Chevy Plastic Panel Clips

**Paul M** · 07-08-2007, 09:47 PM

Hello everyone. I am new to this forum. I post to four others though, so I know vehicles quite well. I have a very nice 1989 Chevy K2500 4X4. The darn headliner fabric is dropping down. SO I figured I could remove the interior plastic trim along the back window and get a proper adhesive in to bond the fabric. The plastic trim below the rear window will not come off. I think I already broke a tab. I do not want to break anymore. I have the factory manuals for the truck, but they just tell me to remove the rear window lower trim panel.
Please help. What is the trick? Push up and pull out, push down and in, putty knife, special tool, and so on.
Thank you

**Cableguy** · 07-08-2007, 09:55 PM

Hey Paul Welcome. Are they the button style retainer clips (Look like a pine tree)?

**Paul M** · 07-09-2007, 10:27 PM

Hi Cable guy. Thank you for your response. I really have no idea what is behin this panel except the top clips kind of clamp onto part of the plastic protruding from the back of the panel. The other end of the clip drops into a slot in the sheetmetal of the cab. The bottom clips, I have not seen.
I believe I know what you mean about the ones that look like a pine tree, but they will pop out with a god twist od a rigid putty knife.
If I put the putty knife under the bottom edge of the palstic panel, I immediately bump into what I guess is a raised part of the backside of the cab. So I figure the top clips have to come off first.
This is the worst I have come across. I have removed panels on BMWs, Fiats, and a 53 DeSoto; and have never run into a panel so difficult to remove.
I broke the tanb on the upper driver's side so I may be able to get a picture of it. Is it easy to attach pictures to this site?
Thank you again,
Paul M.

**84fiero123** · 07-10-2007, 07:11 AM

If the headliner is drooping it may be easier to get new and just replace the entire part instead of trying to re-glue the old cloth back in place.

If you can get the old cloth down without pulling the garnish off then clean all the old smuts of the hard liner and cloth then re-glue the cloth cover on the hard part.

Not sure what type of glue they used but I do know they have a glue for it and you can get it at most parts stores.

Good luck on this one.

**Cableguy** · 07-10-2007, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by Paul M

Is it easy to attach pictures to this site?
Thank you again,
Paul M.

You have access to our gallery above, In your own space there. So if you could I could see which clips they are.

**Paul M** · 07-10-2007, 09:39 PM

The headliner cloth goes under the panel at the top. The lower panel has to be removed to get the top plastic trim piece off. If I only butt the cloth up to the trim, it is sure to fall down.
Cableguy, I will see if I can get a picture tomorrow night.
Thanks ! !

**84fiero123** · 07-11-2007, 08:08 AM

I know the headliner goes under the garnish, hell I built cars for a living for 15 years, I put in headliners when we stretched them, and the new ones like you have.

Problem with what you want to do is that you not only have to get the garnish off, but also the headliner out to do the job right.

So to do the job properly.

You need to remove all the garnish, (trim panel) that covers the headliner, that is not just the plastic in the windows it is also the panels that go over wear the seatbelt shoulder anchor goes. And any other peaces of garnish, (plastic) that cover the headliner.

Then you have to remove the headliner to clean all the old crap off. Then reglue a new peace of material or the old peace on the head liner. Hope that it holds and put it all back together.

If you are lucky it may hold. Guys and gals on my Fiero forum do this all the time with special glue, not sure of what, but I will check if you still want to try.

You see it would be easier, to just replace the headliner with new, then you can be sure it will hold. If you didn’t get all the old smutts off or the glue spread just right you could have wasted your time.

I have to shoot a rascally rabbit that has been eating my wife’s strawberries out back and the old 86 we have is the perfect blind to get the little bugger. So I will take a look at how the garnish is held in place.

Sorry if the beginning was rude, having a bad week, pain, projects, and time are getting to me.

Another option would be to pull all the old cloth down, then just paint the headliner base material.

**TrailLeadr** · 07-11-2007, 08:50 AM

My recommendation for the glue would be spray on adhesive.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...124&lpage=none

**84fiero123** · 07-12-2007, 08:43 AM

Well I looked at the 86 yesterday and it has screws on the part you have described. Not sure how they changed the design on the years in between 86 and 89 and would be afraid to tell you how to remove it without braking it.

If you can pull the outer lip down so you can see how it’s attached then you will have a better idea of how to remove it.

We used spoons at the plant to tuck trim into place and they were basically just a heavy bent putty knife with a rounded edge, don’t know if it will help other than to see how the garnish is attached. But every little bit helps.

I do know the cars in the late 80’s used a tab in that place that pushed into a clip that was set in the steel rail above, those just pulled straight down. Problem was sometimes the tabs broke off when you removed them.

Good luck.

**Paul M** · 07-13-2007, 11:33 PM

Hello 84 Fiero123. I sure wish you would let us know your name, at least the first. Anyhow, I did not think I was going to insult anyone's expertise.
The whole question is how to get the trim off from under the window. I already broke one tab on the rear window lower trim. I can fix that one hopefully, but if I break the next two, it will not be good. I know what needs to come off but the darn shop manual does not tell you how to remove it. It just tells you to remove it and shows some cryptic pic of the clips. You did mention in your last statement to push down on it. I wil try this. But I think I already did and it does not push down. The lower clips are there preventing downward motion of the trim panel.

CABLEGUY - Sorry, I took a number of pics but I can not get good enough resolution to help figure out how to get this panel off.

Anybody ever try paying $10 to one of the experts (that should be helping club members for free because they enjoy it - like the other three clubs I belong to) ? Are they any good or is it set up so they just take your money? Do I just pay if they provide the correct answer?
I need to get someone who has done this particular job. I know most of the tricks and none are working.
I appreciate all of everyone's help.

Just to give you a little more background on me:
I am strictly an owner but I have worked extensively on Harleys, GM cars starting with a 68 Camaro, 77 Camoro, 84 Monte Carlo, 87 Pontiac Formula (sweet car), 81 BMW 320i - drove straight as an arrow, 95 BMW M3 - kind of a POS early on, but has proven to be a reliable daily driver: 1969 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe for 12 years; 1953 Desoto - known it since new; and the 89 Chevy Silverado K2500 4x4.
I have seen all sorts of clips and trim, but this trim will not come loose.
I think Chevy wants you to destroy it. Which I consider to be a rather despicable means of getting me to buy more than I need AND it wastes all sorts of resources. When I buy a complete set of Helms GM manuals, I should be all set for this sort of task.
No wonder GM is losing market share. BMW parts for my 1995 M3 no less, are cheaper than for the 89 truck. And so are the ones for the Deoto and Fiat, which are rare.
Paul M.