lvcurvs

I got bored yesterday so I decided to pull the pass. door panel off to see how the chrome strips were attached so that i can tape them black. Found out some things yesterday that made it easier.

1-You have to pull pretty hard to get the clips loose that run along the outside edge of the doorpanel.

2- Be gentle when pulling off the plastic cover on the door pull. The clips inside brake REAL easy. You have to pull this piece off to reach 2 screws that hold the door pull onto the door. To pull it off, just use a pocket flat head screwdriver.

3- The decent sized plastic piece that goes around the window switch comes off. The switch is held to the plastic piece by small phillips screw and comes out with the whole plastic piece. Use a small flat head screwdriver to pry the plastic up and then disconnect the window switch. If you don't, you'll lift up the door panel and the window switch will fall apart and you'll have to figure out how it goes back together. Don't ask how i know...

4- Once you have the door panel off, it'll still be attached by wiring, mainly the courtesy light and the door handle cable. To disconnect the light, it's just like the normal honda 194 bulb, turn the light socket a little and it'll pop out. I left the door cable attached because i could work back there with enough room.

5-Finally, the chrome piece. This is SUPER easy to get off. There is 1 phillips screw and the outside edge of the door that holds it on. Once this screw is out, just lift the chrome piece up starting from the back of the door and work your way towards the front. Once you get enough of it lose, you can slide it out from under the mirror cover and pull the entire piece off.
To put that chrome back on, simply slide the correct edge back under the mirror and push down on it while working your way front to rear and then re install the screw.

6-all the straight chrome pieces pretty much come off like that so there's 4 pieces you can tape/paint with minimal effort in removing them.
Not sure how the top chrome pieces come off but i'll find out shortly. Trying not to brake the pieces so i'm being super careful. I'd love to buy the ones from heeltoe but $300 for trim pieces is totally not practical to me, especially when i can do everything myself in a weekend. i will say though, that buying them already in black would be easier and less time consuming because if you brake the chorme piece, so what, your replacing it anyways.
Hope that helps some people. Sorry about picts, I don't have any.

Tangoman

Are we talking about the chrome trim outside of the car?

lvcurvs

yup, the "sill molding" or whatever you want to call it. It's the chrome piece that's straight and runs along the window.

Tangoman

Good to know, I was throwing around the idea of changing mine over to black as well, simply because it looks freakin' awesome... lol

Reach

Seems like a lot of exploratory surgery for info that is already posted here and in the service manual. lvcurvs, you're an excellent candidate for a Helm's manual, its the last $60 a DIY'er will ever need to spend on maintenance (or many mods!).

lvcurvs

Reach- Your right. I do need a that manual but I didn't have it and I was bored so I went ahead and did it. Yeah it's a nice car but it's still a Honda so it's not like I have to worry about screwing something that costs hundreds of dollars to replace. The general way of doing things on honda's are all the same, just learning the specific's are what make things easier. The handle cover I broke will cost me 10 bucks but it's being held on by my girls hair tie. ha! looks like she's just storing it there until she needs it.
Biggest thing to me is that I can read stuff over and over but I have to physically do it in order to fully understand it. Big problem for me, especially with ASE tests.
As far as removing chrome, I searched but it seems that nobody knows how to remove the chrome. They just cover it up with the tape while it's on the car. If you can remove it, then it makes it easier to paint or tape so i figured why not put a little more info out there that even when searched, I can't find.