Still confused by my headliner.

Okay, I've read a zillion tutorials and threads about replacing my bow-style headliner, and I'm totally in. But one thing is confusing me to no end. My car does not have a trim panel that goes over the edges once the headliner is installed. I do not think my car ever had this; it does not appear that anything like this was ever installed. So without that, I don't understand how my headliner will ever look finished when all is said and done. It kind of looks like the windlace is meant to be the finishing trim, but that doesn't explain what's going on at the pillar. Plus, I've read where people said to replace your windlace before you replace your headliner, which is the opposite of what it seems like you should do on mine.

Here's what I have going on:



I'd really rather not replace the windlace right now anyway. I know it's in bad shape, but it's not a priority for me at this stage if I can avoid it.

Thoughts?

its been awhile since i took mine out but if my memory serves me i believe theres a small piece of metal trim that spans that gap and covers the edge of the headliner. i'll try to get some pics of it for you today.
the windlace goes on after the headliner is installed.
what year/model are we talkin about here ?

Just did my 66 Dart headliner,we just tucked it up and under.No trim piece to hold it.Hard to see it pic,but you get the idea.
View attachment 66 Dart project Nov2010 316.jpg

They were folded under with a little bit of glue.
Some had a small piece of metal there with one phillips head screw right in the center of it.

Pauly, it's a 64 Dart 4-door. My parts cars both have the trim you are talking about, but they are 2-doors. I actually took some of the trim out of one of them to see if I could just use it on my car, but I don't think my doors will close properly if I try to do that.

Petty and Redfish, so I just have to make sure I do a really clean job of installing and trimming, because there will be no trim panel to cover the edges? Okay. As long as I know I'm not crazy.

Also, how will I get the old headliner bits out of that crevice? Can I remove that piece with the weird-looking tabs and serrated top edge?

Thanks for your help!

Dart Lady said:

Pauly, it's a 64 Dart 4-door. My parts cars both have the trim you are talking about, but they are 2-doors. I actually took some of the trim out of one of them to see if I could just use it on my car, but I don't think my doors will close properly if I try to do that.

Petty and Redfish, so I just have to make sure I do a really clean job of installing and trimming, because there will be no trim panel to cover the edges? Okay. As long as I know I'm not crazy.

Also, how will I get the old headliner bits out of that crevice? Can I remove that piece with the weird-looking tabs and serrated top edge?

Thanks for your help!

Click to expand...

OMG!!
ANOTHER BABY!!!!
WOW!!!

I was beginning to think I would never see another one!!!

WELCOME TO FABO!!!!

I told Baby (my 64) about your car. I just saw it late last night. After I told her about your headliner, she wanted me to bring her out of the barn and send you pics of her factory original headliner.
She and I hope this helps.

Didn't mean to take thread over, but here is some pics....

Does your Baby have a V-8 273 also???

More Baby!:cheers:

If you need anything parts wise shoot me a pm!
Good Luck!
John.

Dart Lady said:

Okay, I've read a zillion tutorials and threads about replacing my bow-style headliner, and I'm totally in. But one thing is confusing me to no end. My car does not have a trim panel
Thoughts?

Click to expand...

I'm saving my windlace for when I do my headliner. It looks like a tuck all around. It looks like headliner first then windlace??? (YES I VOTE FOR THIS)I'll have to wait and see how it all comes apart.
I'll go out and look it over closer tonight and hit ya back by in the AM.

Again Welcome to FABO!!:cheers:
You have excellent taste in cars!! LOL!
John.8)

Also, here is some color codes and info I put on your welcome wagon thread.
Take note too, the top of your dash is a special suede paint. It is fuzzy like suede shoes! it was a new safety feature that year to cut down on sun glare from top of dash only on face with the vents. Front top curve on dash is gloss.
Funny story when I was in high school in the late 70's, I was driving a 65 4 door Dk. Teal Dart and was very shy about it. I always got ribbed cause I was "Just a half step above a Rambler" acording to the chebby croud. Well anyway, I was always fixing up the body, cleaning and waxing (It was very ugly) I never could get the top of that dash to shine like the rest of the paint!! LOL!! No matter what kind of wax I used! It was when I was cutting my teeth on my first body work. DUH! You should have seen the my first custom paint job on the stripes on hood and on the back of the trunk deck!! OooH MAN!!! Groovey!!:happy10:

I had a pint of that suede paint mixed and shot my dash on Baby (when I first got her a few years ago) with it including the vents. It looks really cool now that I'm 50!!

I wanted to make sure you had the color codes. (Make sure by double check of drivers fender tag!)
I don't think you can remove the shark bar thingy with the teeth.

Have a great day today!:cheers:

Wow, Baby looks amazing! I don't think mine (I'm calling her Cricket) will look QUITE that amazing since I'm doing this all on a very tight budget and doing a lot of it myself with the help of my husband, and this is my first car. But Baby is definitely a fantastic reference point, and so beautiful!

Thanks for the color codes and samples. The shiny and iridescent vinyls are exactly what are in my car now. The seat covers are different, though. I wonder if what's in my car was a replacement at some point? I posted some pics in my intro thread, and you can see the front seat covers are very different than in those pictures.

Do you have more pictures somewhere I can see? Your seats, your dash, your trunk?

And THANK YOU for the close up pictures of the headliner! I can tell this is what mine looked like at some point, and I bet I can get it to that point again. This is super, super helpful.

On the topic of the dash vents, do you know where I can get those by themselves? Mine are all torn up. Also, is there any sort of cover that is supposed to go over the package tray?

So glad you are here!

Also, do you think if I do the headliner now and then do the windlace much later, that will be ok? Like, if I leave in the windlace is there, do you think I will be able to take it out later without messing up my new headliner?