"Boxster" badge replacement

This is probably a dumb question, but... Now that warmer weather is here (and before it tuns into a 99F summer hellscape), I'm addressing a few minor items on my to-do list. Today I replaced the gas cap because the tether was broken (relatively easy, though the fastener/pin is in kind of an awkward location), and I removed the weathered trunk badge. I have a new badge ready to go back in place, but I'm afraid that if get my buffer out and really clean up and polish the area, I'm gonna have a rough time positioning the new badge. As it stands, there's a faint 'ghost' image that I should be able to use for properly locating it, but it's going to either disappear or become so faint that I won't be able to see it. Is there a simple way to position these things, without being a Porsche engineer? I don't really want to de-badge the trunk. I'll forget what the car is.

I'm thinking the badge has to be lined up with the edge of the trunk there. You could measure the distance from the edge to the corners of the ghosted letters at specific points (at least both ends), be sure you know the angle of the measurement (the lid edge is curved, I believe) and then use that to place the replacement letters? For example, I'd consider a carpenter's square, for example, and see if you can use that to measure. I expect the stock letters are placed by a fixture of some kind... but as long as you're close, it shouldn't matter?

A couple of things come to mind, as I think about if I were replacing the badging. First I would take some measurements of where the old outline of the badge is, using several points of reference. Secondly, I would take pictures as a guide to give myself a visual representation of where it is supposed to be placed. You mention cleaning and polishing. I have replaced some lettering on another vehicle, which came with double-sided 3M tape . I cleaned the area well with alcohol to remove any remaining film to ensure good adhesion. If you polish the area, the polish will work against you getting a good application, in my opinion. So, you could either use a Q-tip with some alcohol and clean the area where the faded outline remains then apply the badge. This way you‘ll be assured of getting it onto the exact same area. Then polish around the badge when done using a small applicator to get into the tight spots. Or just clean and polish the entire panel and if the old outline is not visible, use the pics and measurements to get it back to as close a possible as original. But I would still try to remove any polish where the badge goes. Polish is purposed to repel dirt, grime, and residue by leaving a slick surface, which will not give the best adhesion to the badge. Whenever I glue or stick something I use an alcohol wipe to leave a fresh surface for the best results. Good luck.

I am unsure if polish can remove 15 years of UV fading, and if it doesn't, there's your template for re-alignment. But if it does erase all traces, put it where you like it. No one is going to get out a micrometer to see if it's perfectly as it came from the factory. I bet even the best body shops don't get anal about replacing stick-on lettering.

I've watched some car assembly line vids and they use jigs to position the badges. Seems like this would be the most accurate way. Why not make a gig with something... a sheet of thin translucent plastic maybe? It would have wood/balsa blocks glued to the bottom to align against the bottom and sides of the trunk. The badge would go in a hole in the center that you cut to match the existing location, Aligned on 3 sides, minimum. Alternatively tape along 4 sides of the existing badge. Leave the tape and polish inside the tape after removal... The taped areas won't need polishing but if they do, Polish after install of the new badge. Just a thought. Separately, a question: is yours a base? I have been wanting to get a 2.9 badge to put under / after my Boxter badge ... I think it would be cool and a nod to older Porsche badging

I think that making a jig of some sort will be my best bet, which I should have thought of before removing the old badge. The tape & polish idea isn't bad, either. Something to consider. I've never replaced badging like this in nearly 5 decades of driving, so it's new territory to me. And yes, it's a plain old Boxster.

Just to note - polishing removes material. It adds nothing. I would polish first, hopefully stick the badge on in the right place (or close to it), then wax (or finish) the area around the badge. But yes, point taken - always use a clean surface when doing adhesive work.

I rather doubt the dark section is in the clear-coat, and that's all you'd be removing unless you take some sandpaper to the finish and sand down to the color coat. The letters will quite probably still be evident after polishing. If you're concerned, do it by hand and one letter at a time. If the first one disappears, then I was wrong (sorry) and you should take a different mode of attack.

I'm pretty sure I've seen threads over on The Forum That Must Not Be Named where people have posted with this same dilemma and other users have posted pictures of their badges with measurements to the edges of the decklid shown. Might be worth a quick search over there.

Sadly, I haven't enough experience to know what that forum might be. I suppose that I'll have to do some furtive searching. But not much has turned up on my blanket Google searches so far - which is why I'm here.

Porsche sells the jigs. They are specific to each badge, and they are expensive and non-returnable.

Yeah, I saw those and discarded the idea immediately.

I did a quick, light pass with some mild polish, and the shadow " Boxster " is now almost completely gone. I buffed it up and I might just call it a day. I'll see how I feel next time I'm "doing car stuff."

I debadged my Cayman sometime early after buying it in 2010. So there was no problem polishing away the "shadow". I decided I liked the clean look, so the plastic badge is still kicking around in my garage somewhere.

Sorry, I was posting from work yesterday and didn't think downloading and copying images was a great idea at the time. I've copied the drawings here for any future Planet-9ers' reference.

I think the information j oliver3333 supplied is the simplest accurate way to go. When I removed the "Cayman S" from my 2010 I laid down a sheet of craft paper over the rear deck, traced the outline of the deck and the badge onto the craft paper and removed the badge with fishing line and xylol (also found in road tar remover. It is excellent for removal of adhesive). The craft paper would have been my "jig" for putting a new badge on. However, I liked having a clean rear deck which was easy to wash and polish and never replaced the badge.

make a paper template and use a ruler. You could incorporate painters tape to hold it in place. If it’s close to a template it will look straight without it, just gotta mind center!

How's it attached? The hood badge on my 944 had two pins that slipped through two holes and were held in place with fasteners on the other side. Someone stole the badge; scratching the hood in the removal process. Turns out that apparently happens a lot; As Porsche offers both OEM badges and cheaper after-market duplicates.

Sadly, the trunk (boot) lid badges require either a jig or a really good eye.