Solutions for peeling interior plastic door strips?

[russellesq]

I have a 2003 vert and the interior plastic door strips (on top of door right next to the window) for both doors have cracked and/or peeled at least twice now for me. What kind of replacement parts or solution are there for these flimsy trim pieces?

 

[slysnake]

Try to get the upgraded Gen 4 ones. They're not cheep, but they are improved construction.

 

[Silver04]

I have the same problem but will not spend ~$1K to fix this through the dealer. When this topic was raised previously some suggested liquid nails or double-sided tape but I have not been brave enough to attempt this yet. Good luck!

 

[limitless]

i had my upholstery guy fix look perfect i think he hot glued cant tell

 

[snakem04]

I did mine with double sided sticky. Looks good enough i guess. No one knows. But it bugs me bc i know its not right. The dealer wants a arm and a leg for these pieces. One day i will pull the trigger and correct the problem the right way. Hopefully i do before its to late to get the parts.

 

[TowDawg]

I hit mine on the passenger side with some superglue and nobody has ever noticed it. I've never priced the replacements, but I know plenty have people have talked about how expensive these pieces are and there's definitely things above these on my list of things to spend money on.

 

[Viper Specialty]

What I have been doing, is roughing up the surface, and using a black body panel adhesive type cement to hold them together and coat the whole surface. I have even been doing this on good panels, as it prevents them from cracking.

These strips are PATHETIC. There is a thin metal core, and then they are extruded. unfortunately, the core only runs on the top! If they used a T-channel type core, these things wouldnt be falling apart. They crack and fall apart very easily once they are brittle... just by catching the edge with clothing you can break them... nevermind getting a door panel apart.

I have considered making machined aluminum replacement pieces, but it would be extremely cost prohibitive to do so unfortunately.

 

[webby]

Yep mine just popped off on the driver's side today when I brushed against it opening the door. Lol. I guess I'll use superglue, good to know I am not the only one

 

[Alabaster Mamba]

Carbon fiber pieces would look incredible if they could be made for this application.

 

[wikkid]

You guys might laugh, but with my old 03, i used electrical tape and it looked pretty darn good. And im as meticulous as they come.

 

[Quickkitty]

Wow!!
I cant believe how expensive these things are!!
Mine split apart on my drivers side, 05 vert the other day. I think I will glue it rather than cough up a grand

 

[russellesq]

Okay, I came up with a custom solution involving a machined aluminium strip that was anodized black with stainless steel billet screws. Looks incredible. This solution will last longer than the door itself. Less expensive than the brittle replacement part. The door looks finished and something that you would expect out of a supercar. This pesky problem has now been solved. I will post the photos in a few days.

 

[Nader]

interesting. Looking forward to the pics.

 

[Mopar Steve]

Heat would be the only problem I could see with any metal. Black anodized aluminum would get hot in the sun versus the plastic. Just be careful resting your arm there.

 

[swexlin]

Mine are doing this as well, and dealer quoted 1,000!. Yep, I passed, LOL!

 

[Sonoman]

My old 911 had back anodized aluminum lower window strips on the doors and heat wasn't really a problem, but some anodizing does lose color over years of exposure to sunlight. On a garage parked Viper, probably not an issue.

 

[Torquemonster06]

russellesq, Im def looking forward to seeing how yours turned out. Deff need to post pics when you get a chance.

 

[slysnake]

Also looking forward to your solution. I assume you mean to sell these? Price?

The people above are saying 1k to replace at the dealer, but I guess that would just be replacing with the same faulty strips. I know Paul Scharf (sorry if I miss-spelled that) was selling the better Gen 4 ones for $200 each, and they clip on, unlike the originals which are stapled on to the panel.

 

[russellesq]

My Viper is an everyday driver in South Florida and with all that heat, so far no problem with the aluminium strips. In fact, my elbow barely can touch them even if I rest my arm on the window. Given the interest, I will try to get the photos up by tomorrow. I am definitely thinking about selling them as a solution since I am told every Viper has this problem or will have this as a problem.

 

[russellesq]

Alright, here we go with photos of the anodized aluminium replacement part with stainless steel billet screws:

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[swexlin]

Russell, looks great. If you have time, would you mind posting the parts list (and where to source them), and a quick how-to?

Thanks.

 

[cubican]

Im not sure about that, it looks kitcar(ish) I think some side molding will look better than that.

 

[King_]

Im not sure about that, it looks kitcar(ish) I think some side molding will look better than that.

Doesn't look bad, but I agree, kinda make it look like a "homemade" job.

 

[Mopar Steve]

Not sure about the visible fasteners.

 

[russellesq]

That was my style choice to match the look of the center console that has billet screws as well. There is another option to make it a two piece strip without the fasteners but that extra piece and machining would increase the price.

Not sure about the visible fasteners.

 

[russellesq]

Russell, looks great. If you have time, would you mind posting the parts list (and where to source them), and a quick how-to?

Thanks.

I am working on that. If there is interest, I will most likely be selling them myself as I will work with the manufacturer. There can be three different style versions and the aluminium can be anodized to the color of your choice. They are simple to install and would come with all the parts, instructions and even a YouTube video for help with the installation process.

 

[russellesq]

Im not sure about that, it looks kitcar(ish) I think some side molding will look better than that.

Can't please everyone. I would love to see your solution though.

 

[russellesq]

Also looking forward to your solution. I assume you mean to sell these? Price?

The people above are saying 1k to replace at the dealer, but I guess that would just be replacing with the same faulty strips. I know Paul Scharf (sorry if I miss-spelled that) was selling the better Gen 4 ones for $200 each, and they clip on, unlike the originals which are stapled on to the panel.

I spoke to a dealer about this and was told that the strips were not sold separately, that you actually had to replace the entire door panel.

 

[klamathpro]

Doesn't look bad, but I agree, kinda make it look like a "homemade" job.

Yeah, it looks good, but it looks GEN1 like. It reminds me of the tonneau cover snaps throughout my RT/10. Some quality epoxy could be used instead of the bolts, or maybe paint them black?

 

[ohlarikd]

All I know is, I am never touching or going near those plastic strips ever again. I don't even want to look at them funny for fear they may disintegrate.