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Well, I gnabbed a Lambda Sond emblem for pretty cheap off a guy on ebay who was trying to sell a 244 grille with the badge still on it. I offered him a fair price, and it was mine.
Unfortunately these things look like they went through several aesthetic revisions throughout their years, and also appear to have been cast in sand or made by donkeys. The casting quality is terrible.
I felt like I should try to do the emblem/badge some justice by restoring it to the way it should be.
Here's the process:
*First off, gather your supplies.
- Paints
- Emory Board / Razor Blade
- Degreaser (Rubbing Alcohol / Alcohol Swabs)
- Adhesive (I used JB Welder)
If you decide to keep the metal grille clamps in the back, avoid this step, and just re-clamp the LambdaSond badge back to the grill. If not, collect the supplies stated here: http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/MountingHighMileageBadges.htm
- 3 (Three) large washers ***I scuffed all of these on my sidewalk to make the surfaces coarse, to promote adhesion.***
- 2 (Two) 50mm bolts - I used brass furniture bolts due to their conical head shape, which fits well against the badge, and the washers.
- 2 (Two) locknut washers
- 2 (Two) nuts for the 50mm bolts.
- 1 strip of perforated galvanized steel roll. I don't know what this was called.
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Mount Creation
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Okay, first off, I made my badge mount a little differently, but it still works.
Take your three washers and line them up with the peforated steel strip on a non-important surface (cardboard/paper/etc). Make sure the holes match for the bolts that will pass through each.
Place a liberal amount of JB Welder on the two bottom washers, and place the remaining one on top.
Feel free to add a bit more adhesive. Wait 24 hours.
Flip over your glued washer contraption, and place bolts in the washers, so they rest level on the bolt heads.
Apply a liberal amount of adhesive to surface, washers, and bolts. Let dry for 24 hours.
Follow the linked mounting guide for further instructions.
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Badge Restoration
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I wanted my Lambda Sond badge logo to look like this one, in order to have a less weathered, more colorful look:
 Link Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeofpixel/5700649341/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Unfortunately for being in West Virginia, model kit paints were not easily or readily available, and car touch-up paint was prohibitively expensive for the limited amount needed. I went in the tool cellar and grabbed the $0.99 can of primer, black, and clear coat. For the blue, I resorted to a $1.50 bottle of fingernail polish...
Start off by wiping down badge with degreaser/alcohol swabs.
Prime the badge with a spray primer, making sure to get all of the edges. Wait until paint dries and cures.
With either an emory board or fine razor blade, remove the primer from the areas of the badge that are intended to be exposed aluminum. This will make it easier to remove after each step of spray painting, instead of waiting until the end.
Now that the center of the Lambda logo is primed, be sure to cover this area with painter's tape, or some other covering. I etched the logo into a sheet of paper by scribbling on top of the badge with a pencil. Flip the paper over since the image will need to be reversed.
Cover the pencil sketch in painters tape, and cut out. match the cut piece of tape to the shape of the logo's inner area. This will protect the primer, and allow for the blue paint to adhere well.
Paint the badge with your black spray paint, and repeat the waiting and scraping process that was followed with the primer.
Remove painters tape from center of Lambda logo, and paint with your blue paint. Once this layer dries, coat entire badge in a clear spray. I didn't do a good job at this step, but on the vehicle, you will never know.
Glue mounting bracket to the back-end of badge; wait to dry.
Mount to car!
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http://www.wvcycling.net
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