I am going to be purchasing a front plate cover for my car and I want to shave the Bird emblem off of it (leaving it smooth). What would be the best way to do this?

 

Here is a photoshopped pic to show what I am trying to do:

 

grind it all down to smooth with a dremel, and if you get any low spots from that, use a little filler, sand, and paint!

viola!

 

Isn't the Bird extruded, and the back of it indented? So if you grind away the Bird, you're left with a Bird shaped hole in the cover?

 

I like the bird on the front better. It is clean looking, but the bird is pretty eye grabbing itself

 

So anyways... Assuming the front Bird is raised out of the surrounding plastic, how would I go about attaching a flat area behind the Bird, then grinding the Bird down, and filling it to make it smooth? What materials/techniques/prep do I use?

 

i would imagine bondo would work. someone used that to smooth out their berger panel

 

I wouldnt use Bondo, the panel flexes ALOT (ask me how I know). You would be best off using some short strand fiberglass and maybe a little bit of bondo just to smooth it out. The only thing I gotta ask is why Lee? I love the bird.

 

I don't think you guys understand this: if I shave the bird down there will be a bird shaped hole! I need to attach something to the back (somehow) and some sort of flexible filler material. It's the same material as the bumper.

I can't use Bondo because of the panel flex...

 

if i were you i would lay down some fiberglass sheets and resin on the back behind the logo and push it in kind the inset shapes of the bird on the back, then get your dremel and shave them off on the outside leaving the fiber glassed back showing through the holes where the bird used to be, then get a body filler and fill it in, sand, paint, done!

 

I would take it one step further and blend the entire panel into the bumper. Im planning on doing that when i finally get around to doing some body work.

 

I'm thinking use a plastic epoxy to attach a Lexan/high durometer rubber mat (or use a heatgun and bend a sheet of ABS to match most of the curves) or something to the inside of the panel, then shave the Bird down, and fill the hole with more plastic epoxy.

No... Not only am I terrible at painting, but I need to run a front plate with all the driving I do (10k miles since February). Really don't want to be bothered with getting pulled over for a BS reason... I'd keep the plate cover in the car and only put it on for photoshoots and meets.

 

Its pretty easy......go ahead and use a grinder or dremel whatever you preffer and cut the bird out. Then kind of like mentioned earlier take some fiberglass matt/resin and lay it down on the inside of the panel. Put a few layers down making sure you go past the bird a good bit!! Make sure you sand it down and clean it first so it has a good addhearsion. After that sets up take some 180 or 220 and sand the fiberglass from the outside where you see it through the bird outline. This is so the fiberglass filler has a good bite. Then use some short strand fiberglass filler and fill the bird in smoothing it out two in or so past the bird. Sand that down to where you think its as good as you can get it then spray it with some good high build primer. Sand it down smooth and spray another coat then wetsand it to 1200 and paint. Sounds like alot but its actually pretty easy!! Especially with a small piece like that!! Good luck and hope I helped some!!

Heres a great site you can read up on this is covered all the time there!!
http://www.fiberglassforums.com/showthread.php?t=199