I found a nice OEM headliner out of an 88 notchie today. Managed to remove it intact. I would like to install it in my 86 GT. It's the wrong color so I guess I can peel off the fabric and replace it with the Fiero Store fabric or the fabric store material I read about in some of the threads here.

Once I have the new fabric on it I'm not sure how to go about cutting out for the sunroof. I was lucky to find a full roof headliner with no sunroof cutout since the car it's going into has a smaller aftermarket sunroof. I guess I can place it up in position by the dome light and third brake light mounts and then trace out the inside outline from above but I'm not sure how much, if any, to add back for the frame inset or how to get it in there. Does some part of the inside frame typically come out to fit in the headliner board and then fit back in to hold it in place?

Then once I have that figured out what do I cut the board with?

Any ideas appreciated.




------------------
John Wayne as John Bernard Books in The Shootist...
" I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."

My rides...
1988 GT with a 3.4L V6 automatic
2006 Harley Sportster
'cause I love the twisties on two wheels or four.

[This message has been edited by Rsvl-Rider (edited 04-30-2015).]

The hardtop headliners isn't just a sunroof headliner without the hole. It's shaped differently. If it were me, I'd remove the aftermarket sunroof and install a factory one. There are a few specific parts but, if you look around, you can probably find everything for under $100. It'll fit well, it won't leak and it will look good. the only difficult part is removing the sunroof roof skin without breaking the A pillars. Pick a warm day and have patience.

quote Originally posted by Monkeyman: The hardtop headliners isn't just a sunroof headliner without the hole. It's shaped differently. If it were me, I'd remove the aftermarket sunroof and install a factory one. There are a few specific parts but, if you look around, you can probably find everything for under $100. It'll fit well, it won't leak and it will look good. the only difficult part is removing the sunroof roof skin without breaking the A pillars. Pick a warm day and have patience.

Dang it! Just when I thought I got lucky!

I just read up on how to do that. Sounds like a royal pain!

and i had a panel and just threw it out. i do have a new seal from the fiero store along with all the new hardware on the sunroof and a good sunroof glass if your interested.
--matt

quote Originally posted by mmeyer86gt/gtp: and i had a panel and just threw it out. i do have a new seal from the fiero store along with all the new hardware on the sunroof and a good sunroof glass if your interested. --matt

Well I'll admit Monkeyman got my wheels turning with that suggestion to replace the roof skin. But since my aftermarket sunroof seems so much smaller I wonder if it would just be easier to cut open the hole bigger to accommodate the stock size. I would still need the frame and stuff I guess but I wouldn't have to have the skin painted to match the car. Either way the opening in metal roof would still need to be enlarged.

What are you asking for the parts you've got?

It's been a minute since I've had a Fiero with a sunroof (my current '87 is a hard top) but I think the sunroof roof skin has molded edges around the sunroof opening. They're not impossible to remove. You'll need a bunch of popsicle sticks, a flathead screwdriver and a nice, warm day. Once you unbolt everything, gently pull the top up and away from the A pillar a little at a time. Use the screwdriver to start separating the A pillars from the body. The problem is the black goop that holds everything together. That's what the popsicle sticks are for. As you loosen an inch or 2 of goop, stick a popsicle stick in between the roof skin and body to keep it from resticking. Back and forth between the sides and, eventually, you'll be able to remove it.

Once the hardtop panel is off, you will see that the space frame 'roof' already has an opening for the stock-sized sunroof. No metal cutting involved at all, as every Fiero was set up for the sunroof option - just a matter of which SMC roof panel was needed.
It is much easier to install a larger sunroof using OEM parts than trying to adapt your existing hardtop SMC roof panel.