Restoring Painted Exterior Door Handles

[Jessica Smith]

My '09's door handles are factory painted red, but worn off quite a bit from a decade of use, and I'd like to restore them.

Options:

1) OEM replacements appear to be $70+ each, a bit rich for my blood, and the labor involved x4 doors looks like a huge PITA.

2) In-place with masking touchup spray paint. I assume I'd need to sand it up a bit, not sure if primer is needed, hit it with a few light coats of this spray paint, and then clear. Thoughts on the probability of this not being a disaster trying to get the angles without removal?

3) Cosmetic snap caps? I can find chrome covers galore, but none that match my PRH (inferno red) paint.

Anyone already gone through this? Not looking to win any car shows, but I also don't want to look like a **** head in a beater.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

My '09's door handles are factory painted red, but worn off quite a bit from a decade of use, and I'd like to restore them.

Options:

1) OEM replacements appear to be $70+ each, a bit rich for my blood, and the labor involved x4 doors looks like a huge PITA.

2) In-place with masking touchup spray paint. I assume I'd need to sand it up a bit, not sure if primer is needed, hit it with a few light coats of this spray paint, and then clear. Thoughts on the probability of this not being a disaster trying to get the angles without removal?

3) Cosmetic snap caps? I can find chrome covers galore, but none that match my PRH (inferno red) paint.

Anyone already gone through this? Not looking to win any car shows, but I also don't want to look like a **** head in a beater.

View attachment 164351

Try wet sanding with 1000 grit sand paper to see if you can get rid of the oxidation then hand polish. If you can’t order matching spray paint and tape and shoot. No need for a primer just a scotch brite pad to scuff and hit it with adhesion promoter

 

[james.price.58]

Hard to tell, but is that paint oxidation? If so a good 3 step paint correction will help. If the clear is cracking/peeling you may have to resort to wet sanding and buffing and doing a new clear

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Jessica Smith]

Hard to tell, but is that paint oxidation? If so a good 3 step paint correction will help. If the clear is cracking/peeling you may have to resort to wet sanding and buffing and doing a new clear

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

The thumbnail should be clickable. Basically the horizontal surfaces are sun damaged, faded and rough, and the inner door handle the paint is completely worn off from hands touching it.

OK, I'm going to go ahead and just try the tape and paint w/ the suggested technique and hope it turns out. I know it should really come off the vehicle to do it right, but I'm surprised how much effort it is to get those handles off.

 

[tidefan1967]

I did the same thing to my old 2001 Silverado that originally had those old ****** flat black door handles. They were the textured kind and I had to sand off the texture which at least you don't have to worry about. I sanded them down till they were fairly smooth and then did the prime and sand thing several times until they were slick. Two coats of paint and clear and they still look good 4 years later. Of course you could always buy the chrome stick on covers. Hell some of the higher trim levels already have chrome/painted combination door handles. Of course I would definitely try to wet sand what you already have first.