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OVERHEAD CONSOLE
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Well thanks to a trip to a local junk yard I found something I had never seen before...one of these...An overhead console!

(pic from JamesC on TGO)

Well I was bound and determined that my car would have one. So after further scavenging we found enough of these beauties to make a few good ones. I picked out the one that had messed up factory counters for my car. I hated the way those things looked stock.

(pic from JamesC on TGO)

So then came the task or removing the remnants and replacing them with my own switch panel. I got some smoked Plexiglas and cut it just fit in the rectangular hole. Then I laid out he switches to fill the panel. 6 would fit, so I dremeled away. I got them to fit right in & then worked on the console to be sure wires could be routed to the switches.

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Headliner removal
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Then I had to cut a clearance hole in the t-top board. I took it down. What a pain! You have to remove the visors, the A pillar moldings had to come out. The overhead light had to come out, along with the sail panels. Then the seatbelt plastic covers in the headliner.

Finally I could take it down. Before I pulled it out I looked to see if maybe there were already holes drilled. Yep, GM did it again, the holes were there. I marked were they were in relation to the board. For ease I took it out the rear hatch.

I was lucky a few years back I had to replace my board with a fiberglass one. It would make this job easier. My old t-top board had broke in half and the edges were breaking off and flaking like crazy. I had gone to GM, in 93. GM discoed the t-top boards. Instead I found a shop that had fiberglass,

yes fiberglass, not the plastic ones that Year One sells... and had it recovered.

The old headliner was still good, but was showing signs of fading.

So I decided to recover it with black at the same time.

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Cutting the headliner
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So little by little cut my clearance for the overhead console.

I finally got it right

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Headliner recovery
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Then I started to strip of the old liner. Well the glue was still holding. I had to use a wire brush to get it all off.

I got to the fabric store. I get black headliner for $14.00. There was enough to do the visors as well. With some luck I would even have enough to recover the t-top inserts. Not that I ever used them!

At the same time, I have been fighting with wires to get them routed up the pillars and over to where the console will sit. I hoped that everything would fit in that small area. There are wires everywhere.

I also have to get power to the console for its proper operation. I decide to tap the old overhead wiring. Amazingly, it works. Just added a ground and I was set.

I got the black headliner I had bought from Hancock�s fabric. I used 3M spray adhesive for headliners. I got a general idea of how I wanted the fabric to lie. I folded it back and sprayed part of it and part of the board. Once the glue was tacky I put the 2 together. I worked slowly to be sure there was not bubbling or sagging.

T-top board recovering is easier in some ways harder in others then non t-top. There is less chance of sagging, but its way harder to cut since the t-top holes are there. At the holes...You have to cut it long enough to be able to wrap around the board and onto the backside.

On the 90 degree curves that frame the t-top...once you apply to the side you see and go to glue it to the backside, you have to cut legs. Otherwise the curve is too sharp and will over stretch the material and it will pull up. So you cut legs and spread them out like fingers on the board. Then you get another scrap piece and glue over them...

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Installation
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Now the horrible install. I got the recovered headliner and brought it up. Talk about a fight. The fiberglass fits, but it takes some work. I worked my butt off to get the console in with the fiberglass headliner. The fiberglass does not give like the factory headliner does. With all my wires it made it next to impossible to install. It took using longer mounting screws and a rigged front mounting plate, but it was up and worked and looked way cool.

Door open

Maplight on!

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Flashlight
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After a bit of scrounging at junkyards, I got my hands on one of these cute flashlights to go in the console.

Now all I found was Camaro ones, but, I traded Bruce at Hawks to get this Firebird one!

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Visors
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I had Banisters Upholstery recover a set of junkyard T-top visors for me! They got it done, but they made an error on one and had the material going the wrong way. I will get it fixed later.

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HOME PAGE

Follow this link to additional information on the car not found on this site!
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DIRECTORY FOR RAIF'S INTERIOR SITE
01 Site Overview
02 Power Windows and Door locks
03 Miscellaneous Trim Pieces
04 Smoked Plexiglas Covers, Flush Mounted KITT Light Box
05 Carbon Fiber
06 Carpet Swap
07 Overhead Console <<<
08 Red & Black Seats
09 Seat Cover installation
10 Red & Black Door Panels
11 Red & Black Rear Cargo Panels
12 Kick Panels &Lower Dash Panels
13 Car Motor Sports Mats and T-Top bag
14 Neon
15 Center Console Repair
16 Painted Center Console
17 Dash Repaint
18 Repainted Gauge Cluster
19 Autometer Pillar Pod
20 Seatbelts

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