted aftermarket bumper, and a grille from the wrong year, and a front bumper that needs to be realigned. Compared to my previous vehicles, these are very good problems to have.

DISCUSSION (36)

fhrblig > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 21:39

I still think you should have put Geo badges on it...

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > fhrblig
02/03/2018 at 21:40

And I think you look hungry

Kinja'd!!!

Kiltedpadre > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 21:51

I’ve been debating about debadging the back of my Volt since one half of the “lightning bolt” has broken off. Now you have me thinking of replacing it instead.

Kinja'd!!!

The top portion of the bolt through the V broke off not long after I got the car.

WilliamsSW > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 21:52

Kinja'd!!!

Looks a hell of a lot better than this!

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > WilliamsSW
02/03/2018 at 21:52

Is what , dammit?! IS WHAT?!?!

fhrblig > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 21:58

You’re no fun anymore.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > fhrblig
02/03/2018 at 22:00

I don’t think I can refute that

WilliamsSW > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 22:02

It just IS, okay?!!

I’m thinking they ran out of money buying such giant letters.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > WilliamsSW
02/03/2018 at 22:03

Existential Oppo

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Kiltedpadre
02/03/2018 at 22:06

Do it if you can handle it. Obviously, I could not.

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 22:07

First shot looked gold. I was like “hell yeah gold package!”

TorqueToYield > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 22:07

I like the de-de-badging thing.

Removing badges always bothered me a bit.

I mean, sometime in the 90s some manufactureres went crazy with the “16 valve fuel injected turbo charged 3.6L blah blah blah” stickers everywhere.

But it seems that nowadays the only debadged cars I see are base model cars the owners have stuck some fart can exhaust on. I don’t think too many people are debadging their M3, but I see tons of 328i with no badges. Same with Subaru WRXs and 2.5rs - that aint no STI...

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > TorqueToYield
02/03/2018 at 22:17

Hey now, I still think I’d like to remove my “Focus”, if only because it’s all script-y and in other countries they simply badge it “ST”...

Kiltedpadre > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 22:17

I don’t know, to me it looks like all the years of chandelier calibration came in handy when you needed to compensate for the nonOEM sizing.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 22:18

You should have got the Altezza badge.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Spaceball-Two
02/03/2018 at 22:20

Trust, I thought about it. Especially with my tan interior.

I even found a photo with them:

Kinja'd!!!

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
02/03/2018 at 22:22

Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Kiltedpadre
02/03/2018 at 22:23

Nono, I meant: if you can handle the debadged look .

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 22:25

Nah. You went the good route. I got new badges and a new brake light today but the rain prevented installation.

Kinja'd!!!

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Spaceball-Two
02/03/2018 at 22:27

Smoked brakelight, too? Looks like you’ve carried over a little bit of your flair from the A4 days.

interstate366, now In The Industry > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
02/03/2018 at 22:41

I’m thinking about rebadging my TSX as an Accord.

Kinja'd!!!

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 22:45

It’s the lightning on the bar. It’s not that dark, plus the seal on the stock is shot so there’s a puddle in it. I don’t want all black but I’m slowly working all the chrome off my truck.

Kiltedpadre > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 22:45

That’s basically why I’m rethinking it. Heck, I went out of my way to change the bowtie badge to a better color. I’d prefer to keep the badge but am worried about my ability to get everything properly aligned since each letter is a separate piece. The broken badge is bothering me slightly less than a wonky badge would.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Kiltedpadre
02/03/2018 at 22:49

I would just replace the V... You can template around the existing one, remove it, and slap the new one on in the perfect position.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Spaceball-Two
02/03/2018 at 22:52

Meanwhile I’ve been adding chrome back to vehicle. Because BRAND

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 22:55

Are you sticking with the stick taillights?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Spaceball-Two
02/03/2018 at 22:57

That’s up in the air. First I have to see if I can live with these badges. Then, I’m going to mull over getting the windows tinted. If so, I will then have to stare at it some more and see if I will change the tail lights. I could replace them with the OEM “black chrome” ones from ‘04-’05 models, or I could get the red vinyl for the full “Altezza-delete.” TOO MANY FACTORS.

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 23:03

A mild tint would suit it nicely. Black chrome sounds intriguing.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/03/2018 at 23:23

But it would have confused all the non-car people that had heard of “altezza lights”, but didn’t know what an “Altezza” was.