Removing Door Handles And Plastic Door Trims? Need Help?

[Hazzer321]

I want to spray the door handles and the plastic trim that runs across the doors of the car and also the boot lid plastic trim the same colour of my car, i was wondering if anyone knew how hard/easy it is to remove them because i'm affraid i might damage the car by doing so, i think they are glued on so i thought with a heat gun could maybe get them off but then what would i use to remove the residue glue off of the car, if anyone can help me out here would be a big help as im planning on doing this quite soon

thanks

these are the trims im talking about

[bigdaz86]

that would be a hard one i think i havent actually done it before but having seen cars where these have been ripped off or fallen off it leaves a noticeable mess?

[catch]

I suspect the door handles are like the tailgate trim, which can be removed by removing the door panels on the inside to reveal the securing screws.

As to the plastic trim [the rub strips, supposed to protect the car when other doors are opened onto them, but it doesn't]For what it is worth, I just had to have the rear OS wing and rear OS passenger door resprayed because of somebody opening a door onto my rear OS wing. I was told on my Mk2 those strips are fixed by adhesive. And when "them that do it for a living" take them off they always get bent and never look right again, so I had to have a new one fitted.

[artscot79]

I suspect the door handles are like the tailgate trim, which can be removed by removing the door panels on the inside to reveal the securing screws.

As to the plastic trim [the rub strips, supposed to protect the car when other doors are opened onto them, but it doesn't]For what it is worth, I just had to have the rear OS wing and rear OS passenger door resprayed because of somebody opening a door onto my rear OS wing. I was told on my Mk2 those strips are fixed by adhesive. And when "them that do it for a living" take them off they always get bent and never look right again, so I had to have a new one fitted.

the door strips will need to be replaced with brand new ones as said they bend and cant be straightened the handles are accessible with the door card off the rear hatch is the same however word of caution i wouldnt bother the reason is simple these areas are all very high wear areas the handles will scratch and chip within a month i gaurantee you that you would have to roughen them up then need 2 coats of flexible plastic primer then youll need 3 coats of topcoat colour matched to the car and 2 coats of super finish laquer and at least 2 days for them to dry thoroughly and the laquer harden and they will still chip the door strips are even worse they will chip very very easily theres a few round my way that have had it done at a spray shop and they admit they wish they hadnt as its constantly getting chipped and once you start touching them up it starts to look a right mess ive done it all for friends on there other cars and im usually redoing it every 6 months thats using the proper equipment save the hassle and the cash mate and leave it the way it is youll thenk me in the long run.

if you really want them done ask a pro spray shop how much they will take if you bring them the bits to paint

[catch]

totally agree with all that artscot79 says. I had a Volvo S40 and the rub strips came colour matched Volvo Silver, in the short time I had it [9 months] I was constantly having to touch them up. If you looked you could see where it was touched up, but to be honest the only person that scrutinises your car will be you. Other people are not interested in your car one bit, ask your self...are you interested in anybodies else's car but your own

Of course saying that the rub strips on the Focus are useless [ not enough depth in them, you usually get hit higher up the door, say mid way] so they most likely wont get nicked. And yes on my Volvo they looked nice with the matching colour coded handles. But to be honest if the car does not come that way I would not waste my money on it. But I know you young'uns like to waste money on your motors blinging them up :P. Fact is when you come to sell it you will get no more money for it, after all the fanning about and brass you've spent on it.In fact such motors as a rule fetch less money.

But I totally understand as it's your brass, it's totally your decision what you waste it on ;)

[ford focus edge]

Been here done this its an absoutle !Removed! of a job took me about a week to do and they chip and wear like hell and never match.

Buy pre-primed st170 front and rear bumper trims and ghia sides and door handles these parts are designed to be painted unlike the crap ford black plastics.

The door handles on mine are s**t due to use the paint will just wear of no matter how much primer and laquer you use.

Just buy a st170 rear boot trim and ghia/st sides if u can get the ghia door handles (ghia parts should be cheaper than st ones).

This is what mine ended up like after about 40quids worth of spray.

If you can zoom you can still see the texture of the plactics overall its not TO bad but it could be better if any of them start properly flaking il rip them all of and fit proper ones that are designed for painting. Lesson learned!

[Hazzer321]

thanks for all your advise after spending time reading each comment it kind of becomes easy to say that maybe it's just not ment to be, but as the last comment says about having the ST170 Strips, would these not flake, because i did think the type of plastic was different. the only problem is where am i going to be able to get these from. i've searched eBay up and down i would be able to get the handles off there, but no one seems to have the ST170 strips on there or Ghia ones.

thanks again for all your advise

[Hazzer321]

I've just spotted this on eBay this should be ok to use right as its the RS ones, they must be made out of the same plastic as the ST170

Door Handles and Door Trims

[ford focus edge]

Yeah there the same just painted that colour where as the ghia and st have more varity and are usually cheaper.

You could just sand those down and spray them the same colour as your car saves alot of faffing about and you stand a fair chance of it looking alright.

Dont no why ford never colour coded the focus properly it looks so much better than the cheap black rubbish they fit as standard!

[artscot79]

Yeah there the same just painted that colour where as the ghia and st have more varity and are usually cheaper.

You could just sand those down and spray them the same colour as your car saves alot of faffing about and you stand a fair chance of it looking alright.

Dont no why ford never colour coded the focus properly it looks so much better than the cheap black rubbish they fit as standard!

i h ave to disagree ive seen many colour coded and they just dont look right for example mine ive seen the same colour with the strips and skirts etc done and it looks bloomin horrid silver and blue get away with it just...every time i meet someone with the same colour car they all agree they shouldnt have sprayed theres youll need to do the mudflaps too if you want it to look right

[ford focus edge]

i h ave to disagree ive seen many colour coded and they just dont look right for example mine ive seen the same colour with the strips and skirts etc done and it looks bloomin horrid silver and blue get away with it just...every time i meet someone with the same colour car they all agree they shouldnt have sprayed theres youll need to do the mudflaps too if you want it to look right

I'm laffing then mines silvery blue :P They dont always perfectly match no but if you do a good job they do look alright.

Out of curiousness hazzer what colour is your focus?

[Hazzer321]

my focus is the moondust silver

this is my car the day i bought it

[ford focus edge]

Zetec collection lurrvley cars does it have the coloured side skirts on if so i can see why you want to colour code it all in, any luck finding the primed trim's? the only set i can find is the set on eBay you linked us all to which is now at 30 sumin quid

And YOUVE GOT A SUNROOF!!!! you flash git :P

[Hazzer321]

:), in that photo the car doesn't have the coloured side skirts but i bought some a few weeks after getting it so now it does, i'm glad you can see why i want to colour code it :).

I've been contacting scrapyards to see if they have got any focus ghias or ST170's in but had no luck so far, but i should find some eventually. i was also wondering do you think the main ford garage would supply these if i really cant find any?

and the sun roof is awesome :P