epoxy coating newer high mileage badges

[JB3]

so if you have one of the mileage badges in the last 10(?) or so years, if you have run it for any length of time on your grill, you have probably become aware that the badges delaminate and the enameling or plastic coloring falls out.

I had that happen on a 300D I had, so on my 240 which qualified for two badges, I decided I would see what would happen if I coated them in epoxy before putting them on the grill-

They are drying now, but I hope to return to this thread after installed and a winter of use with reports on how its wearing. My biggest fear is yellowing of the epoxy, but thats a bridge to cross when I come to it.

here are some pics of what I did-

step by step is easy-

1. Get a box or something cardboard to mount the badges upright
2. I used all purpose epoxy available everywhere, and mixed up in a bowl
3. Pour bowl of epoxy over the badges
4. Take a stick of piece of plastic and comb off the excess, which also helps get rid of most of the bubbles, also to make sure you have full coverage
5. Dry and mount, trimming hardened excess off the back side as needed

Both badges have a nice thick coating of clear plastic now, and though there are some small bubbles, its acceptable so far.

[JB3]

some more pics, you can see the thickness of the plastic from some of the angled shots, and the whites of the badge are more of a cream color through the epoxy without a flash-

[ROLLGUY]

I put one on my coupe a couple months before giving the car to my niece. The badge seams to be holding up even in the So Cal heat of summer. It has been on there over a year, and still looks great.

[JB3]

Originally Posted by ROLLGUY

I put one on my coupe a couple months before giving the car to my niece. The badge seams to be holding up even in the So Cal heat of summer. It has been on there over a year, and still looks great.

it might be a hot then cold environment problem. On my 83 300D, I had them on there for about 2 years, and at the end of two years, id lost the 2 of the 3 white parts of the star, and a bunch of blue bits from the lettering.

Other people I had run into had the same complaint, apparently compared to the old style mileage badge which didn't have the same problem.

[ROLLGUY]

Originally Posted by JB3

it might be a hot then cold environment problem. On my 83 300D, I had them on there for about 2 years, and at the end of two years, id lost the 2 of the 3 white parts of the star, and a bunch of blue bits from the lettering.

Other people I had run into had the same complaint, apparently compared to the old style mileage badge which didn't have the same problem.

Or maybe a bad batch? I can't imagine that they would make inferior badges, after all, it is from Mercedes Benz!

[charmalu]

That`s a good idea to protect the paint from rock chips etc... the painted ones they now give out do not hold up like the older badges. just look at the painted grill badge on the 123 and 126, just below the hood star. they get all faded out till there is no color.

The older Grill Badges, and high mileage badges was like a porcelain material, and really held up. I have one I found in PNP that is a 200,000KM.



HMMM....this is a much larger picture than I though it was going to be.

Probably much cheaper to just paint them, another cost cutting at MB, and going to 250,000KM is another, betting not all cars would make it that far, and they would give out less badges.

I think there was a thread a few years ago about coating the Badges with something to protect them. JB3 you are the first one I remember actually posting a DIY thread.

Charlie

[CalicoJack]

I applied for the first high mileage badge a month or two ago. When I took it out of the box, the white paint on one side of the star had already peeled away and fell off. Since it was already messed up, I didn't bother with any attempt to coat the badge (I had been considering a can of spray vanish I had laying around). So I put it on as it was, and two or three days later the white paint had come off the other sides as well. Those badges are really terrible quality, just lousy. If this is how Mercedes these days deals with people who are surely among their most loyal customers, I just decided to never buy a Mercedes made after 1990.

Admittedly the badges are free. But I'm not sure they're doing us much of a favor. I'd rather pay and get a good one, myself.

[JB3]

Originally Posted by CalicoJack

I applied for the first high mileage badge a month or two ago. When I took it out of the box, the white paint on one side of the star had already peeled away and fell off. Since it was already messed up, I didn't bother with any attempt to coat the badge (I had been considering a can of spray vanish I had laying around). So I put it on as it was, and two or three days later the white paint had come off the other sides as well. Those badges are really terrible quality, just lousy. If this is how Mercedes these days deals with people who are surely among their most loyal customers, I just decided to never buy a Mercedes made after 1990.

Admittedly the badges are free. But I'm not sure they're doing us much of a favor. I'd rather pay and get a good one, myself.

Thats the issue I had, though it wasn't a paint on my badges, it was some kind of plastic coating or something for the coloring, it had depth and like a poured feel to it once the pieces popped out partially.

The metal of the badge is a decent quality, it seems to be an adherence issue between the plastic and metal of the badge itself. For a free item, im not complaining, as its something cool that no other manufacturer really does, and they sure send a beautiful letter and nice folio for the award. I just don't want it looking run down quick, its a conversation piece for the car.

