Could someone please explain what de-badging (or de-badging) is, and why anyone should do it?
It gets mentioned on various threads, but I seem to have moved in the wrong circles, because I've never come across it.
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As far as I know its where you remove all badges which refer to make, model, engine size etc. from the bodywork of your vehicle.
Its a style thing like adding body kits, false air intake grilles etc.
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Its an option on some new cars. Mainly taken up at time of order by BMW owners. It removes the model/engine designation from the boot lid.
Its usually done by people who cant afford (or afford to run)the higher spec models, so debadge it and hope that people mistake it for a better or faster model.
Sometimes (rarely) its done by people who have the faster/higher spec models who wish to have some form of annonimity or want to suprise by having a "Q" car.
Even more rarely its specified by people who think that letter and numbers attached to the bootlid spoil the looks. (usually the excuse used by those who cant afford the upper spec models)
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Thanks for answers, all.
models who wish to have some form of annonimity or want to suprise by having a "Q" car.
And, while on the subject of my complete ignorance, what exactly is the definition of a "Q" car, and what is the origin of the phrase?
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It comes from Navy speak. "Q" ships. Looked like tatty slow old cargo ships to tempt a raider (usually a submarine) to the surface to attack with a deck gun rather than use precious torpedos.
Except, the sides would suddenly drop down to reveal a formidable array of heavy weaponry and the old barge would suddenly show a suprising turn of speed.
So a Q car is one that looks quite mainstream or boring, that suddenly reveals a sting in the tail if you try and mess with it away from the lights
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It comes from Navy speak. "Q" ships. Looked like tatty slow old cargo ships to tempt a raider (usually a submarine) to the surface to attack with a deck gun rather than use precious torpedos. Except, the sides would suddenly drop down to reveal a formidable array of heavy weaponry and the old barge would suddenly show a suprising turn of speed. So a Q car is one that looks quite mainstream or boring, that suddenly reveals a sting in the tail if you try and mess with it away from the lights
and I thought it was a Used Vauxhall, ;-) all the chavs will be sticking "Q" on the back of their Novas now.
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Removing manufactures car model designation eg 318 / sport / TDi
This can be viewed two ways.
In the golf club where appearances and the need to look to be "doing well" is aspired to.
In the company car park - where "look what that consultant is driving" can be the kiss of death !!
Jim
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You can only afford a poverty spec BMW, so you have it de-badged so no-one knows.
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"You can only afford a poverty spec BMW, so you have it de-badged so no-one knows"
But we all do know really
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Well basically it's one way for the boy-racers to disguise the fact that their Escort with all the RS Turbo bodykit and a drainpipe exhaust is really the diesel model with 60 bhp.
I once heard that insurance companies might lower a premium slightly for someone living in a rough area if they took the GTI badges off - though it doesn't sound plausible to me and I'm sure Mark will clarify.
Some wealthy relatives of mine de-badge their large BMWs because they don't like the "oooh, mine's better than yours..." culture that exists round their way.
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Did it on my old Cordoba as has Seat Cordoba TDi Cool.S written on the boot in varying scripts and looked messy. Back looked much better without them.
Only problem was the arguments with people telling me what the car was. The guy who fitted the autochanger kept telling me it was a Toledo and not based on the Polo saloon.
Also took them off my old Polo (1.6 CL). Did make it look like the base spec car- but looked much neater.
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I think debadging started years ago, in Germany, when the rich & evil bosses did not want the shop floor workers to know what model of Merc they were driving. There is also an inverse snobbery thing going on too. I read of a man who was having a Brabus Merc made, disguised as a taxi; the paint job was easy but there was a problem getting a "Taxi" roof sign that would stay on at 200 mph+! Maybe that is just an urban myth! When I was in Germany years ago there was a local soldier who had a 2CV with lace surtains and a pot plant in the back window and it was badges "450 SEL" but I don't think anyone was fooled!
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RF would my Mondeo 2.5 litre 24v quad cam V6 Ghia X but looks like a 1.6 L qualify as a Q car?
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(mimics the Chruchill dog) "Oh Yes"
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Have you removed the badges, the rear under body deflector, the giveaway tailpies, the slightly lowered suspension, the side skirts and the mesh grill? (centre and lower)
Cos if you aint like the wise old U boat Kaptain I will spot ya!
