My persistence and patience paid off. Today I got back under the dash and went back at it. I found that with some persuading I was able to get all four holes matched up. After putting some clear sealant on the back of the vents I put them back in place, lined them up and got them pop-riveted in place. The new vinyl panels were another story, but I managed to get them in place and everything buttoned up. If I had it to do over again, I would paint the vents black, but it is not at all obvious from the seats.
Randy
1980 TR7 <font color="red">Spider!</font id="red">
http://rgstr7spider.tumblr.com/