The other thing is the construction of the badge is interesting, they have the metal MB logo, and a removable metal mileage marker that bolts to the back. Both of my badges had assembly paper stuck between the mileage marker, and the logo, which i had to remove.

Im really liking the depth the thick epoxy gives to the badge now, in addition to making the mileage marker and the logo one piece, its given them a sort of jewell-like quality.

However, the next time I do this, it wont be 5 minute epoxy, it will be a much longer overnight epoxy, maybe something thinner running. there are some imperfections and bubbles in the 250k badge

[gatorblue92]

I noticed the quality of the badges to be lacking as well when I got them for my old 300D. Hopefully by the time I am eligible to get them for either of my current cars the quality will have improved.

[CalicoJack]

Well, I didn't take a good look at it after it came off. If it was some sort of plastic coating rather than paint, I stand corrected. And I agree that there's an adhesion issue (a serious one, I'd say). Although if the stories about fading are true, the coating isn't worth a lot even when it stays on.

I also agree the metal of the badges seems nice, which makes it all the more a waste that they seem to end up looking trashy way too soon. If the switch to the new badges was to save money, as I assume, then I wish they'd just put all the money into the badge and dropped it into a bubble mailer rather than FedExing me a large box with a very handsome silver folio.

My car should be up for the next badge within the foreseeable future, if that one happens to arrive intact I'll try the epoxy trick, it sounds like a cool idea. Maybe I could get a replacement for the first at the same time. I had been thinking about the clear varnish due to its UV resistance, but I wasn't sure about how well it would adhere on metal.

[Can't Know]

Originally Posted by CalicoJack

Well, I didn't take a good look at it after it came off. If it was some sort of plastic coating rather than paint, I stand corrected. And I agree that there's an adhesion issue (a serious one, I'd say). Although if the stories about fading are true, the coating isn't worth a lot even when it stays on.

I also agree the metal of the badges seems nice, which makes it all the more a waste that they seem to end up looking trashy way too soon. If the switch to the new badges was to save money, as I assume, then I wish they'd just put all the money into the badge and dropped it into a bubble mailer rather than FedExing me a large box with a very handsome silver folio.

My car should be up for the next badge within the foreseeable future, if that one happens to arrive intact I'll try the epoxy trick, it sounds like a cool idea. Maybe I could get a replacement for the first at the same time. I had been thinking about the clear varnish due to its UV resistance, but I wasn't sure about how well it would adhere on metal.

I just ordered the first level badge for my W210. I had been inclined not to put it on in part for these reasons, but if I do mount it I think I'll go with this museum-quality spray varnish: Amazon.com: Krylon 11-Ounce Kamar Varnish Aerosol Spray: Arts, Crafts & Sewing It's aerosol, so it should stick to anything.

[ROLLGUY]

Originally Posted by Can't Know

I just ordered the first level badge for my W210. I had been inclined not to put it on in part for these reasons, but if I do mount it I think I'll go with this museum-quality spray varnish: Amazon.com: Krylon 11-Ounce Kamar Varnish Aerosol Spray: Arts, Crafts & Sewing It's aerosol, so it should stick to anything.

Will it last out in the elements? It appears to be made for interior applications only.

[CalicoJack]

Epoxy should be nice for protection against gravel strikes and the like as well as keeping the color in place. But even a good UV-stabilized epoxy is likely to experience a little yellowing over five years or so, depending on your location. Here in Georgia, the sun will blast the hell out of anything left exposed in the summer, in fairly little time. What do you think about a layer of epoxy followed by a layer of liquid and/or spray varnish to provide maximum physical and UV protection?

Or they could just make the badges better.

[JB3]

Originally Posted by CalicoJack

Epoxy should be nice for protection against gravel strikes and the like as well as keeping the color in place. But even a good UV-stabilized epoxy is likely to experience a little yellowing over five years or so, depending on your location. Here in Georgia, the sun will blast the hell out of anything left exposed in the summer, in fairly little time. What do you think about a layer of epoxy followed by a layer of liquid and/or spray varnish to provide maximum physical and UV protection?

Or they could just make the badges better.

this is a great idea, I haven't installed them yet, but a coat of UV rated varnish might really do the trick. You don't think the sun would yellow the epoxy under the clear varnish?

[CalicoJack]

I don't know, although I have the unpleasant worry it might. Still, the epoxy's yellowing process is going to be occurring no matter what so long as UV is hitting it, I would would think. Additional UV protection should at least slow the process a lot. Maybe buy you more years at least.

In a perfect world, I think what we need is a sacrificial UV/physical protective layer that could be cleaned off (without damaging the delicate coloring on the badge...ha!) and reapplied when it started to fail. Something like car wax, but way more serious and permanent. A shame I can't think of anything, though.