You have discovered the notorious faded bird emblem! Most all of these are faded out badly if the car spent any time outside in the elements. I believe that most of it is due to sun-fading.
I have a 99 TA and mine was faded badly before the warranty was out and I called it to the dealer's attention and they replaced it free of charge! They told me that this is a common issue and that GM was authorizing them to replace them if the customer complained.
I think the only thing to do is get a new replacement panel but perhaps someone else knows if the existing ones can be restored in some fashion. Good luck!
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1966 Bonneville Convertible, 421, 4spd. (in progress) 
1966 Bonneville 4 Dr. Hdtp. (survivor) 
1999 Trans Am Hatchback, red, 6 spd. 
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