On 12/23/2016, Jim Cheatham in Amelia, VA,USA wrote:
"I have a theory about installing the Coupe headliner from the perspective of the number of screws (AJD8172 changed to MTZ603) used to attach the three (3) listing rods. There are two (2) holes in each end of each rod and twelve (12) holes in the roof frame to attach the rods. This would lead you to think twelve (12) screws are required. However, when I removed my headliner about three (3) years ago, I remember that some of the rod ends only had one screw. I did not pay attention to how many rod ends only had one screw and just thought they were left out by mistake.

"I am getting ready to install my headliner and have noticed in the 1500 and 1600 Service Parts List books that each of them specify only eight (8) screws. Here's my theory. I think that the center listing rod gets two (2) screws in each end of the rod to stabilize it and the front and rear rods only get one (1) screw in each end which gives a total of eight (8) screws as indicated in the SPLs, even though there are twelve (12) holes. Having only one (1) screw in each end of the front and rear rods allows those rods to pivot allowing the installer to pull the headliner material tight between the rods.

"I'm sure my headliner was original and it only had one screw in several of the rod ends".

Note from Barney: I dunno. When there are still two holes at each end of each rod, I would think it should still have two screws in each position. The engineer in my thinks vibration would make it work loose with only one screw. I rather think the "8" is an error in the SPL. HOWEVER, .... that is exactly what it says in all of the Service Parts Lists, and I don't see anything else to contradict it. I also cannot find anything explaining why there would be 12 holes and only 8 screws, or any Confidential Service Memorandum mentioning any change in production. Perhaps there was some misalignment problem found very early on, and the number was reduced to 8 screws almost from the beginning of Coupe production.

It would be interesting to find the very first issue of the SPL that would have been published at beginning of Coupe production, even before the first Coupe left the factory. Otherwise we need feedback from anyone who has a Coupe that they believe to be original and never tampered with in the headlining area.