Headliner front bow trim

[Hemidog]

Could someone post some pictures of the clips that the front bow attaches to?
My car came with the bow in the trunk....
Where do you get these clips? 

[metallicareload99]

You mean these correct?  I happened to have done my headliner over the last few days.  Not sure of who to get them from though

[Hemidog]

How are they installed into the headliner?

[metallicareload99]

They don't really have much to do with the headliner other than they hold part of the ceiling trim and they need to be removed before the new headliner can be installed (by stretching the headliner over the teeth in the windshield channel).  The one on the green metal piece is orientated the way it would be if it was installed on the car, just missing the screw.  So imagine how that will fit into the car like that.

After you have installed the headliner you reinstall the clips and then the trim piece.  The two prongs on the clip go into holes in the channel for the windshield, like it shows in your picture.  Cut small holes in the headliner for the clip's prongs to pass through.  I imagine they would be easier to reinstall with the windshield out, I had to bend the prongs a little and now they don't fit as tight but I think they will be ok.  Then the trim piece that covers the retaining teeth for the headliner and the clips themselves is screwed into the clips.

[Hemidog]

These look about right?
http://www.rtspecialties.net/proddetail.asp?prod=1602020

Is it easy to find the holes for the clips under the headliner?

[metallicareload99]

Those look like the ones.  What I did to find the holes for the clips was to hold the piece of trim up and use it's holes to locate the holes for the clips and marked the headliner for where to cut.  The holes for the trim's screws line up closely with the holes for the clips

[Hemidog]

gotcha.
Thanks!

[Dennis K]

I hate to be the one to ruin your day, but those clips need to be installed in the car before the headliner. If your headliner is already installed, you will need to try to unhook the front edge of it and put the clips in and then put it back up. Good luck.

[gasoline_24]

Sorry, Dennis, but these get installed after the headliner is in.  The holes for them can be found under the headliner.  Just use a nail and make a hole.  Then insert the clip and squeeze it together which makes the two prongs extend and holds it in place.  Then you are ready to install the trim piece.

[lilwendal]

Sorry, Dennis, but these get installed after the headliner is in.  The holes for them can be found under the headliner.  Just use a nail and make a hole.  Then insert the clip and squeeze it together which makes the two prongs extend and holds it in place.  Then you are ready to install the trim piece.

I concur 

[Dennis K]

I guess I don't understand how you could put the headliner in, then install the clips, and then install the trim piece after that without having a huge gap between the headliner and the trim. I guess I did it wrong by doing it the way the factory did it when my car was new. Like I said before, good luck.

[gasoline_24]

I don't want to get into an argument here, but we are talking about the front headliner trim piece correct?  The purpose of this piece is to cover the gap between the windshield and the headliner.  This is the last piece to go in in the front.

[Dennis K]

Yes, I believe that is the part we are talking about. I don't want to start an argument either, I'm just trying to help my fellow Charger enthusiasts put their cars together. I'm sure that the only reason those clips exist is because there is a gap between the roof panel and the headliner, and to provide the screw holes for the front trim piece. I have taken apart many 68 and 69 Chargers, and put together 3 of them, and all the ones I have seen had the clips installed, then the headliner, then the trim piece. I can't believe I don't have any pics of this. I have pics of almost everything else, but not this. Maybe someone else has some?

[lilwendal]

Yes, I believe that is the part we are talking about. I don't want to start an argument either, I'm just trying to help my fellow Charger enthusiasts put their cars together. I'm sure that the only reason those clips exist is because there is a gap between the roof panel and the headliner, and to provide the screw holes for the front trim piece. I have taken apart many 68 and 69 Chargers, and put together 3 of them, and all the ones I have seen had the clips installed, then the headliner, then the trim piece. I can't believe I don't have any pics of this. I have pics of almost everything else, but not this. Maybe someone else has some?

Lets not call it an argument...How about a debate
I don't understand how you possibly could install them before the headliner.  Do you trim the liner around them
I've pulled many of these cars apart.  All varieties of B bodies and they all had headliner material underneath those clips.  I believe the 68 I just drug home still has those clips installed with sections of the original headliner still present.
Just like the vynal top goes down first then the trim clips.
I'll take some pics this afternoon.

[Dennis K]

No need to trim the headliner around the clips.  With the clips installed first, then the headliner, the screw holes for the front trim piece will be right there under the headliner fabric and the screws just poke through the fabric and into the clips. I will try to find some pics as well. Maybe there's more than one way to do it, if it works to put the headliner in first, then Mopar to ya! It never occurred to me to try it like that since the way I did it is the only way I've seen them. Again, I hope you guys don't think I'm trying to argue. This site is all about sharing knowledge and information, and I will be happy to have learned something new if I'm wrong.

[Hemidog]

I would like to see some pictures of both versions! 

[lilwendal]

Hard to really be sure but it looks like the picture at the begining of this thread shows the headliner flush against the bottom of the roof rail with the clips on top of it. I believe that area of white thats protruding past the roof edge is headliner material.  Original headliners even black ones have a white backing.

[Dennis K]

Well, I just went out to my garage and took the trim piece off of my Charger, and discovered that my memory is failing and I didn't put my car together the way I thought I did. I did it exactly like the other guys said it should be, so you'll be happy to know that you don't have to pull your headliner down to put the clips in like that idiot with the same name as me told you yesterday. Now I just have to figure out what the hell I was thinking. I have a notebook that I kept when I put my car together and there's a list of parts that had to be installed before the headliner, and for some dumb reason I had those trim clips on the list. Thanks for setting me straight, guys!

[gasoline_24]

Don't worry Dennis.  If you want to see some bone head moves just check out my mistake on bench bleeding.