I am kicking around the idea of using some metal door handles from a bull nose truck to replace Whitey's(my 1996) plastic ones that break every time you look at them funny. However, as you guys know the bull nose are chrome, but whitey's are black. I could use them chrome, but I think it would look funny.

So how does chrome come off w/o damaging the metal?

 

Chrome IS metal.

And much harder than the pot metal it is covering.

Why not media blast it for some 'tooth' and powder coat them?

 

That is the second vote for just that Jim. Sounds like that is probably the way it is headed.

 

My 96 f150 has almost 400k on it and I never broke the inside door handle. It did break the little mounting tab that attaches the handle mechanism to the door however.