interior door handle trim ring, how do I get this thing on?

Tab---my car is a Vintage---not a CMC but on my car I have to really put some muscle behind pushing the door panel in where it goes past the door handle post that is coming through the panel so that the hole in the door handle post  that takes the little 1/2 inch piece (like a 1/2 " piece of a coat hanger).  You really have to push to get that hole exposed.  Other than that, you may have to remove the door panel and remove some material from the back side of the panel to make it thinner to where you can push it past that hole.  

Lots here smarter than I am and I hope someone else will chime in with a better or more clear approach.  I will say that the first time I did this I thought it was going to me impossible.  Good luck with it---let us know how it works out.

Sounds like your door panel is too thick or too stiff.  I actually sanded the back of the door backer board to make it thinner around the handle.  I even used the OEM VW springs to push the panel/vinyl out to the trm ring after installing the pin in the handle.

The instruction has you actually remove all the backing by drilling a 2 1/2" hole in the panel at the door handle.

Here's the OEM door panel springs -

ok I see said the blind man

You need to push the door panel inward .it will move, the panel itself had a round cut out a bit larger than the diameter of the plastic trim.. I use long needle nose plies to set the pin into the handle while pushing on the trim ring... yup it's a pita .

I wanted to add insulation to the doors and I tried to remove the handle last winter and it was such a pain that I wondered if I would break something so I gave up. ... I guess I should have been more persistent.   I wonder if there are any tools that would make it easier to push the panel around the handle more easily ? ... just saying

This might work. Be careful which box you pick!

Touchay.

thanks for the help guys Ill get after this next week

OK!

I just installed the EMPI version of the door handle buffers on my VS this morning. I had the same problem with getting them installed.

Here is what I ended up doing:

Pic #1 - Here's the tools I used to install. Note the small files.

Pic#2 - Before picture

Pic#3 - Remove the retaining pin with needle nose pliers

Pic#4 - On my VS, here is the spindle for the handle

Pic#5 - Here is the buffer with a notch the size of the retaining pin filed out. Those are the files I used to do the job. Takes about 5 minutes per buffer. Note that the filing is done on the inside part of the ring.

Pic #6 - Line up the notch in the buffer with the retaining pin hole on the handle then push that onto the spindle at a point where the handle is parallel to the ground.

Pic#7 - Reinsert the pin, seating it using a small punch and a light ball peen hammer.

Have lunch.

Finished.

Wow......Bob's got more specialty tools than I do.

Nicely done, Bob!

Good job, Bob.

Bob

Gordon:

Those files came as a set from Harbor Freight. I think there are 8 of them, each with a different shape or size. Cheap, but handy! I've used them often for small jobs.

Try this for a easy fix. Use about a foot of a clothes hanger wire and crimp it with some wire cutters about a 1/2 inch from the end. Now you have a long piece of wire, push the door panel in and stick the wire in the hole and wiggle the wire until it breaks at the crimp. 

Works like a champ and saves time and frustration.

I sourced the trim rings from Vintage Speedsters in Phoenix. Fast, good quality and just a few bucks with Fedex shipping.

Thanks, Aron!

I got it done yesterday !! Thanks for the help

looks great!!!!!