Proper sealing of doors when the door panel uses clips to attach to the door

[Joseph7195 10+ year member]

when it comes to competition, i'm not sure any extra effort is a waste of time. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
you want rigidity and mass so it's quiet and non-resonant, you want airtight seals so you don't have response issues, and you want ease of removal.

screw heads with colored covers are commonly used in cosmetic applications.

SNAP-CAPS ® Screw Covers

HINGED SNAP-CAPS® Screw Covers/Screw Caps

i just found this site. wish i had seen it sooner!

Well, I tell you what, I have been looking for these caps for over a month. They are very reasonably priced too. I think if I took a block of plastic and epoxied it to the inside of the door panel and counter-sink it, it would give more stiffness to the panel to hold stronger, and also recess the cap a little to help with blending.

Now all I have to do is figure out the welding thing. I may just try to epoxy all the steel strips instead of taking the chance of having to replace or re-paint the doors if I weld them

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

I guarantee there will be absolutely no audible difference if the door is 99% sealed or 100% sealed. Ive sealed/deadened many a door panel, and there is no such thing as a 100% seal. Theres always going to be the possibility of a little air escaping around the clips, or some other part of the door. Heck, even if the front of the door is sealed 100%, theres still a hole for the window to go through and drains in the bottom of the door to let any rainwater out in the event that some slips past the weather seal around the window. But the fact is, its only a single tiny speaker in the door. It wont/cant displace enough air to make any difference.
Dont do anything where youre going to ruin your door, or make it impossible to get it back off when there wont be any sound difference.

The ML-165 in the Scion displaces enough air that any leaks have audible (and tactile) air movement. The thing with small holes is that they can make air noise and whistle. You'll never be 100% sealed because of the window seals and drain holes. but what we care about is opening that will affect the door panel. once you add deadener and/or foams, you thicken the material at the holes - so the clips won't fit anymore. you really should avoid deadener or foam around the clips themselves so the factory clips fit.

the the OP's case - those clips ****. I would replace them with screws without a second thought. Screws done well (with nice matching caps) can look just fine and the door panel will be silent. there are many factory door panels that are held with screws along the bottom and side edges. there are other factory screws on top and middle behind panels/trim. usually the top slides on and grips the top of the window opening - so no top screws/clips are necessary.

in short - adding screws doesn't ruin a car - a successful SQ build will usually modify factory and go a step above, including introducing new fasteners.

 

[VWBobby 10+ year member]

Thanks for the link Bro! That's the best price on butyl rope I have seen yet.

No problem man! Always here to help. If you want to use epoxy instead of welding for the metal strips, it will work great. Automotive epoxy or urethane adhesive is commonly used on panels for non-structural repairs. 3M, Norton, Lord Fusor - are all some brands of automotive adhesives. I'm a moderator on autobody101.com. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif If you need any help with autobody, feel free to PM me or check out the site.