headliner instalation. Tips and sugestions please

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mrtires24

mrtires24

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Well, I havnt been on here for a while. guess my interests have turned to the derby world for a while. but now that I am planning to work on my duster, fabo is the first place i turn.

I am planning on taking my duster out for a fathersday car show this year.

It has been sitting for the last couple years with not too much attention, and the headliner has seperated at the seams in several spots, so its time to replace it.

I am planning on buying one from ebay. has anyone had any luck? and if so, What seller did you buy from.

Also I have heard, that installing headliners is really difficult. any advice.

One peice of advice i remember someone telling me is to lay the headliner out on the ground on a nice warm day to get most of the wrinkles out.

Any advice for removal of the old one and the bows would be great.

as well as any tips for instalation

Thanks

Phil
 
I remember seeing a great tech article on this! Believe it or not,go to Hot Rod magazine web-site,tech section,search headliner.
 
I know its important to put bows back where you took them from. Never done one myself good like.
 
Have a pro do it. I tried myself...had to have it finished. In my
opinion, this is not an easy job. I had rather install seat covers
than mess with a headliner.
 
1st tip I have, Toss a pair of hubcaps over those rear seat anchors in the floor. Those anchors can/will eat your knees. A folded blanket over the hubcaps helps too.
2nd tip, Take the original down slowly and pay close attention to how the factory installed it. You should find the bows ripped from their sleeves for 6 inches or so on each end. That sleeve/seem is glued about the same distance behind where the bow is anchored. So it looks like to bows were tilted rearward while the seems were glued then the entire linner was pulled forward at the windshield opening. That action would stand the bows upright and draw the fabric up tight, sort of like opening an umbrella. That's not the method you'll use but just my discription of what it should look like comming down and what your new one should look like once its up.
 
No not easy. Just finished up my Dart. I did it without pulling the glass. Really not too bad but you can't get material stretch tight enough with glass in. I ironed liner ,seemed to work. number your bows as you take them out, they must go in the same way.Sail panel area is a ***** and above all make sure liner is square to the roof ( equal material on both sides). There are reads on the net that help also good idea to have help. If I need it done again I'm savin my pennies and farming it out.
 
thanks for all the advice.

ya, Im a bit stuborn, i tend to do things myself. havnt had anyone else touch my car yet, and I dont plan on starting now. entered a lot of who knows when starting this car and its come out ok.

cant learn if you dont try. this will be my first attempt at any major interior repair. i have touched every nut and bolt mechanically on the car, so time to do this.

I did some looking around and read other forume. does the duster have the hooks on the back by the rear window?

also, is there any secrets to removing the bows?

thanks

Phil
 
oh, and also, Where did everyone buy the headliners from? I am looking at Ebay right now

thanks

Phil
 
If your set on doing it yourself it will be helpful to have someone in the know helping you. I did my own and am not real happy with it. But as you say you can't learn untill you try.
 
Just watched one installed. Bows have to be in order. Install bows into the slots, anchor at windshield. Then pull slack to back, anchoring at sides as you go. Then finish at rear; sails take glue.Can't remember. Might have been herb's
 
Hmmmm bummer. I needed to see the part about taking the bows out and replacing them in order. That was before I knew about it. No excuse, I know, but I also plan on doing it myself. Or at least trying. I don't plan on cutting anything until I'm sure though. At least I'll have that in my favor.
 
mrtires24 said:
oh, and also, Where did everyone buy the headliners from? I am looking at Ebay right now

thanks

Phil
Click to expand...

After I paid for lendendary quality to get all the other interior pieces I bought my headliner at ebay. It was made by PUI. Day of install I found in had a fastnack headliner in a box marked notchback. Lesson learned.
As for bow order, You have to lay them together and sort shortest front to longest rear. Seems th factory color coded them in about 68 just to save time on the assemebly line.
My 67 bows were not color marked
 
well,

i ordered my headliner. guessing it should be here in about a week.

any advice for the removal of my old one... i know to remove the seats and put something down to catch the crap that falls.

but how do the clips come out? and the bows? should i just use an exacto and cut along each bow? or remove as one peice?

thanks

waggs, look forward in talking to you later on.

Phil
 
I'd say best bet is to remove all the trim being very very careful of the a pillar moldings,then visors rear view mirror and coat hooks, when I did the dart I removed the wheather strip channel as the original headliner was under it in places and this made stretching the headliner side to side easier and gave a nice place to use the plastic clamps while it sat in the florida sun. if the piece that meets up with the a pillar molding gives you a fitt..... removing the wheatherstrip channel will save the day!!! The 70 dart gave me a fit and really made the job come out better so I'm glad I did it that way, before removing the old headliner mark a center line from front to rear and try to take it out in one piece and you can get an idea where things go when you lay it over the new headliner, on a piece of the new headliner test a mark with a sharpie and then use laquer thinner to see if the mark comes back off. if it doesn't have any problems then you can make some marks for orientation on the new headliner, before removing the old one make a sketch of where things go and measurements..... the new headliner should have a center line on the backside from front to rear...putting a sharpie mark on the windshield and rear glass will help get the centerline correct. I made some extensiond for the rear bow wire holder thingies at 3/4 inch and started at the front of the car and worked towards the rear and then removed the extensions(was just mig welder wire) and stretched the headliner to the rear and put the rear hoop holders back on...Yay was lookin good so far!!! then used them plastic clamps for tarps and did a slight stretch from side to side and let the sun help it get wrinkles out for a few days in the florida sun with the windows rolled up.....more later...........Wagg's
 
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