blackbelt2025

I just purchased new OEM RX-7 fender and MAZDA front-rear emblems for my 83, but I'm a bit unsure of how to install them.

The right fender RX-7 badge has 3 pins with a larger plastic clip on them but they seem too big to fit in the fender holes without some force and I don't want to break anything. The 2-pin left fender RX-7 badge does not have these larger plastic clips.

So what is the proper way to install these badges? It took a while to find these so I don't want to risk breaking them by doing soething wrong.

LongDuck

First step is to be careful with them. Those plastic pins are the only thing holding them in place once installed, and they do tend to get brittle with age. On some of the indicia, you can tell that the plastic pins have small longitudinal ridges on them which are designed to grab the hole they're inserted into to hold the emblem in place. These are mostly used on emblems which are installed on surfaces where it's not easy to reach the back side. For those that are more easily accessible, there are rectangular metal plates with a hole in the middle which are slid over those plastic pins and then pressed on further with a hollow tube to seat the metal plate against the inside of the body work, holding the emblem in place more solidly.

On installation of the friction-fit type, it will be a little harrowing as you push the emblem against he bodywork and hear the scritching sound the plastic pin makes as it's compressing those little ridges. Rest assured that once you have it fully against the bodywork, it will be permanently mounted. Removal of those emblems involves striking the plastic emblem hard enough to break off the plastic pins, which remain imbedded in those holes until you use a pin punch to force the broken plastic pieces into the bodywork before installing a new emblem in it's place.

Edited to add; you'll want to be 100% positive those plastic pins line up with the holes PERFECTLY before you start forcing it into place. If they're off center just a bit, you'll sheer the pins off and now you're relegated to double-sided sticky-tape to hold them on...

7aull

iTrader: (2)

OR-
bag the pins - and the inherent rust risk if you use the metal rear fasteners (FBs had a better mount to grab the pin I believe) and remove the pins & mount the badges using 3M double-sided automotive tape.
Easy to cut to fit the badge, you only need a narrow piece to run the length, and its a rock-solid mounting with no danger of fractured pins and cracked badges. Did this for my SA and its been on for 10yrs now, and is invisible to see....

Stu Aull
80GS
AK>AZ