Bonneville headliner removal / assist handles

[Hoganct]

The hardest part about removing the headliner was removing the assist handles.
I have the GM shop manuals and they were no help at all. The rear assist handle have three clip and the passenger front has two. I took some pictures of the rear handle and the drain hoses the reason for the removal.

[willwren]

There's no reason for removing the headliner to reattach the drain hoses.

[Hoganct]

There's no reason for removing the headliner to reattach the drain hoses.

If you follow the steps in the manual you do. Without removing the headliner you don't access the drain hoses. OR you might me able to bend the headliner down far enough possibly damaging it that you might be able to squeeze your hand in there if you knew where it was.

[willwren]

You don't ever follow the manual without questioning it, and you don't REMOVE the headliner to do that.

You only need to remove some trim and pull the liner down in the corners to reattach the hoses. You went to FAR too much trouble in your effort.

[1oldman]

If you didn't damage the "fingers" that hold the grips to the roof, you are good and lucky. I removed mine in the hopes I could get them off without breaking them. The upholstery shop that put in the headliner for me said that they had never done one that was more than 10 years old without breaking the grips. - BC

[renchjeep]

Depends upon where you and your Bonne live, apparently. Folks in Oregon will not experience the HEAT deterioration that the southwest USA's residents will. Hence the difference between removal and just "pulling" anything aside for access. Interior parts get especially brittle in the southwest deserts of the USA. Dry, hot conditions=just about zero rust, but plastic parts fall apart just by glancing at them!

I want an Oregon interior in an Arizona car!

[willwren]

Lest there be misconceptions:

Oregon interiors can have mold.
Oregon has no rust either (the only rust I've ever found on either car is under the front sway bar center link bushings, and it was a tiny spot).
All cars have brittle interior trim with age, but the rule of thumb is never remove it when cold. Put a heater in the car if you need to in the winter.

The advice about the headliner doesn't really apply to the plastic trim. You have to pull the A, B, and C pillar trim regardless (well, not the B). The point is you remove the A and C trim, then gently pull down on the headliner, fix your tubes, and put it back up. Removal is not necessary. This is the case if your tubes are disconnected.

If your tubes are plugged, simply run a wire down through them, then finish cleaning out with compressed air. Don't use air first, if the plug is too firm, it'll pop the drains off under pressure. I use a piece of welding wire with the tip bent over on itself ever fall on all 4 drains of both cars, then run water to make sure all 4 drain out the bottom properly.