Jlaa

Hi Guys!
Can I ask — how in the %$#@%$#@ do you get the spring hinge for armrest mounted on the door panels for a 1997 / 1998 993? (Different than a 1995 / 1996 model)

• At first I thought it is riveted on (with 2 big rivets) — but that doesn’t work. There is too much thickness to work.

• I was using 3/16” rivets with a 1/2” grip range

• Then I realized that my 1996 door panels are a little different than the 1998 door panels I had recovered in leather

• The 98 door panels have a plastic piece under the leather — a THICK plastic piece where the spring hinge is.

• The 96 door panels do not have this plastic piece, and therefore rivets work.
• I burned a few hours on this tonight — F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-N-G !!!

BesideTheBox

Jlaa - Great progress that you are making!
Have you considered using a rivet washer over the end of the rivet before you 'pop' the rivet?
Since you are working with soft (in other words, non-metal) materials, you may need the washer so the rivet grabs/expands where you need it to.
BTB

pp000830

In the interest of serviceability could one use a machine screw and prevailing torque nut or even even drill through the underlying metal inner door frame and use a self tapping metal screw??

Jlaa

Hi BTB! By the way - Rob Budd @ Classic 9 admires your ABS plates for the door pocket repairs --- combined with JB weld and paint, he's a big fan of the cleanliness of your solution.

Anyways - thanks for the suggestion! I am new at using at rivet gun - so I didn't consider this. Some questions from a novice at this --

+ What's the difference between a regular washer at a rivet washer?
+ Where in the heck do I get rivets with greater than 1/2" grip?

I think part of the problem is that a 1/2" grip rivet can't even reach far enough through all the combined thickness to grip anything.

Home Depot and Lowes don't sell any rivets with more than 1/2" grip. Amazon sells them but you gotta buy a ton of them https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...A2Q1P0F82TFARJ and then there's shipping time --- not eligible for Amazon Prime.

I checked out the Grainger Catalog, and I'll be darned if I can't find any blind rivets with a 3/16" body and 3/4" - 1" reach...... really .... nothing?

Lastly, What's the drawback if I just use a nut and bolt here instead of a rivet?

Thanks.

Jlaa

Thanks Andy --- that's what I was thinking as welll ---- but ---- well ---- a picture is worth a thousand words ---- thinking ----

pp000830

I guess a blind rivet with a rivet washer is the way to go. Or even a blind rivet inserted from the back side so the rear facing surface is flush. The other option is a belt nut. It is the type of flush flange nut used as part of the fastener used to hold the belt buckle on a belt. It can be purchased at a crafts store and a matching machine screw at a DIY store. It would provide a flat support from behind and a machine screw from the front. Would work much like a blind rivet inserted from behind and it would be serviceable.

Jlaa

Thanks for all the help guys.

I aksed Rob Budd and he let me drink from his fountain of knowledge -


Porsche uses a rivet part # 90020601802
Its 20MM long on the 98MY and 12MM long on the 96MY

On both model years I usually go all the way through both holes of the door panel and use sheet metal screws to screw it directly to the door metal.

RB

Jeez, only someone with tons of experience would know this. Anyways, this is what I did below. Later on I will document all the subtle changes one has to make to bolt a 98MY door panel onto an earlier (95/96) car ----

BesideTheBox

Nice to hear that Rob Budd appreciates our handiwork!

The difference between a rivet washer (a.k.a. rivet back-up plate) and a regular washer is fit.
A rivet washer is designed for the rivet, made of aluminum, and fits perfectly.

As far as finding the right size rivet, sounds like Amazon is the way to go. I have a few rivets from previous projects, but none that have a grip range larger than 1/2".

A 4mm or 6mm bolt with a nylon lock nut could work as well, but I suspect that you may have trouble finding something with the right fit. You can always cut the bolt to length, but you also have to find something that doesn't stick out too far. And that might be the hard thing.
This is where a T-nut (like pp000830 suggests) would be great.

Are you sure that the items to be joined can't be compressed such that the 1/2" rivet will work? Have you tried fitting the rivet from either direction?

Nevermind..... I now see that you have a solution above!!!

Jlaa

Thanks!! Oh boy - that's a better idea --- I should have used a T-nut.

Instead I added 2 more washers to the front side to eliminate the projection on the back side. A T-nut would have been cleaner.

JPS

Resurrecting an old thread. Seems my rivet pulled out (1995). Does the hinge attach only to the door panel, or does it go into the door metal? I see 900 206 018 02 from the PET as the part, but it's unclear where it is supposed to rivet.

Thanks,

s14kev

Ignore all of the above suggestions. Head to Home Depot with 87 cents and buy some binding post fasteners. They are in the individual fasteners drawers. They look like the images attached below.

JPS

Seems a straightforward solution. Still the question: Does that go behind the metal, or just behind the door panel?

s14kev

Binding posts have a flat base with a very broad headed screw. Flat base section goes on the other side of the fiberboard/Masonite door panel. Slotted section goes in the plastic spring hinge. Drill out the rivet in the plastic spring hinge and the binding post should fit in perfectly. Depending on the size of post you buy (come in different diameters and lengths) you may have to cut one down a little but this should be easy as most binding posts are made of aluminum.

JPS

Ah, that's the bit I needed. I always assumed they went into the door metal. No wonder the plastic by the handle itself flexes and breaks over time.