Gold tank emblem restore kit

[jurgenkoppen]

Hey fellow restorers,

After a lot of futzing around with gold paints etc, to restore the tank- and side cover emblems, I finally found the perfect high end/ low(ish) cost solution:
My local sign shop has double gold/chrome foil decal vinyl, UV resistent and tough, designed to be applied directly to automotive surfaces just like pinstriping. I had a batch of gold Yamaha emblem lettering cut to the exact size of the 1980 SG, and I just love the way it turned out.
So here is my chance to contribute to this board:
I would like to offer the emblem restore kit to you for $25 pair, of which I will contribute $3 for each set to the xs site.
Shipping would be about $2.( Total $27 /pair)
There is hardly a profit margin in this, by the time I ship these units, this is more or less a public service.
Moderators, I am not sure about posting this just like this, please correct me, if my process is not up to rules?
I am just very excited about a slick alternative to the non-available or $70 gold emblem options out there.
Here is a before and after pic:




Here is how I did it on mine.
I sand off the old gold, spray paint the emblem flat black,(get the edges of the raised portions) and stick on the gold, carefully lining up the individual letters using the clear transfer tape, which comes with the kit covering the gold vinyl
I cut the letters and do them individually, but the emblem will fit with as a whole as well.





Let me know if this is all cool or what?

Here is my restored RedRod with emblem center piece


Cheers from Canada, Jurgen

[tinman905]

Is that just for the tank or the tank and side covers?

[eroellig]

Re: Gold tank emblem restore kit

Originally posted by jurgenkoppen
Hey fellow restorers,

[...]
Let me know if this is all cool or what?
[...]

Yes, definitely cool. I've been looking at my emblems wondering what I was going to do with them this year.

Eric

[kjoslin]

I also have an SG and just painted my tank and sidecovers metallic orange...so I'd like to CHANGE from the stock gold lettering to a chrome, which would look better.

Can I get the letters in a chome color?

Can I get the same color for the side covers too?

Keith

[Shuriken]

I've linked your post to this one.

[webbcraft2150]

I had looked into the plastic plating equipment used to plate car emblems gold/silver/chrome. New equipment was kinda high so I am looking for some "used" equipment where the payback would not be as long. Kinda got put lower on the list when the youngest daughter said "I wanna go to CSU".

[Ken Talbot]

Jurgen, that is very cool!

Well done...

[81xsproject]

kjoslin, if you want chrome ones just look around for Yamaha golf cart badges. They can be had for $5-6 each on the we or at a Yamaha cart dealer. DON'T GET RIPPED OFF ON THE SAME THING ON EBAY. They are sold as 'OEM' for around $30 a set. Total scam!

[kjoslin]

81, is this what you're talking about? (hope this link works)

http://www.buggiesunlimited.com/prod...101&cat=118203

These golf cart emblems are just like the tank emblem (ie curved; hoiles line up etc?)

Keith

[AlanB]

Hi Guys,

The golf-cart version is totally flat, but the holes line up OK. On my SG, one side looks good, but the other side curves out from the tank a bit.

I have tried photographing it, but it doesn't show up too well!

AlanB

[DJinNH]

Jurgen,

I am restoring a 1100SG and a 1100SH. I can only hope they end up looking as good as the one in your photo. Wow....looks great!

I pick up my tanks and battery covers from the paint shop today.

Don

[John]

Golf cart emblems

trbig has these on his XJ, and they were flat, but he says that heating them in boiling water will soften them and allow you to bend them to conform to the shape of the tank.

[AlanB]

Hi John,

That sounds like a good idea; I'll try that!

AlanB

[jurgenkoppen]

Emblems

Hi all,

I was away and also for some reason I did not get notified when you guys replied to my post, as it usually happens.

Anyway,tinman, for now I only have the tank emblems made up. I am working on doing the side cover emblems. The issue is this: In order to keep the cost to a dull roar, I want to do the graphic work myself, namely creating an vector outline on the computer. BUT: My local emblem shop only can use Adobe Illustrator 10 files ( .ai or .eps files)
I do not own Adobe Illustrator (yet, looking for a copy! anybody has one to share?),so I had to pay a graphic's dude to do the outline in .ai format.
I am perfectly able to do the job myself, and did so in Photoshop, but that file format is not working for my vinyl printer.
So long story shortend:, give me Adobe Illustrator 10, and I can create any side covers, or any emblem desired of any year or make...silver or any other color. My vinyl printer even has the metal which reflects all the rainbow colors if so needed.
The cost for printing in this higher grade gold vinyl, non-fading (UV resistant) is going to be min. $10 per emblem, depending on size, and number of letters (unfortunate for us who want the many letters in the "Eleven Special" side cover) That is not counting graphics set up and me organizing the process.
Anyway, side cover emblems are coming up soon...
Keith, chrome can be done.
Ken Eric and Don, thanks for your kind words. Once the paint job is on, and the aluminum is sanded to 600 or even 1000 grit, then it is only a question of good chrome and newish pipes to make her look like new...
They are gorgeous machines,eh?
My son Carlos now has one as well, so now we have 4 xs11 bikes and parts to swap. Carlos and I are in the shop tweaking away madly, and learning lots along the way.
Cheers to all, send Illustrator10 my way if you can.....