Anybody Seen/Had The Headlining Out Of A VE Ute?

[Wonky]

One of the minor issues for me with going from the SSV sedan to SSV ute was the lack of grab handles above the door in the ute, due to my disabilities. Most of the time it's OK but just occasionally it would be much easier for me, particularly when I get in the passenger side which I'm not at all accustomed to, if I had a handle to grab on to help me get in and out.

I can buy the handles from a sedan no problem but they're absolutely no use if there is nothing behind the rooflining to screw them into. Therefore my question is has anyone had the roof lining out of their VE ute to see if there are fixing points already there please? Or has anybody seen the rooflining out of a VE ute to give a definitive answer?

Thanks,
Gary

[kevin101]

Just to take a stab in the dark I know the VU, VY and VZ utes all had the handles, so it would be unlikely that the mounting plate would be there and not used in the VE. Although there have been stranger things before, maybe find a wrecker that has one and go have a look :D

[Raptor6L]

I know this doesn't help you right now Wonky but i'm probably going to be taking my roof lining out in about 3 weeks. I can have a look and take a few happy snaps for you then, if you're willing to wait?

Chris

[SS317]

It's not a big job to have a look, just take the sunvizers, interior light and front pillar trim off on one side and the headliner will pull down so you can if the holes are there. 10min job

[Wonky]

I know this doesn't help you right now Wonky but i'm probably going to be taking my roof lining out in about 3 weeks. I can have a look and take a few happy snaps for you then, if you're willing to wait?

Chris

Thanks Chris - it's waited 2+ years now so another few weeks won't matter. :goodjob:

[Wonky]

It's not a big job to have a look, just take the sunvizers, interior light and front pillar trim off on one side and the headliner will pull down so you can if the holes are there. 10min job

If I end up desperate I might have to get someone to do that for me but hopefully if nothing else Chris will have pics for me soon.

[themissus]

mmciau had grab handles put in his ute.

Full thread....http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=1750761#post1750761

Post with part numbers etc...... http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=1750761&postcount=14

Hope this helps!
Cheers Kim

[whitels1ss]

mmciau had grab handles put in his ute.

Full thread....http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=1750761#post1750761

Post with part numbers etc...... http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=1750761&postcount=14

Hope this helps!
Cheers Kim

I think Mike's (mmciau) which you linked is a sedan. :confused:

[themissus]

Right you are!! Silly me. He sent me a PM telling me he'd had the handles fitted, I assumed he was referring to a ute as that's what I have. We all know what assuming does!:1peek:

Sorry Wonky...no help at all.

[Wonky]

Yep, that was the thread that first had me thinking about it but unfortunately nobody ever answered the question re whether utes had something under the headlining to just screw into. I'm hopeful they do and Holden in their typical cost cutting manner i.e. scungy :D just left the grab handles off the ute to save a few dollars.

[Dan_]

Just screw it through the roof, put a nut on the other end and colour code it. You will barely notice!

[Raptor6L]

Hey Wonky

Pulled apart some of my interior today to see what i'm up against when i upgrade my stereo soon. Got some good news for you buddy - looks like it should be pretty straight forward!

Pics:
The circled hole are threaded!
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab207/Raptor60L/Stereo%20Install/DSC00819.jpg

Another shout without my fancy editing:
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab207/Raptor60L/Stereo%20Install/DSC00820.jpg

The tap shows about where these holes are:
http://i864.photobucket.com/albums/ab207/Raptor60L/Stereo%20Install/DSC00822.jpg

I foresee a purchase of some handles and a visit to Chev's in the not to distant future for you! :D

Cheers
Chris

[cams290]

A "nutsert" or "rivnut" tool is what you are after if the factory holes don't line up with the grab handle. They are available from M4 size to M10.

They put a riveted nut into a metal service where there is no way of getting a nut and washer on behind.

http://www.riveter.com/english/pages/whatsanutrivet.html

[Wonky]

Hey Wonky

Pulled apart some of my interior today to see what i'm up against when i upgrade my stereo soon. Got some good news for you buddy - looks like it should be pretty straight forward!

