Front Door Panel Clips keep falling off !!! any better ones ????

[BarryL]

Nice ... Molly Fastereresque.

[2wheelsport]

[BarryL]

I like that look. Got a photo of a Jack nut?

[2wheelsport]

I ended up doing something similar.
Got tired of the clips popping out all the time. I don't care what anyone says, they absolutely don't stay put with TMI/West Coast Classics/etc panels, especially at the "bend" on the door near the vent wing.
They're too thick, even with OEM clips.

I used Jack nuts and stainless large head machine screws. If I do it again, I'll probably go Gordo's route and use a smaller screw head and washers to mimic the rest of the hardware on the bus.

[Surf Bus Driver]

Wow, nice look, Gordo! Do the rivnuts go into the door panel clip seals? What do they "thread" into?

[Jeler]

[flemcadiddlehopper]

Those of you who are not looking for absolute correctness and want the door panels to stay put, use rivnuts. The other panels in the bus are held on with screws and trim washers so it won't look completely out of place.

The 4mm rivnuts fit directly into the holes in the doors so there is no hacking concerns. And, you can install the welting on if you choose. Makes for a very solidly mounted door panel.

Gordo.
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[EverettB]

[mandraks]

i think this is part of your problem:

Neither will work with TMI Deluxe Panels with the piping at the top.

i think the front door panels are not supposed to have piping at the top. I understand that people like it, but it does make the job more difficult
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regards

Uli

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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel

[Benfalia]

I received a bag of clips from CIP. They have a slightly different bend geometry, but are basically the same length. The working dimension actually looks to be even less than WW.

Neither will work with TMI Deluxe Panels with the piping at the top. I tried pushing them in by hand, with a mandrel, etc. They either don't catch at all, or just barely catch and release VERY easily. If you are using the little rubber bushings that CIP sells, it would make it even more impossible.

However, I did notice that the spring clips, of course, are not connected at the top of the button. If I can't get it to clip in, I've been bending with a needle-nose. The one I've shown below is pretty extreme. With this mod, you can audibly here them actually click in.

The downside is that they will be much more difficult to pull out if you have to remove the panel. But I'll cross that bridge when I need to remove it (hopefully not anytime soon).

It also helps to clearance out the vinyl on the backside, but really just to make sure the vinyl doesn't cover the clip and prevent it from flexing/catching. It doesn't really get you anything in terms of reduced panel thickness or compression to use the clip without modification.

I wish there was a clip just a bit longer, it wouldn't take much.

Maybe others have had better luck than I had, but this will get me all paneled up for now. Hope it helps some!

Ben
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'Gone are the days, we stop to decide -
Where we should go, we just ride...'

-----
1967 21-Window Restoration
1966 Kombi/Benfalia Conversion Boardin' Bus
1958 Double-Door Panel Restoration

[j.pickens]

Well this picture pretty well shows the whole problem.
Thanks for posting that!

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[3foldfolly]

[Benfalia]

I just received the TMI panels from WW (deluxe) with their clips and there is NO WAY they are going in.

Just ordered the CIP clips...we'll see if they are different. Both CIP and WW say German and use the same P/N, but the photo on CIP does look like they're longer.

Super frustrating. Marathon session till 1am on a work night (mostly installing deluxe panel trim) and go to do the "EASY" part and nothing.

I'll report back.

Thanks,
Ben
_________________
'Gone are the days, we stop to decide -
Where we should go, we just ride...'

-----
1967 21-Window Restoration
1966 Kombi/Benfalia Conversion Boardin' Bus
1958 Double-Door Panel Restoration

[BarryL]

The aftermarket panel clips falling out in thicker panels is most likely. I found some NOS ones in my stash compared to the aftermarket Wolfsburg West version. OG on the left.

The silver WW ones may work in, say, Clara's hardboard panels (especially as she thins the panels in crucial areas). You can see how they wouldn't go deep enough to spread their wings in thick padded, or folded over edged materials. I can't speak for the OEM http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VWC%2D211%2D867%2D615%2DA30 ones but they look the same as the NOS size if you click on the "larger" or hover over the picture. What you get delivered may be different. Anyone have any they got from cip1 recently?

[crofty]

[BarryL]

Does any one know if the Wolfsburg West clips are still the same not-holding-well ones.

[crofty]

Most of the time its because the new panels are thicker than the originals.
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buy the "eom" ones from CIP1 there awesome, and they actually work!

[Starbucket]

If you don't mind black plastic, O'Reilly auto parts sell them. They have lots of flutes that are wider than the hole so they hold (used them on my '67 panel and never had them come loose). Takes 2 bags to do both doors.

[greenboat4]

Super thank you all for your kind replay