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Oops sorry thats the ST220. You would have to remove the rear leather head restraints.
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No it's standard fayre mot even the sad spoiler om the rear that some have. Not been debadged just a discreet V6 on the fenders. It's very boring to look at you know. What i'm pleased about though is it has more standard equipment than the boys in their ST24's ;-) (smug grin!)
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No it's standard fayre mot even the sad spoiler om the rear that some have. Not been debadged just a discreet V6 on the fenders. It's very boring to look at you know. What i'm pleased about though is it has more standard equipment than the boys in their ST24's ;-) (smug grin!)
Nothing sad about that spoiler!
I've got the best of both worlds - the Ghia X and its associated specification, but the Sports Appearance Pack commonly found on the ST24.
Unfortunately this rather makes it the opposite of a Q car - it's got a 2.0 16v engine.
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The UK Managing Director of the large Swiss-based pharmaceutical company I work for (narrows it down to two I suppose!) doesn't worry about people knowing what he drives.
He always parks nose to the wall so that everyone can see the SL55 designation on the boot lid.
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Note to Toyota
Please remove VVTi from the rump of your models.
It impresses nobody and those that understand it do not care.
While you are at it why bother to put the model identity just in front of the door mirrors?
I note that Ford have almost debadged the Focus but that might be due to bean counting.
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Worked for someone like that once. He would do everything to make sure everyone knew the big posh car outside was his. He would curse anything remotely old or cheap.
So every day I used to park my 12 year old dirty, rusty metro right up close .....
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Nothing to do with hiding a poverty spec in my case. I ordered my V70 2.4T SE without an engine badge primarily because of steal to order. Exactly this happened to a colleague with a similar car. I also prefer cars without badge clutter, and where they have the proper muscle to back it up, sleeper status (Q car).
Given that Volvo allowed (and probably still do) any combination of engine, suspension, wheel, and trim options, mine could thus be any V70 from base engine 140BHP and upwards. There is simply no way of telling what engine it has just from looking at the car, and given the punchy nature of the 2.4T, it was indeed the great Q car when I wanted it to be.
Now though, with BSR software upgrade to 252BHP and 410NM over a wide plateau, it's more a Q car than ever. Huge urge, at any revs, without destroying the wonderful Volvo refinement. Four up, and with a boot load of luggage, it walked away from the ST220 that followed me on to an empty Belgian dual carriageway last week, though when I decided to cruise, and the Ford caught up and drew alongside, the driver did have the good grace to make an 'Ok' symbol with finger and thumb, and smile. :-) Better than a Gendarme turning on the blues and twos, I guess!
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For a reason I still cannot work out, the 530d came with no model inscription. We got them to put the badge back on as part of the deal :)
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I think this situation of debadging resulted from some of the Japanese models listing a whole scribe of abbreviated spec details that looked totally hideous.
I seem to recall the early Honda Coupes having 16v ALB 4WS just to name a few, that were scribed across the boot lid and looked rediculous.
Anybody who is successful in modern commerce and selling to the senior management of his customers, would certainly insist that his top spec model is debadged, to avoid upsetting his clients.
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It has been known 2 b the other way round! In one of the BMW magazines someone had a modified 325i or something & put a badge of a smaller engined model!
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Hi
Most c-class MB's lower thatn the avantgarde spec are debadged. Nearly all 180k are debadged especially when they are given our by Chrysler/Benz to their low ranking peeps!!
Our sis has a S class 600 limo MB - we think it costs around 90k at least as opposed to the 350 limo they recently changed from their disel limo - the 600 is debadged as they feel it will attract unwanted attention.
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I find the idea of sad, status obsessed pink fluffy dice de-badging their 318s and C180s highly amusing.
These people are so thick they don't realise that anyone who would notice their car would be able to decipher its humble specification by checking out the Alloys, exhausts etc.
Pathetic little people.
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... ANd those who don't just debadge their base engined Beemer, but whack on an M-Sport badge together with some cheap alloys and a Ripspeed suspension kit?
