EF/EL door trims into EA-ED for Dummies - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

NZ · 12-31-2003, 04:50

EF/EL door trims into EA-ED

This is a guide to installing door trims from EF/EL falcons into EA-ED model falcons. It is designed to be simple and easy to follow with clear and in depth instructions.

EF and EL door trims are a lot more stylish than the ones used in EA-ED. The map pockets are integrated and are provided in front and back doors where EA-ED were just bolted on and only avalible in the front doors in high end models. The door handles are very updated and have a nice clean look intstead of the mechano look of the EA-ED type. Some EF/EL trims even get door lights depending on what model and trim type they were from. Even the top end models get padded arm rests.

So enough talking lets start.

What you will need:

Drill and a set of drill bits
Phillips head screwdriver
Felt tip pen (optional)
Security screwdriver set

Back Door:

1: Remove the quarterlight window trim on the inside of the door. There are 3 rounded head screws. when the screws are out pull gently from the top corner. You want to pull it out straight as there is 2 tabs which will snap off it is removed any other way. Take it slowly and they will eventually give way and come out. Store the screws in a small container to keep everything together. Wind the window all the way down as this makes removing the trims and working slightly easier.

2: Next step is to remove the inside door handle. These are attached by 3 screws which are under the 3 buttons in the handle itself. Use something thin like a knife to pop the buttons out. Depending on what model you have they will either be phillips head or the star shape security screw. Typically EA series 1 have the phillips head and anything after EA series 2 have the security screw. When the screws are out pull the handle out then turn it 90 degrees anti-clockwise to remove it from the metal rod.

NZ · 12-31-2003, 05:26

3: Remove the lock button by grabbing it and pulling upwards firmly. It takes a bit to pull these off but they do give way eventually. If need be use a pair of pliers with some cloth wrapped around the lock itself to protect its surface.

4: Remove the 7 phillips head screws which hold the door trim on and store in the container. These will be used later.

EFFalcon · 12-31-2003, 12:05

well that was short lived :)
i wanna see what it looks like NOW! :D

NZ · 12-31-2003, 14:48

5: If you have manual window winders, remove the small screw which is in the centre of the winder handle. then use a twisting motion to free the handle. The plastic peice behind it will also come off.

6: Pull the door trim out slightly at the bottom and then put your fingers behing it near the quarter-light window is and gently lift upward. The black rubber strip which seals against the window has 4 metal clips which are tight and take some gentle persuasion to come free. Lifting it from this end twists the clips and effectivly lets them come free one at a time. Be careful doing this as if you bend the metal in the seal they are impossible to get perfectly straight again. Usually once the first one is free the rest are easy. When you have got the door trim off unplug the connector for the power window switch if you have them.

NZ · 12-31-2003, 14:54

7: Because the EF/EL door trims do not have locking buttons for the rear you need to remove the plastic rod which was connected to the lock button. This is simply a matter of pushing in the 4 tabs on the pivot point and releasing it from that. Then you have to manouver the rod to free it from the locking mechanisim inside the door. Simple stuff!

NZ · 12-31-2003, 15:09

Now this is where it gets fun!

8: You need to fit the door trim as we need to mark out some points to drill for screw. All you need to do is hand it from the door seal but make sure that its installed correctly and the door trim sits as it would when its finished.
Firstly, take the felt tip pen and mark out the holes at the top and bottom of the arm rest handle by simply making a dot.

9: We need to mark out 2 more holes for the door handle itself. This is where it gets complicated as the door handle has a locating peg and a screw that holds it in. Get your felt tip pen and mark the end of the locating peg (I used paint but anything can be used as long as it leaves a clear mark). Hold the door handle and looking directly front on to it move it towards the door as if you were going to bolt it in. You should beable to line it up by looking where the door handle has previously been sitting on the trim. Make sure your confident on the mark that was made.

10: From here we will drill the hole for the locating peg as we need to have the door handle in the correct position to mark out the last hole. The hole needs to be just big enough to house the pin snugly. Too big and the handle will beable to move slightly once installed. I used a slightly smaller drill bit and when the hole was drilled used the drill to enlargen the hole intill it was the right size.

NZ · 01-16-2004, 00:40

11: Once you have drilled the hole for the locating peg on the handle and your happy with the fit, mark the last hole for the handle. Then remove the handle and door trim and drill the remaining 3 holes.

12: While the door trim is off you can modify the metal rod that hooks onto the handle.

Shorten the rod at the point shown in the pic above I used a hack saw to cut it off. A good pair of side cutters and pliers can also work. Bend it as shown below.

Refit the handle as you will need to do some tweaking to get the opening action perfect. I set it so that the handle was able to be pulled out slightly before the slack was taken up in the rod.

NZ · 01-16-2004, 00:47

13: Now your on the home straight! Refit the door trim, plug the window switch in, check operation(if applicable) and screw it down. Theres the 7 screws around the edge of the trim and the 3 big screws from the door handle on the old trim. Because the hole for the 3 large screws was small and the screws are self tapping they simply screw in untill firm. Do not over tighten. Refit the trim around the quarter light window. This needs a bit of force to sit properly behind the trim at the bottom but once in it sits there fine.

Stand back and admire your work!

NZ · 01-16-2004, 00:55

Front Doors:

These are almost the same as the rear doors except the metal rod needs to be modified slightly differently. I recommend starting with the back doors first.

Notes:

This mod works for any car that has the 'Tibbe Locks'. In EA series 1 and pre 30th anniversary EA series 2 the rear doors have a different lock assembly. They act as such that when the lock is down the door can't be opened from the inside with the handle. This is a problem because the rear doors on EF and EL dont have lock buttons. A way around this could be to cut the door trim and retrofit the lock button assembly. I dont recommend putting these door trims on and not having the lock working. Either you will not beable to lock your car or you will not beable to use the rear doors.

The trims themselves are the dark grey colur on the very top bit. I used the Tibbe lock button from an EA as the dark grey is a perfect colour match. My EB2 buttons were the light grey colour and looked out of place.

The match up with the dash on the passenger side was almost perfect. My EB2 has the dark over light grey dash so the light colour on the door trim matched well. The upper darker grey didnt match that well with the dash. I think an EA - EB1 dash would be a closer match as the EB2 had a slightly lighter upper dash colour.

NZ · 01-16-2004, 00:56

Finished result.

So that's that! Any questions feel free to ask.