cutting a headliner for sunroof

shinobishinobi Band Wagon
in Bodywork & Cosmetic Modifications
Hey HCW,
So my 89 wagon has a sunroof. As far as I know, everything is there.. but the headliner is a non-sunroof one! Is there any way for me to cut out the headliner to make the sunroof functional? The PO gave me a switch to install, as well (although I don't know if there is wiring up there since I don't have x-ray vision.) How do I remove the headliner to check it out?

Any helps/info/tips on making this work would be great :) I tried searching for someone with a similar problem but didn't find anything.

~shinobi, the HCW uber-n00b

Comments

  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    i would like to see what were dealing with here....

    would be able to help some pix of roof...

    also im confused. you have sun roof but cant see it do to the headliner? like they installed a sun roof and then put headliner back in, wtf??
  • shinobishinobi Band Wagon
    Thanks for the response, BillBoard. Are you hinting that sunroofs were not a stock option on a DX wagon? This wagon seems a bit Frankensteined. The front seats are cloth but the rears are vinyl, it's missing everything that mounts onto the headliner, etc.I will take pictures in the evening, it's about 100 degrees outside and my blower motor isn't working or anything (got a new one today from pick n pull out of a sedan, THAT should fit...)

    I have the 30A fuse in the fuse slot that's meant for the sunroof. Actually pulled it out and it was jerry-rigged bypassed (a little copper around both terminals) don't know what that's all about. Put a new one in and it hasn't blown...

    I will try to take a couple of pictures of the sunroof and one of the switch too, you guys can tell me if it's a stock dealio. Is that all you guys need, a sunroof pic? Will a pic help you tell me how to cut the headliner? :P
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    shinobi wrote:
    Thanks for the response, BillBoard. Are you hinting that sunroofs were not a stock option on a DX wagon? This wagon seems a bit Frankensteined. The front seats are cloth but the rears are vinyl, it's missing everything that mounts onto the headliner, etc.I will take pictures in the evening, it's about 100 degrees outside and my blower motor isn't working or anything (got a new one today from pick n pull out of a sedan, THAT should fit...)

    I have the 30A fuse in the fuse slot that's meant for the sunroof. Actually pulled it out and it was jerry-rigged bypassed (a little copper around both terminals) don't know what that's all about. Put a new one in and it hasn't blown...

    I will try to take a couple of pictures of the sunroof and one of the switch too, you guys can tell me if it's a stock dealio. Is that all you guys need, a sunroof pic? Will a pic help you tell me how to cut the headliner? :P

    Sunroofs were not a factory option in any USDM wagon. Also if you post pix of your wagon or wagovan (by the sounds of the rear seats) i could tell you all sorts of useless information....

    It sounds like you bought yourself a bit of a head ache, but no worries... if the sunroof is there and there is no leaking- as the headliner hasnt caved in on you yet....? then you should be alright... i cant imagine he installed a power sun roof??? the aftermarket sunroofs ive seen in wagons are usually just the pop up kind....
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    ^^^to continue.... if i were you, i would

    1: remove headliner
    2: remove sun roof
    3: re-install headliner
    4: mark with a marker standing/leaning above your wagon from the outside the hole you need to cut out of headliner...
    5. cut hole
    6: re-install sun roof.
  • bam-bambam-bam Council Member
    I would plot the rough center of the glass and cut an exploratory hole, then trim outward little by little with a razor blade.
  • BillBoardBillBoard council member
    bam-bam wrote:
    I would plot the rough center of the glass and cut an exploratory hole, then trim outward little by little with a razor blade.

    not a bad idea.... i just imagine if its one of those moon roofs like i posted above. he will end up needing to take the sunroof out either way to tuck the headliner under the sunroof trim... but i dont know really, just guessing, imagining in my head what i think i looks like...

    i had a toyota pickup with one like i posted above... but i dont really remember how it looked when it butted up to the headliner? anyways....

    we need some pix...
  • shinobishinobi Band Wagon
    Hey guys,
    Sorry I didn't get these up sooner. I actually fixed the blower motor so I could cool off in the car instead of taking the pics :) anyway, I tried to take some today, but it was really bright out so they aren't very descriptive.

    Here is one of the roof with the sunroof in there:
    photo.JPG

    Here is one of the uhm, label? It didn't show up in the pic.This is the front center of the sunroof. It says ASC right here:
    photo3.JPG

    I'm pretty sure that ASC are these guys: http://www.americansunroof.com/ . I am thinking it's possibly dealer done in the 80s, and the headliner was beat to crap, or the sunroof leaked, so the PO slapped a different one up there. When I got the car, there were no "oh s@#$" handles, dome light, or rear view mirror. I can't find the switch right now, although it pops up in the rear to vent. I'm assuming it pops up and then retracts outside of the car, although I don't know for sure. Doesn't seem to matter anyway, looks like I have to take the headliner off anyway to really get a butcher's at what's going on here. I'm supposing I need to look to make sure it was properly installed (make sure there are drains, a motor, and wiring.)

    Any pics of how to remove the headliner would be appreciated. I was thinking about doing this: removing the headliner/sunroof, reinstall headliner and marking the center of where I want the headliner. Then cut in an "x" pattern, then trim away the cardboard bits and tuck away the vinyl parts with some bulk square-edged sunroof trim stuff. I feel like I'm getting ahead of myself, I might just want to plug it if it's missing the motor...

    As far as the headliner not caving in yet.. well.. the lack of a dome light really grabs the wind if I get a cross-breeze on the freeway and my window is rolled down. So, knock on wood this won't happen :) Is there a special dome light for our wagons? the cutout looks like it's thinner front-to-back compared to the other 4th gen civics I saw in the JY.

    BTW BillBoard, I checked the VIN, it's a DX. Also has the 60/40 (vinyl) rear seat. Oddly enough though, the front seats are cloth?
  • shinobishinobi Band Wagon
    I found the switch. I also I found a picture of it online that looks better than one I can probably take with my cell phone:

    1.jpg=450 :)
  • wagodizzlewagodizzle Council Member and EDM expert
    60/40 vinyl seats? then it must have been recovered! are the door cards cloth? anyway...

    dome light i believe is swap-able from the sedan, just not the hatchback.

    to remove headliner, you'll need to take everything off that's attached, such as dome light, grab handles, etc.. but seeing as those are gone, you still need to pop out the plastic pillar trim pieces. the headliner should then fall and you can pull it out the trunk ;)
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