LSU1990

Do MB people debadge, or is that considered heresy? By that I mean removing the alpha-numeric model designation from the trunk deck lid and leaving the Marque. I am a BMW guy new to MB, and I debadged some of them, including a 540 and two 330's, but not the M5. The only reason why I didn't debadge the M is that I bought it used, and was worried, perhaps unnecessarily, that the paint underneath the thicker M badge might vary enough to be noticeable.

I am not into street racing (or track for that matter) at all, nor do I care that I drive the 6 cyl. version of the W212 vs. the 8 cyl., I just like the clean look of a "naked" decklid. I'm gonna do it anyway, but I was just curious about what MB owners generally do. Perhaps it is just a Bimmer thing?

firefighter608

I don't, but that is just my taste.

303E550

I like the clean look as well. It is your car... do what you like.

220S

fwiw, mine's debadged. And I have a 2009 E63 AMG so it's not about posing. I just like the cleaner look.

The star doesn't come off because it's attached with pins into the trunk, unfortunately.

That all said, I find that lighter color cars don't seem to look as good debadged as darker colors. But that's subjective.

LSU1990

220S your car looks Great with the numbers off - I would have debadged my M5, but like I said, it was 3 yrs old when I got it and I was afraid of a potentially noticeable difference in the paint under the badge.

I like the star emblem in the middle and the symmetry of nothing on either side. When my decklid spoiler comes in, I'll debadge the same day I put the spoiler on, and it will look sick (as my 14 yr old would say) like yours.

BTW, I've never driven an E63 or an E55. I need to some day to see how it would compare to my E39 M5 - I'm sure straight line not much of a contest, although it's a shame that a 6 speed MT is at least not an option on such a beast. That W211 version is a straight out looker too. Hard pressed to find a better looking sedan in my opinion.

220S

Thanks Yeah, I also like the debadged look. And no one really knows what I'm driving, except me. I like the sleeper idea.

I debadged my other car, too.


The E39 M5 is one of my favorite all time cars. I'm so tempted to look for a good sample. I'm a long time BMW owner and I think after this E63, I'm going to maybe pick up the new F10 M5. And yep, BMW still offers a manual. That's a major plus.

The E63 is a great cruiser car. Really made for the Autobahn. But I do miss the steering and chassis of BMWs. These cars aren't in the same league. But it's a trade-off between comfort and handling. So it's basically just a quick but very comfortable German muscle car.

Hope you don't regret selling the E39. It's a classic.

FEGELEIN

My first thought when I see a debadged car, is that the driver wants to pull off that he doesnt have the base model, sort of posing to me. If you desire a clean look it is not posing, but I believe that is what the majority of people will feel, if you care.


Since their is a Porsche right above my post, her is mine w/ the badges.

jbean114

In Europe, especially in Germany, it is very rare to see a Mercedes or BMW with badging. I like the clean look too and I am considering removing it to blend in with the rest of the MB motorists since I am living in Germany at the moment. It's kinda "posing" here if you do have the badging... Sorta like you have to prove something to the other drivers. Strange, huh?

chokaay

IMHO (and from most other people's opinions that I've read), DE-badging is a pretty accepted practice, and I don't see it as posing or anything like that. Some people prefer the clean look... there's nothing wrong with that.

However, RE-badging your vehicle's model to something it's not (as in changing some numbers, or adding ///AMG) is widely seen as posing and IMHO reflects negatively on the owner/driver.

aeggroup

+1.

Cairo94507

For the past 20 years I have removed all badges that were taped on. I dislike all the badges manufacturers install on cars. I know what I own and drive. I do not like washing, wiping and waxing around a bunch of badges. The cars look much cleaner without all of the badges.

It amazes me that people think you are "posing" when you take badges off to make the car cleaner in appearance. The "posers" are the ones installing the AMG emblems, etc. to car that are not AMG's.

BLKCLK550

I debadged my CLK now my friend tells me you just went from a 550 to a 320 lmaof, sometimes people are blind to the AMG bumper exaust rims and skirt.
But i do love a clean look people can think i drive a 320 but they wont, when i blast past them with my V8 screaming. Also much easier to polish now, no wax getting stuck under the badges.
Sadly i know a guy that i got in to buying M6 when it just came out, he got a license plate that says BMW M6 then he bought V10 badges put them in the back and on the side of the car. HE is much older than me and i feel kind of wrong telling him you just ricing out your M6.

Jake94526

Hey Cairo94507 that sure is a cute little doggie you have, is she an only child?

tbone

I think clean is sexy. I also shaved off my MB star.

220S

I would remove the star too but I'm not keen about the filling and painting. It's a lot of work to do it right. Did you fill and re-spray the entire trunk?

I wish it was just adhesive instead of pins into the trunk lid......

jbean114

What's the best process to remove the lettering and numbers? I've heard things like a credit card and fishing line... Are there any solvents that help but do not damage the paint?

ESIX3POWER

Nice Ride, noticed your sig reads E500 but you have the quad AMG exhaust? Did you have the exhaust specially installed? If so how much? And does it sound like an AMG?

220S

I've debadged just about every car I've own and here's what I do:

Use monofilament (plain old fishing line) If it seems hard to get thru the adhesive then warm up the badges a bit (either in the sun or a hair dryer, but just for a short time.)

Then use Goo Gone to remove left over adhesive. People will say to use xxxx but trust me that Goo Gone is safe and works very well (smells nice, too)

Then a good polishing up with some detailing.

Quick and easy. The only caveat is if you are doing this on an older car that's been sitting outdoors for many years. You can get a ghost image of the badges.

jbean114

Sounds easy enough... Thanks 220S!

tbone

I've had this car since Dec. 2002, before the E55's came out. When the E55's came out, loved the styling. A couple of years ago, I was getting bored with my car's style, but still loved the car - trouble free. Instead of selling, I put on the AMG body kit and BBK. Made it feel like a new car, and I plan on keeping it til it dies now.

So, to answer your questions:

ESIX3POWER: yes, it's an E500 with a CLS55 exhaust. It doesn't sound like an AMG, cuz it's not

220S: Since I had to paint my new rear bumper, I took advantage and removed the emblem. The body shop placed a sheet of metal behind the holes before filling the holes. They did this so the holes don't sink in over time. My paint was 6 years old at the time, so I wanted to spray both the new bumper and trunk to better match the color.

Looking back, I wish I would have removed the front hood emblem, too.

LSU1990

Wow! That looks badass! I'm gonna have to go with the model designation debadge only. I'm gonna do it next week when the deck lid spoiler comes in.

tbone

Thanks, and have fun! All my cars have always been debadged and emblems shaved/trunk lid re-sprayed...it's the only way I'll go. lol