Seems it's nearly EXPECTED that the headliner fabric in my Custom Cruiser will lose its contact with the "board" it's supposed to be glued to, so I'm hoping that means there's (at least) one of you who's done the job of taking the interior trim off, removing the headliner and "backer board" and replaced either/both.

I ask because my factory manual only shows how to take EVERYTHING apart roof-wise, with no specific mention of just redoing the headliner itself.

Lots of trim bits seem trapped behind others (like the piece that runs from windshield to the back of car just above the door opening BEHIND, in places, the side panel the seatbelt is mounted to/through), and there aren't any "DIY" guides anywhere for this job.

I REALLY don't want to have to take EVERYTHING apart if there's a simpler way. I can't find specific instructions anywhere, and no matter how I look at it it appears that it all has to come off, period.

PLEASE don't let that be the case...

 

The thin foam in between has deteriorated, thus the separation. Once it starts separating, it easily gets worse if you drive withthe windows open.
The real fix is to remove the headliner and board, which means lots of trim bits have to be pulled.
On the positive note, the wagon HL will be easier because you can just extract it from the tailgate.

 

That is the case. The detailed instructions are in the Fisher Body Manual for your year. That's not the worst part, however. The worst part is that the trim around the edges of the headliner panel in the rear cargo area (technical term: garnish molding) are held in place with plastic trim clips. These trim clips are NOT designed for easy release and are NOT available anywhere for any price. The side clips are different from the ones above the rear window, by the way. The plastic clips are brittle and if you break less than half of them, you're a better man than I am.

 

I figured I'd look through the site for tips instead of making a new post. My baby ('90 Custom Cruiser) has the same problem Angie has. He's got a few less miles but the headlining is critical. I thought I'd have it professionally replaced, and one shop will do it under the table for $75 less than the standard price with sales receipt. I have a feeling if they wreck something else while doing the work they'll deny it, and quickly point out that I saved all that money so I shouldn't complain. Then there is another shop that looks promising, and I'm hoping they won't have a problem redoing it without shattering, splitting, or shredding something else. I'm going to remove the hideous pushpinned in atrocity anyway, and whatever is underneath will be an improvement lookswise over the way it is now. I may insert a picture of the present situation, but I'm afraid I'll make the site crash, it is that bad.

 

Read my post #3 above and be sure you are comfortable that this shop knows how to properly remove the garnish molding clips and what they plan to do when they break one of these unavailable clips. Some shops simply drill holes in the garnish molding and use screws. Understand this before spending money on something you don't want.

 

Thanks Joe, I took note of your comments regarding the trim clips before writing out my first post. I don't find the possibility of the shop screwing the trim back in very appealing, so I will be doing further research before making a final decision. And thank you for your input.