Cheers
Chris

Awesome thanks Chris!! :bow:

[Wonky]

Was having a look at doing this on Saturday and decided something didn't add up. The handles are not in the locations as assumed above, but much further back. See below.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o274/gcovo/Misc/VE_interiorsm.jpg

Armed with that info and the info Chris had provided I contacted my parts guy and got him to look up his parts info. What he sent me back made more sense because there looks to be a spacer which I assume goes behind the headlining because I can't remember seeing anything like that inside the cabin????

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o274/gcovo/Misc/VE_assist_handle.jpg

It would seem that the grab handles fit in the holes shown by the arrows below but I'm not sure exactly how, especially given the holes don't seem to be level and the one to the front already appears to be threaded and I can't see how the clips (#4) would work. :confused: Any ideas please? planetdavo???

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o274/gcovo/Misc/VEutegrabhandleholesmod2.jpg

[Wonky]

Tommy (tmob) just went out and took a picture of the grab handle in his Clubby and I think now that the small square hole is for the coat hanger which I had totally forgotten about. :doh:
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o274/gcovo/Misc/VEClubbygrabhandle.jpg

If so, maybe the clips (#4 in the tech diagram) fit in the big circular hole to the rear of the square hole and the big odd shaped hole at the front, much like the clip shown in Chris' ute in the A-pillar. Must admit the clips shown in the diagram don't look big enough for the front hole in particular, but guess one way to find out is to buy some and the spacer and see. :confused:

[Raptor6L]

Hey mate

Nup, i don't think they are the holes either. They are too high. Looking at the photo of your mates handle, the handle is about an inch above the door rubber. These holes we're now talking about are pretty much on the roof.

I'm now thinking new holes need to be drilled? I'm seeing his roof liner also has indents for the handles which mine doesn't have as well.

Cheers
Chris

[Wonky]

Hmmm, yep, you are right of course - far too high. What was I thinking? :doh: Wishful thinking of some sort........... Need to see if anyone has had the headlining out of a sedan (esp passenger side) to see what's in sedans. It may come down to needing a nutsert to do the trick as cams290 said.

[tezzastreasures]

hi all

maybe i can help you with this. i have had a couple of hundred roof linings out. you can do it but you have to cut the holes in the roof lining. make a jig from a sedan one. get the two clips you need and the spacer and put the clips into the rectangular holes. you circled everyone except the right ones in these pictures. the are the rectangular ones that face down. the job itself would probably take about thirty minutes to do. the only forseeable problem would be that the ute does not have the recess in the hoodlining for the handle which may cause a problem..

cheers terry

[Wonky]

Thanks for that Terry - I don't have a problem with cutting holes in the roof lining but still can't work out what holes the clips go into. :doh: You said rectangular holes which makes sense given how I assume the clips work but I can't see any rectangular holes in the right area. :doh:

[tezzastreasures]

here are some pictures of the sedan which looks the same as the ute....this should set you straight...people make the mistake of thinking the screws go outwards but they go almost vertical. thats what throws them..

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af22/tezzaspics/2011-10-25151908.jpg

http://i990.photobucket.com/albums/af22/tezzaspics/2011-10-25151858.jpg

cheers terry

[Wonky]

Awesome thanks Terry! :bow:

So, just to make sure I've got my orientation correct then referring back to Chris' original pics which are the ones I'm used to working off then it's these holes I've "circled"?

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o274/gcovo/Misc/VEutegrabhandleholes1a.jpg

[tezzastreasures]

correct. as you can see all the threaded holes are for your siab,s, good luck with it. no need to mention the holes have to be exact as you can in the hoodlining...as i said before the sedan has a recess that is for the handle. because of this it may throw the angle of the screws out because they go up through the plate behind the hoodlining and they can be a bitch at the best of times to get back in so be warned it can get violent after a while if they don,t go back in and thats speaking from experience. shame you can,t find a wrecked sedan and just cut the hoodlining in half. would probably be easier.:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Wonky]

I know how to proceed now thanks Terry. :woohoo:

My ute (MY9.5) has no SIABs - think utes got them from MY10.

[Wonky]

hi all

maybe i can help you with this. i have had a couple of hundred roof linings out. you can do it but you have to cut the holes in the roof lining. make a jig from a sedan one. get the two clips you need and the spacer and put the clips into the rectangular holes. you circled everyone except the right ones in these pictures. the are the rectangular ones that face down. the job itself would probably take about thirty minutes to do. the only forseeable problem would be that the ute does not have the recess in the hoodlining for the handle which may cause a problem..

cheers terry

I would think once the clips were in place (glue/silastic the spacer in position to hold it while the roof lining is put back in place? :confused:) you could just use a Philips head screwdriver to poke a small hole through and then feed the screws in, slightly opening the holes if/as necessary, rather than potentially cutting too big a hole. What do you reckon?

