[horvath]

I haven't gotten to fabricating door panels for my truck yet, but will be soon enough and I've been daydreaming about ways of attaching the panels to the doors for months and months on end.

I can't stand the idea of using door panel clips ... they're such a pain in the butt; the plastic ones get ruined after a while; the old-school metal ones are much cooler (if you ask me) ... but this, in my opinion, is just a rotten way of doing it.

I keep thinking I want to screw the panels to the doors. That way, whenever I want to remove and replace them, it's a simple and surefire method. Problem is, who wants to see screws? It certainly presents a challenging design problem.

Harley Davidson sells chrome button-head screws that use an allen wrench and look pretty cool but, again, it's a challenging design problem.

Recently, I've been thinking the screws could be hidden into the design of the panels by putting them behind a flap that's secured with velcro ... or by making complimentary buttons that are velcro'd over the screws.


What do you think? Or ... have you any creative ideas in this area?

[brian0605]

I used to work for a freightliner dealer in alabama. Freightliner used a round plastic piece with a screw through the center and had a vinyl button cover that just pushed onto the plastic piece. you used to be able to get them at the dealer and might be able to find them at a big truck parts store. They had a bunch of different colors when I worked at the dealer in case we lost one while we were working on the truck. Hope this helps Brian

[Mike in Michigan]

There used to be lots of that sort of stuff in the J.C. Whitney catalog.
Also, find a local body shop that has been around for a long time and pick the brain of the trim person. What you want has already been invented, used, and discarded, but is still out there somewhere.

[302 Z28]

Take a look at Scooters web site. I believe he used strips of butyl rubber windshield ribbon to secure his panels. he also has an aversion to screw heads, as I do.

Vince

[horvath]

Thanks, Brian -- That's what I'm talkin' about -- those sure would be nice to find! Simple clip ons! I'll be watching out for those for sure.

Thanks, Mike -- There's a pretty cool interior shop near me ... I'm gonna visit them when the weather starts warming up and pick their brains as well as show them what I've been doing.

Hey, Vince -- Scooter's web site is killer!

Here's his Project - I'm gonna dig in and see what he did:
http://www.project33.com/article.cfm?ID=847

[302 Z28]

Originally Posted by horvath

Hey, Vince -- Scooter's web site is killer!

Here's his Project - I'm gonna dig in and see what he did:
http://www.project33.com/article.cfm?ID=847

Yep, it's been a tremendous help to me in my project over the years.

Vince

[35WINDOW]

Would something like this work?

[steve t]

Originally Posted by brian0605

I used to work for a freightliner dealer in alabama. Freightliner used a round plastic piece with a screw through the center and had a vinyl button cover that just pushed onto the plastic piece. you used to be able to get them at the dealer and might be able to find them at a big truck parts store. They had a bunch of different colors when I worked at the dealer in case we lost one while we were working on the truck. Hope this helps Brian

boat builder use that same button, its works good

[brian0605]

What about velcro?????Brian

[S10Fan]

Originally Posted by brian0605

I used to work for a freightliner dealer in alabama. Freightliner used a round plastic piece with a screw through the center and had a vinyl button cover that just pushed onto the plastic piece. you used to be able to get them at the dealer and might be able to find them at a big truck parts store. They had a bunch of different colors when I worked at the dealer in case we lost one while we were working on the truck. Hope this helps Brian

The screw covers can be found at Lowes. The area where they have bins of screws, bolts etc. I've seen them in black, white and yellow. I painted mine with SEM coat, perfect. Pretty sure I've seen them at Home Depot as well.

[horvath]

Thanks, 35WINDOW -- Curious ... the picture is a bit small; I'm not sure what it does or how ...

Hey, Brian -- I mentioned using velcro in my opening post. It could do the job, but a clip-on screw cover would be simpler and more secure; if someone hit or brushed up against a button cover that was held on with velcro, they could easily knock it off.

Thanks S10Fan -- Home Depot, eh? Too cool! I'll check that out today!

[35WINDOW]

[QUOTE=horvath]Thanks, 35WINDOW -- Curious ... the picture is a bit small; I'm not sure what it does or how ...

horvath,

Your Thread really had me thinking (for my Project I'd like something that was not noticeable), so I went through an on-line Catalog that someone here had showed us. That part is really the little clip that holds side marker lights on GM cars-Part #19200 (you'd have to get the receptacle to fit it, I believe)-you might want to look through this Catalog for ideas (they have a lot of Fasteners there)-hope this helps-

look here:

http://www.auveco.com/index.htm

[35WINDOW]

Oops, sorry, duplicate Post!

[brian0605]

Originally Posted by horvath

Thanks, 35WINDOW -- Curious ... the picture is a bit small; I'm not sure what it does or how ...

Hey, Brian -- I mentioned using Velcro in my opening post. It could do the job, but a clip-on screw cover would be simpler and more secure; if someone hit or brushed up against a button cover that was held on with Velcro, they could easily knock it off.

Thanks S10Fan -- Home Depot, eh? Too cool! I'll check that out today!

No I meant using Velcro on the back side of the panel to hold it to the door. Not using screws at all.Place the Velcro around the perimeter and a couple of short strips in the middle. I have used Velcro with self stick backing 1inch to 1.5inch wide to attach other kinds of access panels. It really holds securely. I have also used it to mount a C.B. a few years ago. It allowed me to quickly move it from one vehicle to another and it never moved. Just an idea,trying to think outside the box.............Brian

[horvath]

Hey, 35WINDOW -- Good ol' Au-Ve-Co! Thanks for the link. I emailed them and asked ... and also gave them a link to this thread; we'll see if they respond!

Thanks, Brian -- I've thought about that, too. But I always think the velcro is gonna be a bit of a pain in getting the panel to sit precisely where you want it. Maybe I'm wrong ... velcro *is* a bit "spongy" if you know what I mean. I'd be concerned about the panel sitting too much OFF of the door - velcro would take up about 1/16th of an inch in thickness. Your point is well taken though ... I'd rather use velcro than panel clips!