Headliner swap.

[OneEightSeven]

Hey, so I was at a junk yard yesterday getting a new tail light. Somehow the reverse light lens on my passenger tail light disappeared.... I have no idea how. It looks like someone carved it out with a scalpel. The donor for my new tail light was a 2002 SS. I looked in it and it had some nice leather door panels (that I'm snagging tomorrow) along with the rear sway bar which I'm also snagging.

My headliner is currently ripping near the t-top area. It's on the drivers side only and very tiny tear, but it's kind of annoying. I'm sure no one other than me notices it, but I don't care what everyone else sees... I see it every time. How hard is it to take it out. I asked the junk yard how much, and they said $100 cuz it's "hard to remove without breaking". Is this really true? I looked and it seems like its hand full of screws from the trim then it should come out.

[TheGr8Schlotzky]

Re: Headliner swap.

I wouldn't necessarily say it's hard to remove without breaking, but it can be prone to breaking. You'll want to remove the three Phillips head screws holding each sun visor on, and loosen up the A-pillar Phillips screws accessed from the top. Take off the cargo light and get the hangers off the sail panels with a flat head screw driver. pull them loose but don't remove them. Take the push clip out of the center of the headliner on the T-bar, and then holding the liner up with your head or something, gently pull the sides out from under the A-pillars, removing A-pillars if necessary. Once it's out, pull it forward to rest on the rear view mirror (make sure the sail panels are loose enough to allow this first. Get the seat belts out of the way, and from inside the car, get the sail panels out of the way and remove it through the hatch. Set it down with the front resting on the tops of the seats and get it out from the back.

If it does break, it will probably break in the center of the T-top area. But once it's installed with the clip, it shouldn't be noticeable. You'll definitely want to take a lot of care in removing and installing it though to avoid any possibility of a break.

[Niko97RS]

Re: Headliner swap.

you definitely need an extra set of hands. most likely it will crease and it sucks when you do....

they sell ABS Plastic ones for $100 or so...definitely worth it

[OneEightSeven]

Re: Headliner swap.

Thanks for the help guys. Where do they sell plastic headliners? that may be a better idea so I'm not doing it again in a year.

[Derek3.4]

Re: Headliner swap.

As long as you're careful you'll be fine. I took my hardtop headliner out just fine, then did the t top conversion and pulled a headliner out of a donor car and put it back in mine without bending it or anything.