Hi all, I am trying to install the inside door panels and am a bit stumped. The AIM shows that there are 4 clips that attach the door, two upper and two lower (see red circles below). Unfortunately, I don't have the old door panels for reference. I see where the lower clips go on the new panels, and the clips match the screw holes in the door. This drawing shows two upper clips, however. The reproduction panels don't have the cutouts for these upper clips. I also can't see any holes in the door where the clips would screw in at these upper positions.

Any guidance you can provide me will be greatly appreciated (especially installation tips). Thank you.

 

I realize a 69 might be different. I have only the two lower clips and top edge of the panel has two chrome screws, one towards the back of the door and the other towards the front.

 

The parts suppliers show a screw set for the upper door panel. Are these the screws you are talking about? https://www.zip-corvette.com/68-82-d...er-screws.html

If this is what I need, my next question is, where exactly do they go? My doors are pretty hacked up, numerous places where there are screw holes that don't look like the factory put them there.

 

Which generation of 68 do you have? If you have a early or late 68 it maybe why you dont see whats in the AIM. I have an early 68 and it differs from the late 68s and a lot of the changes have been pulled fro the AIM as the change occurs. On the top screws I have an early 68 and I think I have the top screws, maybe they are discontinued for the late 68 and later years and that change didnt make it into the AIM. THe 68s are always hit or miss in finding out whats going on


Im stopping at my car on the way out the door an dI'll see if I do have those upper screws

 

Mine is a late 68, July. That pic came out of a 68 AIM. I found a tech article on installing these panels, and the pics there show two screws at the top. Now I just have to determine exactly where they go, since the new panels don't have any marks or anything.

 

These are from my January build 68. This is an original door panel and should help you get the upper mounting screws in the right location.

 

My 69 also has those two screws.

 

My early 68.

 

Thank you! All of those pictures are a great help.

 

Ok, now I am stumped with respect to getting the door panel to fit the door. There is a lip at the top of the door:


I would think that there would be a notch or something on the door pad that would hook onto this lip on the door, but there isn't. Am I supposed to make a slit in the pad to allow this to attach to the door? Are the upper screws and the velcro pads and the bottom clips all supposed to force this together? At the top I am having a bear of a time trying to close the gap. The velcro things are nearly useless.

 

I dont believe there is a lip. It just meets the inner felt trim. Mine fits like crap. I think my drivers side is original and fits and my passenger is a repop and doesnt fit

 

I think I see the problem. Both of the panels are slightly curved so that it is hard to get them to sit flush at the front and back edges of the door. (I bought them a few years ago, but my project got interrupted. I guess sitting in the box vertically could do this.) So my plan is to get it nice and toasty in one part of the garage to hopefully make the panels a little more pliable.

Before I do that though, I have made the holes in the door panels for the two upper screws as show in all of your pictures above. I noticed that on the back side of the door pull inserts are two holes that are 7" apart (the circled area in the pic below is the door pull insert). The door also has two holes 7" apart, that seem to line up with the panel holes. The door holes have no nuts or fasteners to attach the door panel here. Here are my questions:

- Are these two holes in the door pull insert meant do be drilled all the way through, so two screws can be inserted and the panel attached to the door at this point? (see the second pic).
- If so, how do they attach? The holes in the door are large, like 1/4". Well nuts?

Thank you!

 

The early '68 door panel did not have a separate pull handle. It was built into the panel as shown in post #12. Frankly, it was so long ago that I just don't remember whether the early '68 had the two screws at the top corners. The photo in post #12 does not show those holes; perhaps the early door panel did not have them and used clips similar to the lower pieces, instead.
If your door panels have the [screwed on] door pulls, you may have an early '68 vehicle...but you do not have early '68 door panels.

 

My 68 has screws through the handle insert, you need them when you pull on the door to close it

 

Is it like the panel in post #12? That is the "early" '68 door panel. I had a '68 which was built in Dec. '67 and that is the panel it had.

 

I believe that all 68's had the two upper screws. My 26 March 68 coupe has them. The two upper metal side clips shown in the AIM were not used on 68's to my knowledge. Only the two lower clips. The "hidden" interior door handle screws help to hold the door panel on. I am pretty sure that my door has slightly movable "U" nuts. Maybe if you got the later rubber door pull, they did not used the black plastic hidden handle and did not provide the "U" nuts on the door. Lou.

 

I did a video on this very issue of attaching the door panels to the door when you replace them. The original panels were pressed fiberboard and would get wet and the cut out for the clip would deteriorate and the clip would come loose. Then it gets unscrewed and tossed away many years ago. The door panel in the video is a 1968 so you have a reference point of where the slot should be.