Painting or Plastic Dip Door handles

[Bstollmaier]

Scuff with scotchbrite, etch prime, prime, base, clear. Already did it. It's real chrome on plastic.
You can find some of my pics and video here. Not on how to paint them but just overall pics. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=386478&page=3

 

[awmenard]

@ JRLWeasel,

Not really an answer to your question, rather a comment.

Please post pics when you get your truck, I look forward to the all white look.

 

[Harley#356]

Just vinyl wrapped my door handles today. Could easily do it with white, but I went with black to keep the theme of the black accents going. Posting a thread with pics now.

 

[txaggie]

I did my door handles this past weekend. All chrome pieces have now been taken care of.

 

[Harley#356]

No more chrome door handles on my Sport! Gloss black!

Always thought it was kind of dumb that Ford blacked out the grille, blacked out the lights, blacked out the trim, then left chrome door handles on the sport. I fixed that today for about $3 lol. I got a 1'x5' roll of high quality 3M Gloss Black Automotive Vinyl wrap material off ebay for about $8 and used a couple pieces to wrap the door handles.

Looks great, you'd think it was factory. The 3M vinyl is great to work with, very stretchy, conforms to any surface, and there's microtexture on the back side so you don't get any air bubbles when applying the vinyl. Some steady work with an exacto-knife blade to trim the edges, and a bondo scraper to tuck the vinyl into tight nooks and edges, it was a pretty easy mod to do. The auto-lock thumb pad still works with the vinyl over top, but I still trimmed that area out, and the back side of the handle out for more of an OEM look.

BEFORE....the only chrome on the sides...

Applying the vinyl, it looks like it was shrink wrapped, but its just how nicely it conforms to shapes...

Finished product on the front door handle...

finished product on the rear door handle...

Pic of rear handle wrapped, front handle chrome...

Passenger side chrome...

Drivers side black....

Further back comparison.....can argue the chrome handles match the wheels, but the wheels are polished edges, not chrome, so the black matches better IMO lol. Ties in with the mirror caps, windshield molding, and grille bars.

 

[Bstollmaier]

Cool. Let us know how they hold up.

 

[Harley#356]

Will do. Should hold up fine since all the edges are tucked into seams, and the 3M vinyl is for automotive wraps so it's made for stuff like this.

 

[JRLWeasle]

Very nice job. Had to say it.

 

[JRLWeasle]

Thanks for all the replies. I will post pics once I get it Saturday.

 

[Ryan327]

Harley, can you say a little more on how to do this, very interested and trying to decide on this or plasti dip, just unsure how to get it fit so tight in all the little bends/nooks and how you avoided any creases.

Did you have to remove the handles at all? How did you trim on the back side of the hand to avoid wrapping the sensor?

 

[Fish4five]

Nice Job, looks good. Ill have to look into this for ours.

 

[awmenard]

Harley#356

Looks great, seems like its factory. It's the little mods and attention to details that make the whole difference.

Great looking Sport keep up the nice work.

 

[Lethal-Wombat]

FANTASTIC job !!...... they, and your whole truck look GREAT !!!

 

[Harley#356]

Harley, can you say a little more on how to do this, very interested and trying to decide on this or plasti dip, just unsure how to get it fit so tight in all the little bends/nooks and how you avoided any creases.

Did you have to remove the handles at all? How did you trim on the back side of the hand to avoid wrapping the sensor?

Plastidip is flat black, so the handles would look more plastic, like the cheap plastic body cladding on the bottom edges of the doors. The vinyl is gloss black, so it looks identical to the window pillars, mirror caps, and grille bars, which all look painted gloss black. So IMO plastidip looks more like base model bare plastic handles. Gloss black vinyl wrap looks more like OEM Sport trim pieces.

It was actually very easy to wrap the handle itself. The 3M vinyl stretches super far, and if you stretch too far, a heat gun shrinks it back. So it's easy to avoid creases since it stretches tight avoiding any material bunching up. To get it tucked around the edges of the handles I used a bondo plastic putty applicator, then an exacto knife blade to trim it along the edge of the handle in the crease. A very sharp blade cuts it really easily along the edge. Also look closely at the back side of the handle, it goes from chrome to black plastic and there's a seam where the 2 materials meet. I just pushed the vinyl in with my fingernail to get a crease there, then scored it with the knife, and the vinyl was trimmed perfect along that crease.

It does take patience and a steady hand, but it's not all that difficult. Start with the rear handles since there's less trimming. I only did 2 so far, didn't have the patience to do all 4 at once lol. I'll do the passenger side today.

Harley#356

Looks great, seems like its factory. It's the little mods and attention to details that make the whole difference.

Great looking Sport keep up the nice work.

Thanks! I'd really like to find a stock white sport to park next to. That's when all these subtle mods will stand out and really make a difference. But sitting by itself most don't notice all the little attention to detail mods, because they look like it should have come stock.

 

[awmenard]

Don't worry Harley#356 this is why we are here, we notice and it gives other great ideas on how to improve our rides.

 

[Fast Gator]

Josh, I happen to know where there is a stock white X Sport, that you can do a side by side comparison pic shoot.
The only thing, you'll have to do my door handles

That looks GREAT!!!!!!
I've hated those chrome door handles and never could understand why Ford didn't black them out.

 

[Harley#356]

Josh, I happen to know where there is a stock white X Sport, that you can do a side by side comparison pic shoot.
The only thing, you'll have to do my door handles

That looks GREAT!!!!!!
I've hated those chrome door handles and never could understand why Ford didn't black them out.

LOL! I do have enough extra to do another set of handles. And I've got the technique down pretty good now. Did the passenger side ones today. May redo the drivers side ones when I get bored. It's tedious though, so it may cost you a 6 pack lol

 

[Ryan327]

Where abouts in NJ, I should have you do it for me when I come up next time

Beer is cheaper then messing it up myself!

 

[Fast Gator]

LOL! I do have enough extra to do another set of handles. And I've got the technique down pretty good now. Did the passenger side ones today. May redo the drivers side ones when I get bored. It's tedious though, so it may cost you a 6 pack lol

6 Pack?

Bro, Iam bringing a case! What flavor you like?
I don't have the patience to do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plus my led reverse lights showed up yesterday (hint-hint)

 

[AZZKIKR]

Turned out good. Nice mod!