I'm not worried about there not being a recess in the hoodlining - I'll still be able to use it which is the important thing thanks. :)

........people make the mistake of thinking the screws go outwards but they go almost vertical. thats what throws them.

:yup: You're right - certainly tricked Chris and I. :)

[Raptor6L]

Hey cool. Nice one Terry! See, all we needed was someone who knows what they're doing! :D
Post some pics up when you get it all sorted Gary!!!

Chris

[tezzastreasures]

hey wonky

you could certainly try that but you will find that spacer has two locating lugs that sit in the bottom of the two holes in the hoodlining to locate it so the holes in the spacer line up with the holes in the clips in the roof. without those locators you are about a thousand to one shot of getting the screws to go in. the recess in the hoodlining is what gives the handle the right angle to sit so you can get the screws to go in. i know it sounds hard but holden have made it a true pain in the ass to fit these. i,m not saying don,t try it but best of luck to you. it,s just not that easy......:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

cheers terry

[Wonky]

Thanks Terry - hopefully I can get Big Rob or someone at Chev's to give it a try on Saturday. BR is pretty good at nutting out stuff like that. :)

[Wonky]

Job done :woohoo: but as Terry surmised it may have been, it did turn out to be a real &$%*!! of a job due mainly I believe to the ute headlining not being shaped to accept a grab handle. Due to my disabilities I didn't tackle it myself but Chev started it and when he got called away Graham and Scott (fellow enthusiast) took over. Fortunately they did as it turned out to be a definite two person job trying to stick hands up inside the headlining, hold the spacer in place plus put screws in from underneath. Unlike the headlinings on older cars I was used to working on the VE headlining is quite thick (6mm??) and solid, so even working out where the screws had to go through wasn't easy given the lack of shaping for the handle made it difficult to position and hold the spacer in position (so I gather from all the cursing and swearing happening :lmao:).

Anyway, job done thank you guys!! :goodjob:

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o274/gcovo/Misc/SSVutegrabhandle.jpg

Note: we noticed after it was all back together that the rooflining did get deformed just above the door (towards the back from under the coathanger which is built into the handle :idea:) but by then everybody had had enough and nobody wanted to pull bits back off. :lol: I'm sure it will pop back out OK when we do (next weekend when we do the passenger side??? :confused:).

[VYSHSV8]

Job done :woohoo: but as Terry surmised it may have been, it did turn out to be a real &$%*!! of a job due mainly I believe to the ute headlining not being shaped to accept a grab handle. Due to my disabilities I didn't tackle it myself but Chev started it and when he got called away Graham and Scott (fellow enthusiast) took over. Fortunately they did as it turned out to be a definite two person job trying to stick hands up inside the headlining, hold the spacer in place plus put screws in from underneath. Unlike the headlinings on older cars I was used to working on the VE headlining is quite thick (6mm??) and solid, so even working out where the screws had to go through wasn't easy given the lack of shaping for the handle made it difficult to position and hold the spacer in position (so I gather from all the cursing and swearing happening :lmao:).

Anyway, job done thank you guys!! :goodjob:

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o274/gcovo/Misc/SSVutegrabhandle.jpg

Note: we noticed after it was all back together that the rooflining did get deformed just above the door (towards the back from under the coathanger which is built into the handle :idea:) but by then everybody had had enough and nobody wanted to pull bits back off. :lol: I'm sure it will pop back out OK when we do (next weekend when we do the passenger side??? :confused:).
Good job Gaz :):)








Now tell the boss to go clean the leaves of the roof ;):lol:

[chev]

Crieky, next weekend I can feel a sicky coming on. Thanks Graham and Scott for finishing off for me.;)

Chev

[Wonky]

Crieky, next weekend I can feel a sicky coming on.

Given some of the contortions you were having to put your poor old body through :stick: you probably won't recover by then anyway! :lol:

[tezzastreasures]

hey wonky

i did warn you.......:hide::hide: good to see you got it done in the end

cheers terry