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I heard the story years ago about the well-to-do couple in the showroom, where the husband was trying to buy a car of which his wife approved. I think that she wanted the neighbours to be impressed. The car was top of the range, and very well equipped for the time. She was really taken by it until she walked around the rear. She turned on her heel and walked straight out of the showroom and wouldn't speak to her husband for the rest of the evening. He only realised later on looking carefully at it that the model designation was XL.
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i used to like de-badging when i was 12-13, i de-badged a lot of cars on the local pub car parks.
i cant understand it, it is now a no-cost option.
i had an old biscuit tin full of mini, vw, merc, bmw, and such like badges.
"clonk, tink" might have them here somewhere......
used to wear vw badge around our neck under school shirt ;-)
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I've always debadged my cars whether they were mine or Company's and top spec or poverty spec simply because they trap dirt and moisture.
Nothing worse than a bit of the cleaning mitt hanging off one of the letters while the middle of the O is still full of dirt 'cos you can't get your cloth in there and a dribble of water leaving a mark on your newly chamois'd paintwork!
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I've always debadged my cars whether they were mine or Company's
ok fair enough but do you re-badge when you and your car part company? Put badges in the correct places? My first suspicions would be if badges were slightly mis-aligned when i was looking it over in order to buy would be the car has been rear ended and i'd walk away.
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No, never bothered and I have never considered it to be an issue.
Just bought a brand new car in December - first thing I did was take the badges off. They are in a plastic box in the glovebox and will probably stay there until I sell it.
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Firstly an apology to the members of this forum that are golfers, my illistration using a golf club was uncalled for and ignorant:+( I have lurked for a couple of years but only recently started posting. I guess it was a case of my alligator mouth overloading my doormouse ass........I will endevor to re-read my posts from now on.
This thread had given me a couple of good pointers especially stealing to order, and Q car (to be honest this appeals to the child in me). For me I most likly will go down the path of least resistane and leave badges on my new car. Resistance being getting it done by dealer and wishes of wife and daughters/sons.
Once again apologies
Jim
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I used to have a Mondeo V6 Ghia X Estate when we lived in Newcastle. I replaced the discreet 24V badge with a TD one.
Made it less thief worthy and bemused the drivers of hotted up chav mobiles when I blitzed them.
Other inverted snobbery demonstrated by a German registered Lamboughini Gallardo seen recently badged as a smart.
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I used to have a Mondeo V6 Ghia X Estate when we lived in Newcastle. I replaced the discreet 24V badge with a TD one.
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Madness!! I'd be able to tell by your oval exhaust instead of a pointy down one. Oh and the sound of the worlds quietest diesel. You wouldn't fool me young man!
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Indeed Wise old U Boat Kapitan would not be fooled either.
Mind you I would flash you a grin!
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I asked once because I think badges spoil the line - really - and the salesman tried to tell me that they were screwed in and there would be holes left in the bodywork!
It's fun looking at old models' badges, which of course emphasize the latest thing at the time they came out. So there are now "i's" everywhere now but when all are injection, that'll surely go. Rememeber the Prelude with its 4WS - now coming back into fashion I heard.
Escorts of course had the ubiquitous "Turbo" in 6 inch high lettering and RS2000 - whatever that meant.
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Escorts of course had the ubiquitous "Turbo" in 6 inch high lettering and RS2000 - whatever that meant.
RS means Rallye Sport, 2000 means cc of engine,
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Escorts of course had the ubiquitous "Turbo" in 6 inch high lettering...
...but not quite as ostenatious as the 1970s BMW 2002 Turbos with TURBO written mirror-image on the front spoiler.
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The exhuasts on the Mondeo Estate are hidden, even on the ST200 which has a twin exit exhuast in hatch and saloon guise.
So, the only way to tell it was not a diesel was the performance, lack of noise and the fact it had rear disc brakes and bigger discs up front.
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Ok ok Mr Pedantic, missed the bit saying an Estate. ho-hum
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There aren't many clues as to the engine in my de-badged 1999 1.0L vw polo. It has upgraded trim with rear head rests and metallic paint. The only thing may be alloy wheels not entirely sure the higher models all have them either. The steel wheels on mine started rusting so I now have vw trims on which make it look a lot smarter without the expense of alloys.
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