My previous car, a 2002 MR2 Spyder, was bad about door panel removal. Once I removed them for speaker work, they never went back right. They became a rattling nightmare. Does the Z do well with this? Do they go back on tightly?

 

I have removed mine 3 or 4 times and have not noticed any rattles from this. They seem to fit just as good as from the factory.

 

I've removed mine several times to work on the speakers and they always seem to go back on securely. You might want to try to find some back up plastic retainer clips to replace the original ones that might get worn after a while.

 

Thanks for the info

 

Any hints as to the easiest and least damaging way to remove my drivers side door panel?
TIA, Jim

 

When I removed mine, I started from the inside (by the sideviews) then went under the door, and then did by the handle. They are also the PITA clips that you just have to pull to remove. The last clip is a square-shaped black clip that has to be twisted to be removed.

 

Thanks for your quick reply! Does the screw in the armrest have to be pulled too? Jim

 

No, on the driver side panel there are no screws. The door panel and the armbar are one piece and they are connected by wire, not screws.

On the passenger side however, you need to remove two bolts in order to take off the door panel. I didnt know this at first and nearly cracked my door panel in half because the two bolts were still in place when I was pulling out the clips. For reference, the two bolts are behind the handle on the passenger side, you need to remove the middle bar with a flathead screwdriver to get to them.

 

Is it than just a matter of "prying" the door panel at certain points? If so, where do I start and at what angle do I pry at?
Thx, Jim

 

Yeah, I guess you could say that. On the driver side there are no bolts to remove. I started with the side closest to the mirror because thats the place where you can get your hands under the panel the easiest. That part pops out pretty easily. Then I went under the armbar and popped that part out. Its a little harder, requires a little more force, but again, not too difficult. The rest of the door I just went around slipping my hands under the molding and giving in a decent tug and the clips popped out one by one. Believe me, it can be frustrating though because those clips can take a good bit of force sometimes.

 

Ahhhhh, this is the answer I was looking for! Thanks much for the help.
Regards, Jim

 

Where is this one located? Thx, Jim

 

Here's the walk-through I used. I had no problems at all, and everything went back together nice and snug.

http://liljerk.morpheus.net/350Z/front_speakers/

 

Up near the door handle

 

Toolwise I would suggest a spatula or something similar to pop the tabs out with.

 

Really appreciate all the input from each of you on this one. Especially to ZZ for the pictoral guide.
Regards, Jim