After removing the plastic...
After removing the plastic A-pillar trim, we remove screws holding the sun visors and the rearview mirror in place. Again, pay attention to the location of these items. We'll have to find all the fastener holes by feel during re-installation, so getting a mental (or better yet, digital) picture of the location of these items will be an advantage.
Out With The Old
Removing the old headliner is a fairly easy task. If your headliner is old enough, chances are there's not much left to remove. Ours was tattered and dry, tearing easily as we took it out of the car. The combination of fabric dust and dry insulation underneath necessitated safety glasses and a dust respirator be worn while performing the job. The interior of our car was removed, which made the job easier, but it can be performed with most of the interior intact. If you're replacing the headliner while leaving the seats and carpet in the car, we suggest covering them with sheets to make the clean-up easier. All of the trim around the windows needs to be removed, as well as the rearview mirror, sun visors, clothing hooks, dome light, and shoulder belts if your car is so equipped. A Phillips screw driver is all you'll need to remove everything but the shoulder belts, which require a 131/416-inch socket or wrench. With the trim and accessories out of the way, the edges of the headliner can be pulled away from the metal roof of the car. The headliner is held in place at the sides with glue, and in the front and rear with a combination of glue and metal hooks stamped into the roof structure of the car. The glue has usually lost its adhesive properties, and the headliner should pull right out, but if not, a heat gun will aid in the process. Once the edges are loose, simply flex the metal bows out of their holes or retaining clips, and the headliner can be removed as one unit. If the headliner is badly damaged or nonexistent, be sure to keep track of each bows location as they are likely different lengths.
 After removing the plastic...  After removing the plastic dome light lens and bulb, remove the two screws holding the dome light assembly to the roof structure of the car. Now squeeze the metal tabs holding the bulb socket in the light assembly so the socket and wires are left hanging from the ceiling of the car. |  The edges of the headliner...  The edges of the headliner are held in place by a combination of glue and metal hooks that are stamped into the roof structure of the car (shown here). Once the fabric is pulled off the hooks, it should be easy to break the bond of the glue, allowing the edges of the headliner to hang free. |  With the edges of the old...  With the edges of the old headliner out of the way, the ends of the metal bows are exposed. Ours engage holes in the roof structure, older models have metal clips that hold the bows in place. Either way, the bows can be removed by flexing them to get the ends out of the holes or clips. Get all the bows out of one side, then move to the other side. The rearmost bow also has two wire retainers to help position it, which must be removed as well. Try to keep the bows in the headliner to keep track of their order as they are likely different lengths. |
 The trim surrounding the windshield...  The trim surrounding the windshield and rear window is usually held on with more Phillips head screws. The trim must be fully removed to gain access to the edges of the headliner. |  |  With the old headliner removed,...  With the old headliner removed, the insulation underneath is exposed. This is some nasty stuff and can either be scraped away and left out, or replaced. We live in Florida and aren't really concerned about temperature or sound insulation, so we chose to scrape the insulation out and leave it out. be sure to wear eye protection and some type of respirator while removing it. |