Color keyed accessories
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gm350reratliff
New member
Get a quote from a good body shop. Two quotes really. One if you take them the whole vehicle. The other if you take the stuff off yourself and take the items to them. Also check with Toyota parts dept. Some of those items may be available already painted(I believe the limiteds have that stuff body color). That should help you decide. As for the mirrors, the limiteds have heated glass. All that stuff is on my list too, only in black, along with a SE hood.
bobbyavidity
New member
It's on my list to do as well. However i'd reccomend a body shop. I went to my local toyota dealership and they weren't helpfull at all. Bottom line was they didnt want to help me because a color keyed grill wasnt a "necessary" reason to be there.
I was disappointed
I was disappointed
montanaT4R
New member
If you're trying to match the vehicle color, take the pieces off and drop them off. Not as hard as you think to remove them. I removed min and painted them flat black. Hardest one is the rear garnish, but "hard" is relative.
montanaT4R
New member
Forgot you mentioned door handles...I'm very hesitant to paint those or have them painted b/c of the fact that they have a very tight clearance...I'd be afraid of the paint flaking. That's one of the only chrome pieces I left...
Yea, that is one of the reasons I'm considering replacing the parts with the actual painted parts from Toyota or aftermarket. Guess I'll have to see if the body shop has a good warranty against chipping. I'm assuming they would sand down the piece, primer it before painting the color coat and top coat.
Alright, I finally got around to getting some more information. A pretty reputable body shop would not paint over the parts. They said the paint is not designed to adhere to that material. I would have to get new parts and replace them. I talked to my dealership and they were able to give me quotes on the parts with a discount:
Door handles: $167.90 (all 4 and includes separate part numbers for the handle and different keyhole covers for the fronts and rears)
Rear garnish: $154.13
Grille: $169.03
Mirrors: $234.37 (each)
None of these prices include installation and the replacement parts really do add up to a big chunk. I don't think the mirrors are really that worth it.
Door handles: $167.90 (all 4 and includes separate part numbers for the handle and different keyhole covers for the fronts and rears)
Rear garnish: $154.13
Grille: $169.03
Mirrors: $234.37 (each)
None of these prices include installation and the replacement parts really do add up to a big chunk. I don't think the mirrors are really that worth it.
I just did a dry run on removing some of these chrome parts myself to see how hard they are to replace with color keyed ones.
Grille: Easy to remove. There are about 8 nuts that need to be removed. After disconnecting the lever for the hood latch, the grill pops right off.
Rear garnish: A bit harder. Remove the interior trunk panel. Remove the plastic sealing sheet. Heating the sealant with a blow dryer makes it easier to pull off the plastic sheet. Remove a few bolts and the rear garnish comes off.
Door handles: After removing the interior door panel, I couldn't figure out how to get the door handle off. Anyone have any luck with this?
Grille: Easy to remove. There are about 8 nuts that need to be removed. After disconnecting the lever for the hood latch, the grill pops right off.
Rear garnish: A bit harder. Remove the interior trunk panel. Remove the plastic sealing sheet. Heating the sealant with a blow dryer makes it easier to pull off the plastic sheet. Remove a few bolts and the rear garnish comes off.
Door handles: After removing the interior door panel, I couldn't figure out how to get the door handle off. Anyone have any luck with this?
