All the badges on the car desperately needed refreshing. So after asking for suggestions on various FaceBook Groups, and getting lot’s of advice, I settled on some Humbrol Model Paint to restore them to their former glory.
The process was very tedious. Obviously the first step is to remove the old paint first. I used some paint stripper, then thoroughly cleaned the surfaces with solvent.
Then came the painting.
For the “Shields”, I mainly used the pointy end of some wooden skewers to apply the paint and “push” it into the corners. If it was really small and tight, I’d use the tip of a syringe. Same, same for the DeVille badges. For the Statesman badges, I just used a very fine and small paintbrush.
The results are shown below.
Why didn’t I just buy reproduction badges from Rare Spares I hear you ask? Well I actually did buy a front nosecone Wreath/Shield from Rare Spares to see what they were like. And to be honest, it was crap. It was poor quality and ill fitting, and when I tried to use the clip that holds the Wreath in place, the pin broke off. And at a price of around $110, I don’t think it represents value for money anyway.
But secondly, I’ve come to the conclusion that where it is at all possible, I will use original parts. Either those that have been refurbished by someone else, or parts that I refurbish myself, as I have with the badges. Keeping things original has become an obsession with me 🙂
