🎤🎤1981 cutlass Headliner Clips

[Lburston88]

Hey everyone, I changed my headline in my 1981 cutlass a few months ago but didn’t get to finish it because I ran into a problem with the headliner clips and the dome light. The headliner clips wouldn’t fit but I saw somewhere on here where they mentioned the rear clips were different than the front. Is that true? The rear clips have that arrowhead look and the front don’t? Also the done light seems to be broken and I can’t seem to find a replacement for a reasonable price. I’m will to change the done light completely but I need to figure out the wiring configuration. I’ll post a picture of the light and the picture of the trim clip and position below.

 

[69hurstolds]

I do believe you would need the "reflector" GM p/n 1674098 for the rectangular dome light with a single lense reading lamp. Problem is, the one-off design on the bulb holder gets brittle and breaks, and the thing is useless. The wiring is the same regardless of the lamp type you use. The plain white wire clip on the old dome light you want to remove as it's all kind of one piece. The white/red has a clip in wire with the rectangular lamp. Whether or not you can find one reasonably priced is a gamble. Junkyards are pretty much picked clean of 40 year old cars. Welcome to classic car ownership.

If originality isn't all that important to you, you can get one of those reproduction round dome lights and lenses. Same wiring, just need to transfer the dome lamp bulb end clips from your old one to the new one, and clip and cap/tape the switch end of the orange wire you don't need. I've never done that, so I'm not sure the mounting pins are the same.

GM p/n 20058837 clips for the front. Need 5. (original GM p/n 20088017)

GM p/n 20061050 clips for the rear. Need 3. The original arrow head design (p/n 20095324) got reconfigured later on as a different style rectangular looking clip, but it's effectively the same. PITA either way because there's no good way to get leverage in the position you need to get to for putting them in. Get some help putting those garnish moldings back in.

 

[buick7332]

Hey everyone, I changed my headline in my 1981 cutlass a few months ago but didn’t get to finish it because I ran into a problem with the headliner clips and the dome light. The headliner clips wouldn’t fit but I saw somewhere on here where they mentioned the rear clips were different than the front. Is that true? The rear clips have that arrowhead look and the front don’t? Also the done light seems to be broken and I can’t seem to find a replacement for a reasonable price. I’m will to change the done light completely but I need to figure out the wiring configuration. I’ll post a picture of the light and the picture of the trim clip and position below.

That arrow head clip is for the rear and you need 3 of them. You have it backwards. Those 2 short fingers on top of the clip hold the headliner board. Put your clips in your trim, make sure they are spaced correctly with the holes. This will be easier with a helper. Position your trim piece with the clips fingers engaged on the board and with steady pressure push in the middle clip and then the sides. You have to be careful that the fingers stay in place, it's very difficult. Same goes for the front where the clips are different from the rear and you need 5 of them. Take your sunvisors off and have a helper to help hold the clips and fingers in place as you push it in. It takes some force to push the clips all the way in correctly. I bought my clips from Mike's Monte's. Check out my thread " Grand Prix Headliner". Hope this helps.