Restoring Kick Panel Vents??? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

4tiresngas · 01-14-2006, 07:12 PM

The rubber around the edge of the kick panel vents in my truck is shot. I can clean up the vents and paint them, but I'd like to have a good seal. Has anyone taken them apart and put some kind of new seal around them? Is there rebuild kit (seals and rivets) that can be bought from a vendor? Or, can you buy new ones?

red71cheyenne · 01-14-2006, 07:29 PM

I know I have seen new seals, but haven't seen the rivets sold with them to replace them. There is also a place on ebay that renews them for like $50. You just send them yours and they replace the seals and powdercoat them for you. Looked like a nice service.

mocwon · 01-14-2006, 07:44 PM

Order the replacement foam from any of the board vendors. Drill out the old rivets, clean and paint the pieces, put the new foam in place and rivet them back together. Not a very big job at all....

BubbaGreen · 01-14-2006, 08:30 PM

The rivets that are used in the vent kits also fit the vent doors....I purchased the rivets from gmcpauls and the tool that goes with it.
Then I drilled a 3/8" hole in a harbor freight 1/2Ton press to install them without distorting them. Worked perfectly. FYI: if you take them apart, keep them seperated, LH and RH are a little different and if you mix them up without a reference, you might have to do it twice (dont ask me how I know)
Chevyduty sells the foam that is nearly identical to the originals.

01-14-2006, 07:12 PM	#1
4tiresngas An American Soldier Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Grumolo D' Abadessee, Italy Posts: 503	Restoring Kick Panel Vents??? The rubber around the edge of the kick panel vents in my truck is shot. I can clean up the vents and paint them, but I'd like to have a good seal. Has anyone taken them apart and put some kind of new seal around them? Is there rebuild kit (seals and rivets) that can be bought from a vendor? Or, can you buy new ones? __________________ Dan dan.brue@us.army.mil

01-14-2006, 07:29 PM	#2
red71cheyenne Back in the sticks Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Fordland, MO Posts: 3,188	Re: Restoring Kick Panel Vents??? I know I have seen new seals, but haven't seen the rivets sold with them to replace them. There is also a place on ebay that renews them for like $50. You just send them yours and they replace the seals and powdercoat them for you. Looked like a nice service. __________________ 1971 Cheyenne C-10 w/700R4 and Tuned Port Injection 1969 K5 Blazer w/Tuned Port 2010 2SS/RS Flaming Orange Camaro 2011 K1500 Suburban 2014 K1500 Pickup 2008 Nissan Altima? The wifes' hoopty

01-14-2006, 07:44 PM	#3
mocwon Keep On Truckin' Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Buda, Texas Posts: 1,354	Re: Restoring Kick Panel Vents??? Order the replacement foam from any of the board vendors. Drill out the old rivets, clean and paint the pieces, put the new foam in place and rivet them back together. Not a very big job at all.... __________________ Just Passin' Thru Some projects are like herding cats; others are like putting out fires; this one was like herding cats on fire.....

01-14-2006, 08:30 PM	#4
BubbaGreen Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Cedar Park, TX Posts: 686	Re: Restoring Kick Panel Vents??? The rivets that are used in the vent kits also fit the vent doors....I purchased the rivets from gmcpauls and the tool that goes with it. Then I drilled a 3/8" hole in a harbor freight 1/2Ton press to install them without distorting them. Worked perfectly. FYI: if you take them apart, keep them seperated, LH and RH are a little different and if you mix them up without a reference, you might have to do it twice (dont ask me how I know) Chevyduty sells the foam that is nearly identical to the originals. __________________ 71 Chevy C-10 SWB Fleetside RamJet-350/4L60e & Compushift/3.73Posi See it at www.prismnet.com/~grzanich



Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.