Adding an Appropriate Badge?

[Monday]

My new (to me) SL500 has been 'de-badged' at some stage in its life. The SL500 chrome lettering is missing from the n/s boot lid. I'd like to put it back.

Questions:
1. Are the MB 'official' versions at £24-£30 any better than the eBay versions at around £10?

2. Are the letter/number spacings preset so that the badge can go on as a unit? Some very old posts on here (around 2004) indicate that they are not and need to be carefully marked out on masking tape. If the latter, I can see me making a mess and might be better off leaving it alone. It appears that MB at the factory use a set of templates which are very hard to get hold of.

Thoughts appreciated.

 

[Blobcat]

The AMG badges I’ve had from MB were spaced already, apply masking tape to the front to hold them in place before removing the backing paper.
Put a strip of masking paper on the boot lid as well so that you can align it correctly.

 

[Dean Fletcher]

My new (to me) SL500 has been 'de-badged' at some stage in its life. The SL500 chrome lettering is missing from the n/s boot lid. I'd like to put it back.

Questions:
1. Are the MB 'official' versions at £24-£30 any better than the eBay versions at around £10?

2. Are the letter/number spacings preset so that the badge can go on as a unit? Some very old posts on here (around 2004) indicate that they are not and need to be carefully marked out on masking tape. If the latter, I can see me making a mess and might be better off leaving it alone. It appears that MB at the factory use a set of templates which are very hard to get hold of.

Thoughts appreciated.

In reality you can stick them on as you please.
But the badge police will be on your tail.
Especially if your a AMG offender

 

[Monday]

Any offers regarding the first part of my question; the quality, or lack of, of the many eBay offerings of badges compared to the genuine article.The price difference suggests thst there must be, unless we are just paying for the name (shock!). I assume they are all a ‘chrome’ finish on ABS plastic.

The problem is that on enquiring at a couple of dealers, I hear the dreaded words ‘back order’.

Comments appreciated.

 

[alexanderfoti]

The OEM badges are better quality. The cheap stuff tarnishes quickly, but if they are on backorder you won't have a choice.

They come pre spaced on a backing tape, the only hard part is aligning them on the boot lid

 

[Monday]

The OEM badges are better quality. The cheap stuff tarnishes quickly, but if they are on backorder you won't have a choice.

They come pre spaced on a backing tape, the only hard part is aligning them on the boot lid

Much as I thought, thanks. Don't want to be trying to remove a dodgy badge in a year's time.

I've bitten the bullet and ordered one. Happy to wait until it turns up.......

 

[Monday]

So my back order SL500 badge turned up in short order. Now I've got the problem of fitting it!

I measured the badge on my old SL400 relative to a baseline of the seam in the boot lid (see pic). The trouble is that I assumed the seam was horizontal but it's not, by 2-3mm over the length of the badge (175mm). I am assuming that the badge should still be horizontal so the base of the lettering will be 20mm above the seam at the lhs and about 23mm at the rhs?

 

[Monday]

Once I started work, it became obvious that the badge goes parallel to the boot lid seam. I used a 12” steel ruler taped to the boot lid as a guide.

Now, where can I get an AMG badge………..? 4

 

[Dean Fletcher]

Once I started work, it became obvious that the badge goes parallel to the boot lid seam. I used a 12” steel ruler taped to the boot lid as a guide.

Now, where can I get an AMG badge………..? View attachment 95347 4

looks good. why dont you go the whole hog and stick a Brabus one on as well.