Help repainting frame piece between window/door!

Hi there,
Not quite sure if this is the right section of the forums for this, but I need some help. I just bought a Protege that looks perfect, only the paint on the pieces between the window/door on the exterior (they're metal, and contour the bottom of the window over the steel of the door) are kind of chipped and worn for some reason. I was wondering if anyone has ever done this before? What kind of paint should I use to give the best looking finish, what grit of sandpaper and how difficult is it to remove these pieces without breaking them? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
-Curtis

Edit: To better explain the piece I'm talking about, here's a picture (not actually my car, so the damage isn't visible in this picture). It is circled in red, click the thumbnail to view it bigger.
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/6707/carpicturebz0.th.jpg (http://img176.imageshack.us/my.php?image=carpicturebz0.jpg)