I read through the FAQ and didn't see it mentioned. I'm new and I apologize ahead of time if this has been asked. I wanted to swap out the front emblem in the grill of my '07 3 hatchback with a colored version.

I was driving to work about a month ago and I saw a dark grey version of my car on th ehigway, but the front emblem was dark red. It looked really good. My car is silver so a dark red might not look so good, but is there a website I can order parts from that would have different colors? I clicked through some of the sponsered links and only found replacements parts.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

i don't believe there are any replacement emblems for the from grill, you can only buy the tribute ones for the back emblems.

but alot of people take the emblem out, then submerge it in some chemicals (not positive of the combo, and cause i know it can be deadly if breathed in, i don't wanna even try)

i came across a link before with a DIY, i will see if i can find it.

 

You mean like this?

Or this?

Or this?

They are painted using a transparent red. Additional coats make them look more maroon, the color that I was going for.
It is not necessary to strip the chrome plating using hydrochloric acid, but if you want them to last more than a month before having to redo them, you will need an adhesion promoting primer and a UV protecting clear polyurethane as a top coat. It's clear and turns the chrome dull... though not permanently. Lacquer thinner will take everything back off again and back to chrome.
BUT, be sure you want to commit, because once you do you'll be repainting them about twice a year.

 

That is exactl what I am talking about. Didn't realize that it was a do it yourself-er. Either way the result looks really good.

 

To do it right, and so that it will last a while, is a very careful and time consuming process, Duke.
This last time I did mine is the best so far, and they've lasted longer than before too.
BTW: The best of those pics, color wise, is the fog light surround, though in sunlight they will fade and eventually turn orangish if not redone. The others got kinda' washed out and red-pinkish looking from the digital camera.
Also, the front will tend to chip and may need redoing before the rest.
As I'd said, it's a commitment. You sure you wanna go there?

 

I removed my front and rear flying M and used a can of duplicolor black and clear coat ($9.45) and it took an hour and a hair dryer. I cheated and used silicone to re-apply rather then the tape (its a pain to cut it to fit). They look good in red, better in black......

 

very very nice virgin1

 

Yeah, that's one way to do it, and I see all kinds of blackbadges even in my own Mazda chapter. I justfelt my white hatch needed some color, not that I really planned it that way. It just sort of happened as I thought of things.
I spendroughly a full day when it's time to redo badges.Removing old paint and tape, cleaning them thoroughly, 3 coats of primer, 3-4 coats color, 2 coats of clear, then baking them for a while (15-20mins @175*) and waiting for them to set up hard. Then I reinstall the next day.
Thanks for the kudos, shalezoom3. Not everybody appreciates them. Some say they look candy-***. It's about 80%+/20%- (not scientific) of those that have expressed an opinion, but I like 'em and that's what really matters anyway. Do what you do because you like how it turned out.
And too, they are pretty unique in the Mazda3 world.

 

I was thinking a metallic cobalt blue would be a nice highight to my silver car. I may look into this, but I don't have that kind of time right now.

But I think your work looks quite nice.

 

Look into Dupli-Color Metal Cast paints. They are transparent (let the chrome underneath shine through) and are also available in blue. The more coats you use, the darker it will be. And I think that an excellent choice for your silver car too. But don't become impatient and rush it. the job and longevity will be 3-4 fold if you do it right the first time. Believe me.
One of our guys driving a black P5 had a brain fart and after seeing my car thought it would be unique to do his badges in red. He did it, then realized that he had actually gotten the idea from my car. He went to blue, which was my other choice too,and it looks great!