I just got some Escalade handles today and I'm ready to paint them Indigo Blue. Will I need to sand down the black and then put down a primer coat or can I just primer over the black? They look like they are going to be a PITA to paint. I think I will need to pull and secure the handle to paint in all the nooks and crannies. Can anyone give me some pointers?

 

Are the handles you have already painted black? What I mean is, are the handles a glossy black already, or do they have a textured feel to them?

 

Pulling the handles apart isn't as hard as it looks. I did it when I had my handles painted.

 

Yeah, they're smooth from the factory. [quote]

 

Yeah, they're not hard but the only problem I see is that metal pin which is the pivot point. You would have to grind off the bottom to take out the pin....thus ruining the pin. What would I use to replace it?

 

When I got my first pair of esky handles, they were a glossy black too, those are already painted black so I think it's going to be a PITA to do. You can try and paint over em if you like, which is what I was going to do. But I found out that the esky's come in that pearl white AND the same white color as me. So I got a VIN# off a random white esky, then called the dealer and said I needed a set of front door handles for MY esky
I'm not sure if the Indigo Blue you are talking about is a color choice on any of the esky's, but if it is, why don't you just get the factory pre-painted ones?
Just a suggestion

 

The pins in my smooth handles weren't as "pressed" as my stock textured ones. All I did was take some pliers and squeeze that area in and then pressed the pin out. When I put them back together I used my vise as a press and put the pins back in then took a large screw driver and hammer and re-expanded the bulge so that the pins would not work loose.

 

I drilled the end off the pin and reinstalled the handles with zip ties. I have no idea why it hasn't fallen apart yet but it has been about a year. I had the black ones too. I sanded them with 1000 grit paper until they were dull looking and took them to the body shop and they turned out fine. They are painted red. Good luck man.

 

Hmmmm....now I have some ideas. Do they need to be sanded lightly first for the paint to stick properly?

 

Yeah just go over them with some 1000 grit wet sand paper until it is dull looking all over. I got the two door handles, two tailgate pieces, and two mirror covers done for 50 bucks at the body shop. I go there all the time though so I got a nice discount.