New door panels question?
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 82
Likes: 1
From: Portsmouth Virginia
New door panels question?
I just installed one of my two new door panels.
I left the 2 stainless trim screws off. The ones at the top corners.
Has anyone done this and if so how did it turn out?
Door panel fits great does not look like it needs those 2 screws. I figure that if it starts to pull away from the door I will install them then. Those screws looked bad and my old panels cracked around them.
By the way the door panels are Corvette America's blanks that I moved my trim onto with new carpet strips.
I left the 2 stainless trim screws off. The ones at the top corners.
Has anyone done this and if so how did it turn out?
Door panel fits great does not look like it needs those 2 screws. I figure that if it starts to pull away from the door I will install them then. Those screws looked bad and my old panels cracked around them.
By the way the door panels are Corvette America's blanks that I moved my trim onto with new carpet strips.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,285
Likes: 4,375
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi JD,
You can bet those screws wouldn't be there if Chevrolet didn't think they needed to be. 25 cents X 4 X 25000 cars = $25,000.00. BUT... Chevrolet assumed the car was going to be driven every day with lots of opening and closing of doors.
You might get by with out them!?
Regards,
Alan
You can bet those screws wouldn't be there if Chevrolet didn't think they needed to be. 25 cents X 4 X 25000 cars = $25,000.00. BUT... Chevrolet assumed the car was going to be driven every day with lots of opening and closing of doors.
You might get by with out them!?
Regards,
Alan
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 364
Likes: 0
From: Anaheim California
Bought new panels from GM 20+ years ago and put the upper screws in and because the panel would not close to the door without them. After all these years they have almost pulled through the panel cover. The elbow on the drivers side cracked almost as soon as I installed them because the cover was stressed to the point of being paper thin, The panels I got from GM were pretty but not very solid. Sounds like the aftermarket reproductions are better. big suprise?
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,853
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I have to go with the flow on this one!
As Alan stated, GM knew the panels needed these screws to hold their shape when installed.
But. . . .The original door panels had a backing made of Press board style material; this required the upper screws to maintain proper fit and hold the upper panel in place!
The current version of the reproduction panels are ABS backed and less likely to pull away from the door without these screws in place.
One problem I’ve seen in years past is where original panels pulled the screws through the panel and then the upper support would pull off the upper door. This would bend the upper door tabs made to hold the panel in place. Ultimately when you would install a new panel on the car you would have to bend these tabs back. Way to many people installed reproduction panels without a clue this was a prior problem and blamed the new panels when in fact all they needed to do was bend the upper metal tabs back to keep the panel from coming off.
Unless you are going to show the car, leave the screws out!
Willcox Inc.
As Alan stated, GM knew the panels needed these screws to hold their shape when installed.
But. . . .The original door panels had a backing made of Press board style material; this required the upper screws to maintain proper fit and hold the upper panel in place!
The current version of the reproduction panels are ABS backed and less likely to pull away from the door without these screws in place.
One problem I’ve seen in years past is where original panels pulled the screws through the panel and then the upper support would pull off the upper door. This would bend the upper door tabs made to hold the panel in place. Ultimately when you would install a new panel on the car you would have to bend these tabs back. Way to many people installed reproduction panels without a clue this was a prior problem and blamed the new panels when in fact all they needed to do was bend the upper metal tabs back to keep the panel from coming off.
Unless you are going to show the car, leave the screws out!
Willcox Inc.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 82
Likes: 1
From: Portsmouth Virginia
Thanks for all the info. I think I will just let them be "without the screws". I'm not building a show car just a nice stock looking driver. If they start to pull away I put them in at that time.
