Hi everyone,

I'm in need of some major help in my ongoing interior restoration project. I've replaced the carpets, seats, and a lot of additional interior components in my car (1992 Firebird, 3.1L). Recently, through a vendor I found on ebay (EZ Softtops) I purchased a full headliner replacement, supposedly correct for my year/model. This is the ABS board covered with fabric, I've heard both good and bad things about them on this site. I received it and it looks great. I proceeded to remove my old headliner (which was fiberglass, and disintegrated upon removal, shedding debris all over my clean interior. Not really a big deal...I cleaned it up and then went to install the new headliner...surprise! It did not fit AT ALL. The front section (the space after the windshield and before the t-tops) was several inches too short, the t-top length was wrong, and no amount of bending/prodding would get the headliner to fit right. Heres some pics (external site):

http://www.chriswenk.com/firebird/DSCN6396.JPG
http://www.chriswenk.com/firebird/DSCN6397.JPG
http://www.chriswenk.com/firebird/DSCN6398.JPG
http://www.chriswenk.com/firebird/DSCN6399.JPG

So now my situation is hopefully a little bit clearer. It just does not fit correctly at all. However, I have been told by the rep from the company that I purchased the headliner from that my car may in fact have aftermarket t-tops installed - i.e. not done by Body by Fisher. My question now is, if this is the case how do I confirm? Would a dealer be able to tell me the factory options from the VIN? And if these are in fact aftermarket t-tops then where am I going to get a new headliner? Do I have to pay ($$$) to get one custom made...that would not be good.

Thanks

 

I think you can check your RPO codes to see if it came with t-tops. When my mom's ex worked at the local Chevy dealer, he pulled my codes and decyphered them all. I'm pretty sure one of those listed my t-tops. I'd have to check though.

My guess would be that yes, you could go to the dealer, pull your codes, and find out if they're factory tops.

 

It's hard to tell from your huge, blurry pictures, but it looks like the rep was right. You probably have C&C t-tops. If that's the case, you need to use (and modify) a hardtop headliner. I believe that the C&C tops have a trim ring around the modified headliner, very much like an aftermarket sunroof would have, which I would think that you would have noticed.

 

that doesn't look like the setup on my 84, how about anybody else's?

 

Doesn't look like my 86, either...

 

Ok so after talking with the company that makes the headliner (Acme headliner or something like that) we have determined that the car had C&C t-tops. Kind of my mistake for not knowing any better but they have been extremely helpful, they are allowing me to exchange the t-top headliner for a hardtop version that I can modify. Also big thanks to the vendor, EZ Softtops (www.ezsofttops.com) and JIM85Iroc. Also Jim if you have your browser on the correct settings all pictures should resize to fit the window. If not you should be able to right-click and manually resize. Then they wont be huge and blurry.