Vette Essentials Armrest Install questions
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,152
Likes: 3
From: Hawaii
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 16,270
Likes: 30
From: "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18-'19
NCM Sinkhole Donor
The armrests from VE came with the right doubled sided tape for the install. I've had mine on through three Phoenix summers and I have never had the slightest issue. As with anything that employs adhesive - surface preparation according to the instructions provided is crucial to success.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,193
Likes: 156
From: Navarre FL
Yup, two sided tape. Infact mine came with the tape already affixed to the arms rests. All I had to do was clean the door surface per the instructions, peel the backing off and stick em on. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 9,369
Likes: 4
From: Zephyrhills, Florida
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
3M d.f. tape, I clean with denatured alcohol. Denatured does a much better prep than alcohol and has never harmed any of my surfaces, the beauty of Vette Esentials is that the color match to your interior is dead on
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Mine came new from VE so the tape was fitted. This was one of the first mods I did to my Vert. I thought the original door panels look unfnished and this is a really nice detail for looks as well as being more comfortable.
Stuck tight after nearly 5 years and still looking great. I also used denatured alcohol to prep the panel. That will get rid of the waxes.
The 3M tape from Home Depot will do the job just fine.
Stuck tight after nearly 5 years and still looking great. I also used denatured alcohol to prep the panel. That will get rid of the waxes.
The 3M tape from Home Depot will do the job just fine.
Last edited by DeeGee; Sep 14, 2008 at 03:07 AM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,053
Likes: 24,729
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
I had them on mine. They come with two sided tape on them. Just clean the area well and apply. Once on, they hold very well. A really great product for the interior.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,123
Likes: 0
From: Issaquah WA
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
I installed mine a couple of years ago. Th passenger side armrest came off until I put two layers of double-sided tape on them. After that - no problem. They're a nice addition to the interior. VE makes good stuff. ENJOY!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,164
Likes: 184
From: Ohio
You may want to double up the thickness on the tape. The reason is where the leather wraps around the plastic molded piece takes up the thickness of the tape and you will not get good adhesion.
The BigDog
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,706
Likes: 551
From: St. Peters MO
C7 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
2018 C7 of Year Finalist
Mine did too. Great product. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 249
From: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The exact same thing happened to me on the same side. Second strip of tape fixed that permanently. What's also nice is that VE will make any custom combo of colors you want.
