'89 headliner needed

[monica]

anbody have a n.o.s. "medium beechwood" colored headliner # 20688663 for sale ??? it fits '89 reatta w/o sunroof... please email; peedenmark7@hotmail.com thanks, john

[Guest]

Monica, if your backing board is good you can have it recovered for about $100.<BR>Randy

[Guest Copper81]

Monica,<P>I have recently taken the sagging headliner out of my 88 Reatta and handed it over to a local auto upholstery shop and they are recovering it for $45. Getting the headliner out wasn't too difficult, the worst for me being the column pillars along the windshield ... the tabs can break easily if you don't remove them correctly. If you want any tips on doing that headliner removal, just let me know. It is fresh in my mind!!

[monica]

I've checked with local trim shoops and have found $100 to be the norm but figured if anybody had a n.o.s. unit, well I wouldnt mind spending the extra for it...BUT any advice on pulling the pillar moldings would be greatly appreciated...on my first '89 the tabs were already broken so it wasnt hard to get them out,,, but my recent '89 is squeeky clean and the moldings are nice and tight..... please lmk, best and thanks, john

[Guest Copper81]

The hardest part of getting the headliner out is removing the column pillars. The rest is pretty starightforward and obvious (unscrew a panel here and there along the rear deck to ease the headliner coming out). In removing the column pillars, the thing that you need to be careful of is to "push down" the pillar .... that will separate the pillar from the plastic tab that snaps into the column behind the pillar. To do this, grab the column pillar at the top (or where ever you can best get a hold of it) and push down towards the dash. It should move down noticably about an inch to inch and a half and it may take a bit of force to do this based on my recent experience. If by chance it doesn't move down, please don't just assume it has released itself and then try to pull it away from the column ... you WILL break either the plastic tab or worse part of the pillar .... take it from me!! I learned the hard way ... {sigh} ... The second pillar came off just right for me though, the first one was stuck. Ater moving the pillar down though, you will still need to pull the pillar away from the column and you will think that something is going to break but be patient and keep gently pulling. Some plastic push tabs will release without any problems. And then the rest is easy, the headliner is attached using velcro and I used a long thin ruler to help break those apart rather than tear the headliner by pulling it apart. If I recall correctly, there are two velcro strips in the front (in the area of the visors), two in the back, and two more bascially in the center of the headliner. I hope this helps .... tonight I am picking up my newly recovered headliner!!! $45 .... I hope it looks as good as I hope it should!

[ESTAVER]

In regard to the A-Pillar trim pieces attaching clips: The suggestion about pushing the trim piece down toward the dash, to disengage the flat disk end of the two, ribbed push pins makes sense. The disks slide into slots formed in stand off mounts moulded to the trim cover. These disks are about 3/4 of an inch around. I was not a forum member when I removed mine to replace the headliner, and the moulded brackets mentioned above broke out and would no longer capitvate the trim push pins that press into the A-Piller holes.

I tried every type of velcro and could not get the covers to locate tightly to the piller. I finally tossed the velcro and applied a bead of clear silicone sealant to the trailing edge of the A-Pillar welded seam. With the window down, I used a soft jawed wood working clamp to hold the piece in place, removed any squeezed out excess sealant, and let it cure for about four hours. The covers are nice and tight and if ever they need to be removed, a razor knife will cut the sealant bead.

[reattadudes]

there is no reason to remove the A-pillars in order to remove the headliner. it will slide back just fine with the pillars in place.

as to your comments about an NOS headliner: these would be toast as well. age is what kills the foam, and an NOS one would be in bad shape, too. also, the shipping costs involved would be quite prohibitive. the headliners are also easily damaged in shipping.

Mike