Automotive – Porsche Turbo Badge Detailing

Removing the badge

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dmittedly this is the most lame DIY ever but I had to start by posting something. This morning I took about fifteen minutes to clean under the “turbo” badge script on my 1984 Porsche 930. Being such a focal point on the car, it was a bit of a dishonor with about twenty-five years of wax and crud built up.

Tools & product:

• 8mm socket or wrench
• Small brush (e.g. toothbrush)
• Non-harsh car wash
• Clean lint-free cloths
• Clay bar (or a liquid clay product)
• Wax remover
• Your favourate car wax or polish

The removal is simple – two 8mm speed nuts from the backside.

The crud underneath The paint on the car is original so I wanted to take some care in cleaning the surface. Having said that, the paint is no longer perfect (the previous owner touched up a chip above the “o”) so I wasn’t overly picky. I first soaked the area and got most of the dirt off with a bit of general car wash. Then I used some Turtle Wax ICE Liquid Clay to remove the hard stuff. After a rinse, the outline of the script was still a bit visible but not enough to be a concern.

The “t” was also bent a little askew – a careful tweak put it back in place. I noticed that the black painted aluminum had some corrosion on the back; a new OEM badge for this car (930-559-317-00-M260) is relatively cheap at only about $20-25. After scrubbing mine with an old toothbrush and wax remover, it looked almost new.

ResultsBefore putting it back on, this is a great time to put on a fresh coat of wax. Instead of wax I used some Turtle Wax ICE Liquid Polish. And no, I’m not being paid by Turtle Wax; I just like their products.

Admiring the results I know I will sleep better tonight. Porsche’s choice of black on black is subtle ...unlike the turbo itself.