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clip to release it.

      The trim panel itself is attached either with screws (which are visible on the surface of the panel), metal spring-type clips, or possibly plastic clips. Photo 9 shows two different styles of metal clips along with a common type of plastic clip. A door panel tool is used to gently pry the trim panel from the door. Warning! Failure to use this tool (or a similar tool) can result in torn or broken trim panels.

      The Charger has a two-piece trim panel setup for the doors and quarter trim areas. I remove the lower piece by prying free the metal clips located around the perimeter of the panel, and then slide the trim piece out of the garnish molding, separating the upper trim piece from the lower one. The upper trim piece is also clipped into place and once the clips are freed the trim piece lifts up and off the inner door structure. I remove the plastic dust shield located between the trim panel and the door facing and store it away.

      Remove Garnish Moldings

      A garnish molding is any molding in the interior of a vehicle. All other moldings, whether reveal, trim, belt, side, edge, or drip, are on the exterior of the vehicle. Most commonly, garnish moldings run the length of the headliner on each side of a vehicle, around the back glass, and around the windshield.

      The best way to determine how garnish moldings are attached is to look for the screws, which are visible if they are holding the molding in place. If screws aren’t present along the face of the garnish molding, then either plastic or metal attachment clips are holding the molding in place. While you should treat any 30-year-old molding with care during removal, treat garnish moldings with special care since you must apply some degree of force to remove them from the vehicle. I use the door trim tool in photo 10 to gently pry the molding away from the body. I then use a light and look behind the molding to determine how it is attached before trying to remove it. I’d rather break a clip than a molding any day.

      Remove Headliners

      Older vehicles use bow-strung headliners. Removing the headliner means first removing all of the trim such as the sun visors, interior lamps, windshield glass garnish moldings, and back glass garnish moldings around the headliner. Remember that the moldings are old and can break easily. Take your time removing them and don’t worry about breaking the retainer clips, which you can always replace—and in most cases need replacing anyway. Don’t forget to tag and label each molding piece as you remove it.

      As I mentioned, most headliners are bow-strung, meaning metal bows spanning the width of the roof panel support the headliner. Usually, the perimeter of the headliner is clipped into place and then glued to the body to hold the fabric taut. I begin by removing the clips and then gently pulling the edges of the headliner free of the adhesive. Once the edges are free, I grasp the center of each bow and carefully pull it downward to release the headliner.

      The bows are made of spring steel and are installed with the spring bowed, or tensioned, upward. The ends of each bow are notched into small holes or retainer brackets in the sides of the roof structure. Once I pull the bow downward to release the tension, it slips right out.

      Remove Carpet

      Before the carpet comes out, I unscrew and remove the kick panels and scuff plates. I make sure that each piece is labeled as I remove it.

      Remove the package tray if you haven’t already, and store it where it won’t get damaged. Most package trays are made of fiberboard. They break easily and once broken become trash instead of package trays.

      The console goes next. The only problem here is the shifter. Manual shifters have a rubber boot attached to the console while automatic shifters may have only a plastic slide bar to hide the underworkings of the shifter. In either case, removing the shift knob usually frees the shifter from the console. The front and rear of the console are screwed to the floor pan. Look inside the storage compartment or the ashtray on the console to find the rearmost attachment screws and then look along the sides or under the shifter faceplate for the forward attachment screws. Once the screws are removed, the console lifts up and over the shifter. Don’t worry about removing the shifter from the vehicle at this time—you’ll do that later.

      PHOTO 5: Seat removal begins by detaching the front bucket seats. The driver’s seat is in rough condition to say the least. The mounting bolts for the seats must be removed from underneath the vehicle.

      PHOTO 6: This is the “C” retainer clip mounted to the floor pan under the back seat. The seat can only be removed by pushing it back to free it from the clip then lifting it up and out.

      PHOTO 7: The rear upper seat cushion is hung from this clip. Remove the seat by pushing it back and up to free it from the clip.

      PHOTO 8: A more commonly found type of window regulator knob retainer is the spring clip. The tool shown with this clip is necessary to remove this type of clip. The tool slips behind the regulator knob to push the retainer clip free of the knob and release the knob from the regulator.

      PHOTO 9: Here are three different trim panel retainer clips and the tool I use to remove them. The clip on the far left was used to retain the upper door trim panel on the Charger and is still used today on many vehicles. The center clip was used on the lower door trim panel and is rarely used today. The right clip is a plastic clip found on most vehicles today. It can be used in place of either of the metal clips.

      PHOTO 10: I remove the upper trim piece using the same tool while being careful to gently pry each clip free of the doorframe and not damage the trim piece. Once freed, the trim piece can be lifted up and off the doorframe.

      PHOTO 11: To remove the headliner, all of the metal clips holding it in place must be removed. We will reuse the clips when we are ready to reinstall the new headliner.

      PHOTO 12: With the retainer clips removed we begin working our way around the perimeter of the headliner, pulling it free of the adhesive holding it in place, leaving nothing but the bows that hold the headliner in place.

      PHOTO 13: To remove the headliner, gently grasp the bow and pull it down. Since the bow is actually a spring, it will pop down and come free of the retainer clips found along each side of the roof assembly.

      PHOTO 14: The kick panels go next. Notice I wear protective gloves to protect myself against “bites” from parts.

      PHOTO 15: The scuff plates come out next. I label them and store them with similar parts.

      PHOTO 16: Why is it consoles are always full of junk? This one was no exception. The unit comes out in one piece thanks to two bolts located inside this compartment, plus two more located under the shifter.

      You may have to remove the accelerator pedal to free the carpet. The bolts holding the pedal in place are located either in front of the pedal, behind the pedal, or underneath the vehicle. The

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