Some transient lifted my Side Z Emblem last night with his key and left a deep niche.

I'm planning on using Nissan KYO factory touch up paint, waiting a week and then using 3M 2000 grit and hand sand it.

I can't use a block b/c it's at the curve. Do you think it's a BAD idea? I'm only touched up/sanded/rubbing compound/3m swirl mark remover/polished out scratches on a flat surface.

On to the other issue, how do I "loosen" up this double sided tape so I can get it off??? PLEASE HELP!

 

I recently added some lights under my side emblems, the double-stick tape was a pain to remove. I used a little gas on a rag and wiped the tape for a while. After that I started to rub the double-sided tape with my thumb. It took a while, but it came off. I did not want to use any strong solvents that could damage the paint.
Becareful with the factory touch up paint, I have the Chrome Silver also and I could never get it to match correctly. I will have to have it repainted professionally when I add a new nose clip.

 

Hopefully you get this before you have done anything to your paint!!!!! It'll save you heaps of trouble!

1) to remove the actual emblem, use dental floss double thick(take a long strip & bend it in half). Use this, moving side to side to get under the old one. once you can get a screwdriver under it, TOUCHING ONLY the metal/body UNDER the emblem, do that.

2) to get rid of double sided sticky, get off the foam part of it, leaving the sticky material. Go to Kragen/Autozone, or any multi-type store. Home Depot is best. Get "Goof-Off". This'll solve all your problems! Takes a few seconds with a rag, but let it soak for a second & stuff comes right off.

3) for your scratch....First find the S.O.B. that did that to your car...after putting icepicks in his kneecaps, skin their firstborn.

second: get 'touch-up magic' from turboshine. You can reach them at turboshine@frys.com (EMAIL ADDRESS) I don't know the website address. What this stuff does, is allow you to fill in the offending area(gouge) ONLY with your own touch up paint. Usually when touching up, you leave a blob of paint in each hole/scratch. Here, you fill the area, bringing it to a level point with the rest of the paint. Works great, and looks almost undetectable. (you would have to know its there)

4) to reattch emblems, I used 3M double sided tape. Get the RED LABEL stuff with gray foam, not the green/white thick white foam crap stuff. Also used 3M 'Spray 90' super adhesive(this stuff is a must have for the car....a 'cureall' for carpet, body panels, etc.)

I also used a hot glue gun on the prongs that go into the body. I bent them a little bit only at the end(past where it goes in body) then filled the hole with the glue, and put the prongs in the alignment holes. Someone would have to use a jackhammer to get those things off. (In the end, might not be good for my paint!)

But since I never leave my Z anywhere questionable/not observed, and it is garaged, maybe i would catch the bastard prying on my car.

I went extra adhesvice, cuz I put those lighted rings under the emblem. You might want to do that too. They are so cool, and while you have emblem off, now's the time. PM me if you want site that has them. they are a pain in the *** to find. Three colors, and worth the 75 bucks!

They are a little difficult to wire, and you need to locate a source of power (either blinker wires, or headlight wires) I hooked up so whenever my headlights come on, so do these. They totally make the car look cool at night!

Sorry to hear about your theft incident!

 

Luckily the gouge was mostly under the emblem.

I used goo-gone and it took about 5 minutes of soaking but it came up. I think washed the area in dawn, put on a new emblem (comes with adhesive) and then waxed the area around the emblem.

If the emblem gets lifted again, I'm going to use it as an excuse to fill it in along with the one in my front bumper and have it sprayed.