My leaping cat emblem is faulty and needs to be replaced. I would like to know the procedure for removing and reinstating it on the hood. Grateful for your kind advice. Car is 2001 XJ8 Vanden Plas.

 

I use a 15/16ths deep well socket to remove the plastic nut on the underside of the hood. Once that's off, I carefully use a heat gun inside the same hole so that the double sided tape from the base of the leaper gets warmed up and then you can carefully pry up the base and off. Clean the hood and reinstall another leaper.

 

Thanks. spot on.

 

"Carefully" is the operative phrase, since a heat gun can remove paint. A hair dryer is safer, but if the double-sided tape is of the foam core type, you may also be able to simply cut through the tape using nylon fishing line or strong thread like a cheese cutter.

Wrap one end of the line around the finger of one hand, and the other end over a finger of your other hand with about 6 to 8 inches of line between your fingers. Work the line under the edges of the leaper and "saw" it back and forth to work it through the foam core of the tape.

Cheers,

Don