All,

My CFO realtor [wife] bought a nice 1997 Vanden Plas and the whole vehicle is quite nice except that the driver inside lower door panel came loose. The nice leathery lower panel tucks its top portion underneath the upper panel and screws hold the lower panel in place to the metal frame door.

However, when I review the screws going from the inside-of-the-panel into the metal door housing, I cannot figure out how to uncover the inside cover for the inside panel so I can get to put a screw driver to the screw head.

Restated another way, the inside panel cover is smooth without any obvious removal locations so that I can then take a screw driver to the screw head inside that panel so that I can then fasten it to the metal door.

This invisible mounting technique (no obvious way to get between the inside panel cover and the inside panel to get to the srcew heads is brilliant for a seemless attachment . . . until someone has to actually get to these screw heads).

This kind of looks like one of those push-and-shove one-way plastic screw heads where if you line everything up perfectly and simultaneous and uniformly push all together synchronously then the one way panel fastening trip might work, but tructh be told, I actually have metal screws and screw heads which means somebody had to originally screw them in to begin with (but how???). So, the is some secret to exposing these screws heads. If I try pry-this-and-pry-that without knowing the secret then I will destory this nice leathery panel.

This is the first car door where the screw heads are inside the interior panel, but not accessible from the inside panel and the panel itself has no obvious exposure areas.

Sorry about the novel, but I tried to state this several ways to give clarifications.

-- Steve

 

Welcome to the forum, Steve. You should pop over to the new member's area and introduce yourself. Meanwhile, perhaps a friendly mod will happen by and move your post to the X300 section where it will get more focused attention and answers. I'm away from my pubs right now, and haven't really messed with the door panels that much...that's coming later when I replace the rattly speakers...but for now I'm not much help. However, if you find the X300 section and search in there on "driver's door" I think you'll find some guidance. There is a door-lock actuator cable famous for breaking on these and several threads about how to get the panel off to fix it when it happens. Good luck and happy motoring...sounds like a nice ride.

 

Behind the inside door handle is a 1" square plug. Pop it out and remove the screw behind it. The door handle cup can be now removed.

Pull the wood panel forward...toward the front of the car...to remove it. Remove the two screws that were hidden under the wood panel.

Lift the edge of the air duct sealing ring and you'll see one more screw at about 6:00 o'clock.

At the forward, lower section of the upper panel is a push in retainer. Use a trim tool to pry the panel off or just get your fingertips under the panel and gently pull.

The upper panel can now be lifted away.

The lower panel is held on mostly by push retainers but there may be some (now plainly visible) screws at the top. There's one big screw at the top of the door pull/armrest handle. There might be a screw behind or above the door lamp...can't remember for sure. The lens sorta slides aft to remove.

I think that about covers it and should at least get you headed in the right direction.

Cheers
DD

 

As it turns out, the door panel was previously taken off and somehow someone used metal screws and it seems they tried to use screws as "push plastic trim fasteners" which is why I was deceived regarding how to get to the screw heads.
As it turns out there was one screw and 8 locations for the "push plastic trim fasteners" but 5 out of 8 were completely gone leaving only 3 worn out "push plastic trim fasteners". No wonder the panel fell off.

OK. These little plastic jewels cost about $0.48 to $0.98 so I am surprised that someone even tried to rig this door back on by rigging screws and apparently used the "bang it back on" technique. Must have been a show to watch. Anyhow, I am now a 1997 Jaguar Vanden Plas door panel expert (har har har).

OK. The most surprising thing to me is the design of leathery door panel being held on by one screw (holding the door panel from crashing onto the ground) and 8 of these "push plastic trim fasteners". i.e. beautiful leather outside, cheap plastic inside.

Thanks "aholbro1" and "Doug" for their advisements.

 

I'm sure it wasn't a matter of money but rather a matter of not having any replacments on hand and wanting to finish the job.

I try to keep an assortment of trim fasteners to avoid having to take drastic steps :-)






Good ! Now we know who to come to :-)






The plastic retainers, of different types, have been standard of the industry for decades. Sometimes they break or distort beyond re-use BUT they don't rust like screws! Maybe I'm just accustomed to seeing them but I don't regard them as low grade alternatives....although originally I'm sure saving money was the original motivation for using them: less expensive to buy and a time saver on the assembly line.

Cheers
DD