-73 Chal 5 bow headliner question

[Kapteenikosmos]

When I got my car it was already missing the headliner. The two rear most bows were still attached in the car but the rest was just laying on the floor. The two bows at the rear are obviously different length but hows the rest of the four? I had total of 6 bows in the car so I must assume that the ones I had laying on the floor aren't probably even the original ones.

I guess that the headliner bows should be installed (I have 3 holes to choose from) so that the arches gently press against the roof, correct? This is atleast how the two were in my car when I got it.

Now when I test fitted the bows I have the, two from the rear and two from the front fit so that the arches touched the roof but the middle one was like inch away from the roof even when the bow was mounted on the highest holes so should the middle one also be different length than the two from the front?

I don't have any pics available so hopefully my description makes any sense.

[72rtchallenger]

I believe that 72 to 74 only has 4 bows and the 70 to 71 have 5 bows

[Kapteenikosmos]

Atleast mine has places for 5 bows, or atleast that is what I think I have.

I have 5 groups of three small holes in triangular pattern and I guess that the three holes are there to adjust each bows position?

The problem is that I have two different length bows and three identically (actually four, but one is extra) shaped bows. The different length bows are obviously the two from the rear. If I install the identical bows to the rest of the locations, the first two from front to back installs so that the bow is close to the roof but the third one is much lower. This lead me thinking that should the middle bow also be different length than the front two?

[72rtchallenger]

mine had the extra place as well but only took 4

[72bluNblu]

I believe that 72 to 74 only has 4 bows and the 70 to 71 have 5 bows

This is how its supposed to be. That said, my '72 has 5 bows. But its a very early (first or maybe second week of production) '72, and has a few other '70-'71 items. A '73 though should only have 4, unless someone changed it later.

[burdar]

I thought that 1970 was the only year for 5 bows.  71-74 should have 4.

Also, Legendary doesn't sell the correct headliner for the 72-74 cars.  The 72-74 cars used a corduroy type fabric.  The one they sell is the earlier style I think.  SMS upholstery has the correct material but is a lot more expensive.

[72rtchallenger]

This is how its supposed to be. That said, my '72 has 5 bows. But its a very early (first or maybe second week of production) '72, and has a few other '70-'71 items. A '73 though should only have 4, unless someone changed it later.

you are right,,mine is early production also but not as early as yours but had some 71 extras also

[Kapteenikosmos]

  Which bow is the extra then? I'm pretty positive that the headliner I got from Legendary is 5 bow, I'll have to check it though on the next time I'm working with the car. How about the bow distance to roof then? Should they be installed so that when you "swing" them up they rest against the roof skin?

[72rtchallenger]

Which bow is the extra then? I'm pretty positive that the headliner I got from Legendary is 5 bow, I'll have to check it though on the next time I'm working with the car. How about the bow distance to roof then? Should they be installed so that when you "swing" them up they rest against the roof skin?

2 bows in front of the dome light an 2 behind and the very back one next to the rear window has 2 small rods that hook in back to hold it in place as your stretching the liner and as far as bows right against the roof they are close,,you will see differences in the rods, the smaller goes in front

[Kapteenikosmos]

Thanks!

I'll try to figure it out. The problem is that I'm not condifent the the bows I had with the car are the original ones and even more the right ones. When I was buying the car, there was close to 15 headliner bows resting inside the car and the seller took the "extra" ones and left six inside the car (why six? I don't know). He should be pretty familiar with Challengers so at that time I didn't think about it much. I'll try to test fit and see if I really have a one complete set or not. The ones that were still installed in the car were the last two bows.

[72rtchallenger]

the very front and the very rear are alot different,the front one is the smallest of all as I recall,but also were they go in the holes in the side there are 3 different places to connect them ,if I recall correctly its been awhile,and they dont set in the top hole,maybe one of them does and they don't actually touch the roof top but are close,,also look at the rod ends closely as mine had dabs of paint there and all were a different color