Hey all, 2000 Camaro. I noticed last summer the goo/gel over the emblem on the front of the car was running down the bumper. So I carefully removed what was running off, and now it started happening again this summer. Attached is a photo, and you'll also see the inside of my car cover got caught up in this goo stuff too (I only drive this car 1-2 times a week, cover it the rest of the time bc it sits outside).
What is this stuff? I'd like to completely remove it, then reapply it to make it look nice & not keep running down the nose of the car. Any tips on this would be greatly appreciated.
PS Dont judge me on the swirl marks they were there when I bought the car 🙁
Link to image: https://imgur.com/6seYukU
Thank you for your time!
-Nick
I've seen this kind of thing before. There was a period of time when they were using some kind of crappy plastic. After time it starts to ooze and smells like vomit, and it never stops. They used it in all kinds of things, but screwdriver handles was a big one you see all over the internet. It often ruins whatever it touches.
I assume it's a clear coating on top of a metal substrate? I would remove the emblem completely (heat gun + gently lifting/prying). Then grind off as much of the plastic as possible, and then drop it in acetone to remove the rest. Touch up the paint if needed. Then apply some UV resistant enamel or two-part epoxy. Or see if there are some aftermarket emblems on the internet.
Other guys are having this problem too.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearance-detailing/1832160-camaro-nose-emblem-melted-2.html
Thank you, I jumped in on the discussion there, much appreciated.
Weird. Hard to tell, but maybe they didn’t mix hardener in the plastic correctly?
I’d replace the emblem; you can get them cheap if you look around.
Same thought here.. remove the emblem asap, definitely not good for your paint
Thanks guys, will probably remove it, then consider either reattaching it or getting a new one. Any recommendations on a good way to reattach this? Either an adhesive or some other process?
Any recommendations on a good way to reattach this?
tadaaa
You're the man, thank you
some kind of crappy plastic
So here's the skinny ...
There is a high transparency thermoplastic called cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB).
cellulose acetate is one of the oldest kinds of plastic, and we used it for well over a century (1865) before we came up with better ones. You might remember it from things like photographic film, eyeglass frames, cigarette filters and even textile in garments. (It was usually abbreviated to 'acetate')
Yes, cellulose, as in the stuff that gives wood and cotton its cell structure. The plastic is made by treating wood pulp. Around 1930 we started adding butyrate to make it more durable. (part of a family. Nitrate/Acetate/Butyrate)
Around the 1980's we discovered a big problem. All our cellulose acetate photo film was degrading. Over time it decomposed, and gave off a distinct odor. It was dubbed "vinegar syndrome".
The butyrated variety was more durable, but still eventually breaks down, releasing butyric acid (BA also formed in your stomach from broken down food, which is what gives vomit it characteristic smell)
What happens is the esters in the plastic react with moisture in the air (hydrolysis) to create acids: nitric, acetic and butyric. The acids break down (oxidize) the plastic (depolymerization). And out comes the monomers and plasticizers.
short version
So basically, they probably used some form of cellulose plastic in your emblem (due to it's high transparency to visible light, which means it has high UV resistance). But it's an unstable plastic. Humidity in the air causes the plastic to turn acidic, which breaks it down. The problem is made worse when the object is enclosed. i.e. screwdrivers stored in a drawer, museum cabinets, or your emblem under a car cover, etc. And you probably don't want to cut holes in your cover.
woah, appreciate the in-depth analysis.