[oldeguy]

How do I paint the door handles to match the body colour? The one thing that I find confusing on the ZTS is the propensity of black and then a chrome strip on the back. Painting or changing the door handles the same as the body would make things a little nicer.

[audionut405]

The door handles from the Mazda Tribute are identical to the foci and come painted! Direct bolt-on I believe.

[torradan]

Yeah there is quite a long thread over on FF about the Tribute handles.

I was reading through it yesterday, and looks like its about $30 a handle, give or take a few bucks.

Of course, you need a color that matches whatever the Tribute came in.

[Frost__2001]

it's easier just to paint them yourself like people do in Europe.

all you have to do is undo your door pannels, and remove the foam in the door undo the 2 screws holding the handle in place and it comes right off, just sand smooth and prime, and paint, and clear coat it with atleast 2 coats as you'll gain scraches in the door handles over time.

[SmokeBCBuDZ]

Id like to get the kit that removes the handles and with a remote pops the door open when you want in.

[castone]

if your handles are chrome you might have problems with the paint sticking to them
as for the tribute handles you need a vin# to buy them from mazda
your best bet is to buy some used ones from ebay and paint them

[guilty]

If your car is a color that SVT Focus' were offered in, you can buy them pre-painted from Ford already matching your body color. From what I gathered from that long Tribute handle thread was that if you could get the SVT handles it's a lot less hassle and around the same cost as getting the Tribute handles.

There's always the option of painting your stock handles, just be aware that the textured plastic will have to be sanded totally smooth and you should use some decent products since it's a high wear area.

[oldeguy]

Handles are stock black plastic. The thing that really is confusing is all the black plastic, door handles, grills, mirrors and then ,on the ZTS, a piece of chrome. My Focus is white, so I'm thinking it might be easier to get the piece of chrome painted and try to accentuate the "blackness" and tint the windows as black as legally possible.

[guilty]

If you want to match the contrasting black/white theme (make it a panda I guess :P) you could get the trunk trim from a non-ZTS sedan, they came in black plastic and I believe something like 2003-4 models had body colored trim.

[oldeguy]

guilty,Apr 27 2007, 07:42 PM Wrote:If you want to match the contrasting black/white theme (make it a panda I guess :P) you could get the trunk trim from a non-ZTS sedan, they came in black plastic and I believe something like 2003-4 models had body colored trim.
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No. not making it look like a Panda, that's pretty funny though. I think that the black plastic trim and door handles, and body side moldings make a car look cheap, in my opinion. It's more of trying to make the car more co-ordinated looking. I'll look into the trim piece, thanks for the tip. The Provincial Police cars here are black and white, again, but I couldn't pass a Focus off as a cop car.

[Frost__2001]

oldeguy,Apr 27 2007, 07:57 PM Wrote:

guilty,Apr 27 2007, 07:42 PM Wrote:If you want to match the contrasting black/white theme (make it a panda I guess :P) you could get the trunk trim from a non-ZTS sedan, they came in black plastic and I believe something like 2003-4 models had body colored trim.
[right][snapback]236571[/snapback][/right]

No. not making it look like a Panda, that's pretty funny though. I think that the black plastic trim and door handles, and body side moldings make a car look cheap, in my opinion. It's more of trying to make the car more co-ordinated looking. I'll look into the trim piece, thanks for the tip. The Provincial Police cars here are black and white, again, but I couldn't pass a Focus off as a cop car.
[right][snapback]236572[/snapback][/right]

Funny thing in Europe the Black trim is prized as saving the car from scuffs and what not, Even the Ghia sedans have the black trim on the bumpers (2002-04) in the Ghia trim, and the door moldings are body colour, and the handels are black in the 1998 - 2001 versions like our versions with the crome on the trunk lids.

[oldeguy]

On your Focus, and the ones in Europe, it looks like the black trim has been thought out, as part of the design. Over here, on the NA Focus, it looks to me, that the black pieces, are just a cost saving measure. One thing we have to remember, is I grew up looking at tons of chrome on a car. The more chrome, the more expensive the car.

[cornflakes]

where can i order the svt door handles?

BTW, i just called Mazda in toronto and they will sell me the door handles pre-painted (metallic silver) even though i don't have a VIN #.


The break down is like this:

4 door handles = 57.20
4 caps (triangular part) = 18.00

the two front doors (driver+passenger) with keyhole is another 18.00 each.

These are the 01-04 Mazda Tribute door handles. Does this sound about right?

[cornflakes]

bought them from mazda, will pick them up.

[cornflakes]

Frost__2001,Apr 27 2007, 10:38 AM Wrote:it's easier just to paint them yourself like people do in Europe.

all you have to do is undo your door pannels, and remove the foam in the door undo the 2 screws holding the handle in place and it comes right off, just sand smooth and prime, and paint, and clear coat it with atleast 2 coats as you'll gain scraches in the door handles over time.
[right][snapback]236531[/snapback][/right]

how do you undo your door panels? what is a door panel? any pics?
foam in the door? what foam?

I read somewhere all you do is from the inside of the door u remove a small covering and then unscrew one bolt.

[ZTWsquared]

You should check out e-bay and buy yourself a Ford service manual on DVD - it will tell you anything you want to know about disassembling your vehicle properly and a lot more. I got mine for less than $10 and it is a Ford produced DVD.

cornflakes,Oct 3 2007, 10:00 PM Wrote:how do you undo your door panels? what is a door panel?  any pics?
foam in the door? what foam?

I read somewhere all you do is from the inside of the door u remove a small covering and then unscrew one bolt.
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[cornflakes]

does it basically cover everything....i mean EVERYTHING about the car and disassembling/assembling, tools required, how tos etc?