Are there clips or something that wears out over time on the door panels? They dont seem to have anything to hook on to. They are attached tightly at the bottom of the door.

What year car is it?
The plastic, upper trim(built-in clips) breaks over time, and the top part of the door panel will flop...my passenger side is broken, so it rattles, and drives me nuts!
Adams' Apple2009-08-27 20:11:15

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Joel Adams  
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

94, I may pull the whole panel off just to see what is broke or missing.

  Hey you fine folks, flandy 54 here.  I have the same situation with my 96 lt4 on the drivers side.  Does anyone have a manual that shows how many screws and push in fasteners are used to hold a C-4 door panel on?  Kinda looks like you undu the bottom and slide the top down into some kind of retainer on the door once you get it in the backside weatherstripping ,then do the lower retainers.  Anyone have ant ideas.  Thanks-Flandy.

On my 95, it's 5 on bottom, 1 in the armrest, then 3 in the handle assy (bezel).  Be careful with handle assy, don't force out, pry it gently, there is a connector for courtesy light back there plus window controls.  Then you can jockey the whole panel up and out.   You might as well replace window wipers while you have it apart and tighten the mirror.

Hi folks, flandy here.  I got mine to stay in place on Tues., I was able to pull the panel uo abd over the steel door frame.  Then I was finally able to get the top of the panel to seat over the metal retaines in the door.  The hardest part was to get the panel to seat in the weatherstrip.  Didn't have to move a screw or retainer, just a small slotted screwdrive to open the weatherstrip.  Once in place just push down to seat, I got lucky, Thank-God.  Good to go-Phil

Hi there, I have the same problem with my '89 Conv.  Someone tried to take the door panel out with a crowbar I think.  Anyway, they broke the top plastic trim pretty badly and now I cannot get it to stay in place.  I found an outfit that sells the trim for a Coupe but not for a Conv.  Just how much different are they ?  Anyone else been able to find replacement parts ?
    Thanks..
       

Maybe this problem is more common than I thought. I have an '85 coupe and the top of the door panels on both sides is loose and flops around a bit. I have lifted and looked inside and it appears that the screw holes in the body material under the panels has stripped out. As i am preparing to buy and install new interior panels soon, is there anything that I can, or should, do to prepare these stripped out holes for new screws, so that when I install the new panels I can be rid of rattles and loose door molding?

Also...any tips to know before I begin? I've only been a vette owner for about 16 months

brian, just a question---do you have the inner window strip on the panel? the outer window seal is attached to the body and inner seal is rivetted on the door panel. no screws up top that i know of (at least on my 90).

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the dynamic duo

c3vr life member #97

Just uncovered it and looked. Kind of hard to tell without pulling it out more right now, but it appears the inner window strap pretty much caps the door panel on top, and definately has a couple screws securing from the top

i know they changed door panels after 89. one change is they took the speakers out of the door but if i remember correctly they go on the same way. you peaked my interest now and will look sat. when i go the body shop as the donor car for the repair on my car was an 85. the inner door seal looks a little bit different as i went ecklers and compared them. if we can find joel (adam's apple) he would be able to tell us as he owns an 85. 

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the dynamic duo

c3vr life member #97

I have an 86 and had a problem with the top of the door panel being loose. I ended up using some dual sided tape from 3m ( used to afix auto body trim). This has held up, even in the middle of the summer when the internal temperature of the car got pretty hot.

Sorry it's taken so long to reply...and thanx. I think, possibly, that the first owner used the incorrect screws. Not long enuf. I've since learned a couple of things about keeping door panels up and functional until i can get new ones installed.

Stay in touch...I can use the help...lol

the inside window strip is riveted on to the door panel originally. where those rivets go thru are where the plastic of the door panel cracks. i used expoxy from the body shop to glue back in place and then screwed the strip on and it hangs over the door frame tight. the reason that i didn't rivet it was because i could not get the right size when i reinstalled my panels. they are a wierd size. they are a 5/32" rivet and aabout 1/2" long. i could only get 1/4" long and would not hold.

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the dynamic duo

c3vr life member #97

Here's an answer to the problem,  I installed these , they work great.  Stuart will send along an instruction sheet to show you how to install them, it's pretty east.