Replacing panel clips with screws?

[renobdarb]

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!
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[Blaubus]

dont modify the existing holes- drill some new ones

[busdaddy]

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

Looks good, you put plastic behind them, right?
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[Karl]

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

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

[busdaddy]

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.
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[Jerry]

[HastaAlaska]

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.
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[kreemoweet]

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!
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[Zed999]

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?

[rottenkid]

My panels stay secure with screws.

[bent_karma]