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Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:26 pm

I'm in the process of re-doing all my interior panels (slider, doors, kick panels, rear hatch, ect.), and was hoping to avoid securing them with the plastic panel clips. Ideally I'd like to secure them with stainless steel screws and some finishing washers. For instance, I think these are screws and washers holding this one in, and I thought it looked really nice:

Can anyone give advice on how to modify the holes to make them accept screws?

Thanks!

Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:33 pm

dont modify the existing holes- drill some new ones

Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:28 pm

Head for the FLAPS and find some 1/4" plastic plugs that accept screws.

Looks good, you put plastic behind them, right?

Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:32 pm

Bay window door panel clips are metal.....

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=N143893

Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:43 pm

Or if you're made of money you could use splitty clips.

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=221867615A

Karl, I'm suggesting putting plastic plugs in the clip holes in the door to screw into as the original clips aren't going to be pretty with bare panels.
Or he could do as Dan suggested and screw beside them directly into the metal.

Fri Jan 11, 2008 7:49 pm

renobdarb wrote: I'm in the process of re-doing all my interior panels (slider, doors, kick panels, rear hatch, ect.), and was hoping to avoid securing them with the plastic panel clips. Ideally I'd like to secure them with stainless steel screws and some finishing washers. For instance, I think these are screws and washers holding this one in, and I thought it looked really nice:

Can anyone give advice on how to modify the holes to make them accept screws?

Thanks!
Hello, & I agree w/Dansvans, I prefer screws & finishing washers b/c if you need to get back into the window workings, or install door speakers, whatever, you can. Busdaddy's idea is better though. that way your not drilling more holes like I did. If you do decide to drill holes, just use a 1/4" nut driver in your drill, & use a self-drilling screw the same diameter of your stainless screws. Then, back it out, and screw in your stainless screws. This method keeps you from sending the drill bit through your exterior door skin :x . Karl, from reading your previous posts, I have much respect for your ideas, but, those clips are a pain in the a$$, especially on a big panel. Although they do the job, they also have a tendency to break off in the hole as well. If you do the clip method, get twice as many as you need, I got mine from MidAmerica, & they were crap. Just my 2cents... hope this helps you out.

Mon Oct 01, 2018 1:53 am

Just want to add my two pence worth, My previous panels were scred directly into the metal. They were constantly coming lose with road vibrations, many were lost over time and re-torquing them became a weekly chore. (bus used daily) I'm sure the issue became exasperated as the holes grew with the inevitable rust that developed.

I suppose you use blue lock-tight or nail varnish to help prevent the loosening, but I'm not sure how effective that would be as I haven't tried it on a sheet metal screw.

Mon Oct 01, 2018 8:28 am

I'll second the warning about using screws instead of clips: in my case I used machine-threaded nutserts in
the original holes and nice stainless screws and finish washers. The screws were constantly backing out, so that
I had to use locktite on many of them. Then the nutserts would eventually lose their grip in the hole, and would
spin in the hole when an attempt to loosen or tighten a screw was made. Several panels had to be destroyed
when it became necessary to remove them. Wot a fustercluck!

Tue Oct 02, 2018 2:04 am

Clips every time, those screws look butt ugly, are unnecessary and a dead giveaway that someone was in too much rush to work out how to orientate the clips or simply didn't have enough clips or bought the wrong size clips.

Orientating the clips to line up with the holes is easy. Just imagine the clips are there to stretch the panel and you won't be far out.

Mainly, why would anyone want to add ugly screws to a neat panel with invisible fixings?

Tue Oct 02, 2018 2:37 am

My panels stay secure with screws.

Sat Nov 17, 2018 8:55 am

rottenkid wrote: My panels stay secure with screws.

What size screws did you use?