1. Buy a set of body coloured door handles off a Ghia/ST170 from a breakers yard or eBay. We will be using the rear door handles of a five-door, so we can smooth the locks too, but you can replace with a set of fronts off a five-door or three-door and retain the locks. I gave mine a thorough detailing with a Meguiar's Paint Restoration Kit beforehand to get them like new.

2. Here are the nasty plastic handles, ready to be replaced.

3. First, remove the door card. Undo the crosshead screws around the outside edge…

4. …then take off the plug behind the interior handle and remove the screw.

5. Carefully pull off the door handle surround and unplug the electric mirror switches.

6. Now pull off the door mirror interior plastic.

7. Now remove the interior door pull cover carefully with a flat-edge screwdriver and take off the two bolts with a 7mm socket.

8. Now remove the door card and put to one side.

9. With a Stanley knife, cut away the black sealant and fold down the corner of the polystyrene door-inner at on the inside of where the exterior door handle is.

10. Remove the rubber plug which exposes the door handle screw within the door, and unscrew using a T20H 'star' Torx bit. Be careful not to drop anything into the door!

11. Now remove the handle, lock first.

12. Then pull the handle towards the edge of the door and remove.

13. Now take off the handle 'rubbers', give it a clean underneath, and replace with fresh rubbers if required.

14. Now, to get the 'smoothed' lock covers to fit, a bit of bodging is required. Using a pliers, snap off a section of plastic on the reverse of the covers so it will fit over the lock.

15. Now put on the new handle followed by the lock cover.

16. Then put everything back together - work backwards from step 11. Then do the other door…

17. Voila! A quick and simple way to get body-coloured door handles and smoothed locks on your Mk1 Focus.