Do any of you have this problem, like the steering wheel? I’m thinking of peeling it all off and painting it black, but the metal seems hard to paint, like aluminum. Would it be better to wrap it in something, like thick vinyl?
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You could try taping it off and spraying it with black Plasti Dip. It’s easy to remove if it doesn’t turn out well.
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It’s easy to remove from the car. Just pull the trim up slowly and smoothly, about every foot.
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My Focus Mk3 had the same issue. I pulled the strip off, sanded it, cleaned it, added primer, sanded again, and then put on 2 coats of matte black spray paint. It looks perfect! Just make sure to use spray paint for metal and sand it well before priming.
If you want, I can take a picture tomorrow.
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You sand it before and after the primer?
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Yes, after the primer only sand very lightly, just slightly.
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A simple upgrade is to color-code these to match the body. I’ve done it to both of mine, and it really improves the look.
If you prefer, you can replace them for a few bucks by going to a junkyard. Just grab a set from the same body style; the year or trim doesn’t matter.
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just curious, what paint did you use ?
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In both cases, I had them professionally sprayed at the same time as other parts. They used the same color and clear coat as the other pieces, just without different adhesion promoters or base coats.
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I took all the paint off and used some vinyl wrap worked really fine for me.
