Old and new style door panels (in the same car)??

[chimazo]

While installing new speakers in my '98 RT/10, it seems I have one early-style door panel and one late-style door panel! Now before you start thinking that one must have been replaced at some point, keep in mind that they changed them in '99,
and my RT/10 was the last 1998 Viper made, with a build date of 12/98. Further evidence is in the autographs of some of the UAW's finest inside each panel, both with 12/2/98 dates. Pics below.

Weird, huh?

Weird also are the ACR belts installed in the car. Does the stock rear panel already have the cut-outs for the over-the-shoulder belts?
Does anybody know the build dates of the first 1999 ACR's? Some pics below - it looks factory to me, or someone went to the trouble of making it look like it.

Driver side panel

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Passenger side handle

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Neat swivable tweeter!

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ACR belts

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[C-Note]

They never made a ACR RT10.
I would not think the belts are stock, but they look good.

 

[ViperTony]

They never made a ACR RT10.
I would not think the belts are stock, but they look good.

Actually, I believe there was a one-off ACR RT/10 raffle car. But I don't this is it.

 

[chimazo]

Is the panel behind the seats of the GTS the same as the RT/10?

Or do all the panels have a cutout for the harness?

I realize there were no RT/10 ACR's, excepting the '01 graphite raffle car.

 

[C-Note]

The panel in my 98 GTS is different, it has a glove box and no speakers like an RT.

 

[InjectTheVenom]

Someone definately messed with the passenger side panel allright. Notice that the area cut out for the door panel is larger compared to the driver's side? Looks like someone has been cutting stuff up in a weird way as I clearly see torn up and budged edges on the upper and left side whereas the driver's side looks perfectly straight.
Like some others already mentioned, there was 1 Graphite RT/10 raffle car, apart from that one no such thing as factory ACR belts on an RT/10. I don't know if you bought the car new, but if not it looks like the previous owner tried to replace a broken passenger side handle.

 

[chimazo]

Someone definately messed with the passenger side panel allright. Notice that the area cut out for the door panel is larger compared to the driver's side? Looks like someone has been cutting stuff up in a weird way as I clearly see torn up and budged edges on the upper and left side whereas the driver's side looks perfectly straight.
Like some others already mentioned, there was 1 Graphite RT/10 raffle car, apart from that one no such thing as factory ACR belts on an RT/10. I don't know if you bought the car new, but if not it looks like the previous owner tried to replace a broken passenger side handle.

Actually, the larger cutout is for the newer style door handle. Since the trim from the old style handles covers the cutout completely, one could use a door panel from any GEN2 with the new style to replace an older version.

Nothing has been messed with, and I have every reason to believe the car is as-delivered, "mismatched" door panels and all. As I noted, both panels had the same dates signed on the inside by the line workers, and with the extremely late build date, it makes sense that they would use whatever they had. I have never heard of a '98 model that was actually built so late in the calendar year, as mine was. Just thought it was unusual, along with the ACR belt thing.

On a similar note, anyone have some late style door handles they want to sell?

 

[99 R/T 10]

I have a set

 

[dave6666]

I have a set

A set of what?

 

[chimazo]

I have a set

pm'ed you!

 

[RTTTTed]

Doesn't look like factory installed belts to me since they're just cut with no plastic cover. I can actually see the foam under the vinyl.

Ted