Door Card Vent for Deluxe..... ideas to attach?

[malcolm2]

Trying to attach the armrest vent to my new TMI door card. As with most parts, at 1st glance, everything looks good.

Holes punched all around, I am good.... NOT.

The green arrow is the ONLY hole that matches, size-wise, and will accept the HAT. That hole is for the pad on the armrest. For the Armrest vent, there are larger holes, and the OEM card has them as oval shape for adjustment. There is a small "hat" washer that slips into the OEM doorcard, gold boxes. This recesses the screw head below the back side of the panel.

Smaller holes in the new TMI card make these little HATS useless.

So who has dealt with this before? What did you do? Any suggestions here?
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My Toys: '75 Porsche 914, '92 Ski Nautique and now a 1972 VW Transporter Deluxe (punch list fixing)

[SGKent]

Make sure you ordered the correct part number and that you got it. Then lay the old one on top of the new one, make sure the outside matches, then mark the holes with a pen and enlarge. Or buy masonite, make your own cards, take to a automotive upholstery shop and have them covered.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[malcolm2]

pretty much past all that.....

The request is to determine a method someone might have used to attach the deluxe armrest to a new TMI door card, with improper hole sizes.

Making the freaking holes bigger, is certainly a thought i had. The HATS would fit, but making holes oval shaped to allow for some adjustment and NOT tearing the vinyl is a bit tuffer.

Another idea I had, and it is certainly a "2-way door idea". Meaning it won't destroy or mangle the card and I can try something else if it does not work. That would be to use counter sunk screws and a flat washer.

The flat washer will allow for some play to help line-up all the attachment points of the armrest. The counter sunk screw will do just that, sink itself closer to the back side of the card, if that is important.

I think I will try that first, since it is easy to try something else.
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My Toys: '75 Porsche 914, '92 Ski Nautique and now a 1972 VW Transporter Deluxe (punch list fixing)

[busdaddy]

The holes are oval to allow for expansion/contraction of the plastic duct as well, I'd explore enlarging them with a rotary file in a dremel. Use a vacuum so the grindings don't get down in between the vinyl and hardboard or there'll be lumps after you are done.
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[alman72]

smaller hat washers with smaller screw heads?
elevator bolt with allen head?
sidewalk bolts? yup. these.

[skills@eurocarsplus]

i used the same panels in my bus. used all the hats too. really don't remember any issues

you need all of the hats otherwise you'll break that vent the minute you lean on it
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[malcolm2]

Drivers side is done. Used #12 counter sunk screws and finishing washers for most connection points. OEM were 3/4" long, but needed more length to find the captive nut on the armrest. The short ones just did not reach a nut that is not lined up.

I was a bit worried about the finishing washers leaving the head proud, but i still have the drivers door off so i laid the panel on the door. Most of the finish washers have a place to go, except the 2 at the very front of the door.

So I found a plug bit and spun it by hand and was able to get the HATS in at that spot.

It was very easy to cut by hand with that drill bit. So I am thinking maybe I will try to use the hats. Missing one of them tho.

Not sure about the expansion comment, but the extra support comment does make some sense. I don't really remember putting a lot of weight on the armrest while driving tho.
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My Toys: '75 Porsche 914, '92 Ski Nautique and now a 1972 VW Transporter Deluxe (punch list fixing)