On my series 3 the incised lettering is aluminized (or chromed). The upper
part, with the word `SERIES', is blue.
The incised stripes in the lower part are aluminized (or chromed) as is
the numeral 3. The background is red.
Restoring the badges is not easy. The problem is getting the paint out of
the incised lettering. Sandpaper on a wooden block will remove the
background paint. I could find no solvent that would remove the paint (or
aluminum or chrome) from the letters without destroying the acrylic. So I
used a tooth pick in a drill press with abrasive paste and spent hours
removing the paint and polishing the inside of the lettering. A small dowel
with abrasive paste was used on the numeral 3.
Then I made a mistake. I should have had the backs aluminized, but I used
chrome spray paint from a hobby shop. That comes out looking not too bad,
but the aluminum would have been better.
Next, sand the aluminum off the back and polish the plastic, finally spray
painting it with the blue and the red. Finally, use an acrylic polish on
the face and finish with an acrylic cleaner.
Mine came out looking much, much better than they did before I started and
I was pretty much satisfied with the result.
FL
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