Headliner Nightmare

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Alanstoy

Alanstoy

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Location
Auburn Washington
Hi FABO,
Im looking to get some feedback/help on my headliner.
I paid a guy $275 to install my headliner on my 1967 Dart 270 2dr
He spent alot of time on it, unfortunatly the car isnt mobile, so he came to my garage and we pushed it outside, in the cold rainy Seattle weather.
He got it installed, but not done. Still has a bit of wrinkles in it, wich he told me to put a heater in it and the wrinkles would slowly work there way out. Well I tried this and it worked a little bit, But heres the dillema.
He did the sail panels like they were suposed to sit ontop of the material, like some cars have. I did tell him I know nothing about the Dart and had no idea on how they were supposed to be set up.

After diggin around here on FABO, i learned that the boards were supposed to lay inside the material held up by a pin. with no material on the actual boards. He didnt do it that way, So headliner is glued down good with no boards in the roof sails. :cry:

So my question is, How can i remove the areas that are glued down, on package tray and sides under the trim, enough to be able to put the boards in their proper place with out ripping the headliner?
Any tricks to loosening up the glue? I know that heat is going to shrink the material, as thats how he told me to get the wrinkles out.

I really wanted this job to be done by him, But alas, hes not responding to any of my emails or phone msgs. Hes not with a company that i can go give hell to. Solo free lancer who came, did most of the work and dropped it in my lap. Im so frustrated with him, and the fact that i now have to deal with this on my own.

ANY help is greatly appreciated. I turn wrenches, I dont do, or havent done any kind of upholstery work, it kinda scares me lol.
Thanks Fabo. for any advice you can give me. :)
Alan
 
Tha's why I DIY if it kills me, read up on it and if you have to re-do it it isn't the end of the world. Don't be afraid, if you can turn a wrench you can do body work and upholstery work, and rebuild a transmission; it's all in if you have the will. The information is there. I've seen some of the best jobs come out of personal garages.

No one cares about your car like you do.
 
I just had one done on my notch and I had everything out of the car and I mean everything even the glass. He charged me 200 and after watching him do it - I gladly paid it. I had the sail panels and chose to leave them out. Seriously, if it looks good w/o the boards leave them out I did.

How 'bout some pictures of the headliner in that area?
 
I think the boards have more to do with noise insulation than cosmetics. The board won't do much to get rid of wrinkles.

I agree with poison dart. I did my headliner with the glass in. Sure was not easy
 
Thanks Poison, will keep that thread as your doing some seriously intense work there.
If i had more room in my garage, lol Pretty much have to roll her out to do anything.
I will definetly spend some time on that thread,
"No one cares about your car like you do." I like that and isnt that the truth :)
 
Rocky,
Yes i will get some pics, I was just imagening wind blowing thru the car, and poss a prob in the sails area with out the boards. But from what your saying it aounds like it wont be a problem. That is very good news. :)
Thank you for your help. That takes a big load off my shoulders
 
IMHO, if they are tight and look good I wouldn't give it a second thought. The glue is some extreme stuff it is not going to let go!
 
fklskv said:
I think the boards have more to do with noise insulation than cosmetics. The board won't do much to get rid of wrinkles.

I agree with poison dart. I did my headliner with the glass in. Sure was not easy
Click to expand...

Thanks fklskv.
This is the info i wanted and needed to hear lol
I know the boards wont fix the wrinkles. I watched the guy who put it in show me with a heat gun how to get em out, and he also said if we ever get a nice hot day here, Lol >.< To leave it outside for the day and it should all take care of itself.
Yes I watched this guy work and was at the time sooo glad it wasnt me. lol
My hands do not do tuggin and pullin well anymore (that sounded wrong)
Sad but true. Good ol arthur kickin my arse.
I have my interior gutted, except for glass. He made it look easy. for what he did.
Thanks for the input :)
 
Rocky_JS said:
IMHO, if they are tight and look good I wouldn't give it a second thought. The glue is some extreme stuff it is not going to let go!
Click to expand...

Well there are still wrinkles on them, but if the heat will do the shrinking then i imagine it will be ok, The area is fairly tight. but still needs work
I will go out and take some pics of the headliner and sail area to show you what it looks like
thanks again:)
 
mineral spirits will loosen up the glue i'll post more later when I have some time to walk you thru this..in the meantime search for a thread called 70 dart survivor and it will show some tricks
 
waggin said:
mineral spirits will loosen up the glue i'll post more later when I have some time to walk you thru this..in the meantime search for a thread called 70 dart survivor and it will show some tricks
Click to expand...

Thanks Waggin. I will definetly have a look. :)
 
ok, I have pics on my computer, do i have to upload them to my pic gallery or is there a way to put them directly in this post >.<

Im reading up on this at this moment lol
 
Ok here we go. lol
 

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The last pic, looks like there is a wet spot. I have no idea what that is from, nothing wet inside or out.
It looks pretty bad to me, especially the pass side sail. :(
This is the first time i really looked at it with a light. Ugghhh
 
Rocky.
Yes i agree completley. i havent put any of the trim back on. and i am dissapointed with the way it looks.
Im beggining to wonder if Heat is going to fix this. :(
 
the guy who did mine was disappointed with the wrinkles in the front. and they are really minor and from the way it was sewn at the wrong angle in the front. the rear from the dome light back is tight as a drum.

Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in and give you some advice.
 
Rocky. Beautiful car man.. And your headliner looks very very nice.
You know thinking about it, the guy took my headliner straight from the box and installed it. was probably full of folds and wrinkles
Im feeling dizzy n sick.lmao Its not looking good for me. not at all
Thanks for sharing. ;)
I wish mine looked as good or even half as good as yours does. Haha
 
I had mine laid out for a few days to help remove the wrinkles. I can see the folds in yours but they are minor in comparison and likely will work out with heat and sun.
 
Rocky_JS said:
I had mine laid out for a few days to help remove the wrinkles. I can see the folds in yours but they are minor in comparison and likely will work out with heat and sun.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that is what i am hoping for.. Im all gung ho on putting the interior together, I have everything sitting and waiting. :)
 
I just looked at your pictures,did he use a heat gun when he installed your headliner?
It's really not bad it could be better though. I had to install mine twice. I have a sedan, the second time I took the rear window out. I think I would leave it as it is, unless those wrinkles bothers that much, it just depends what kind of car your building, I know it bothered me that much. That's why I did it twice.
 
R4Sedan said:
I just looked at your pictures,did he use a heat gun when he installed your headliner?
It's really not bad it could be better though. I had to install mine twice. I have a sedan, the second time I took the rear window out. I think I would leave it as it is, unless those wrinkles bothers that much, it just depends what kind of car your building, I know it bothered me that much. That's why I did it twice.
Click to expand...

Thanks R4, I think the camera makes it look a lil better than it really does.
Yea im not happy with the way it looks, cant afford to do it again. I hope that the sun/heat help it. Yes he did use a heat gun a little bit once he had it in, more to show me how to get the wrinkles out.
Told me to put my lil heater ni the car for a couple hours a day for two weeks, and if it didnt fix it, he would come back and poss re stretch it and or use heat gun. 5 weeks after the initial 2 weeks of heating it hes MIA,
No communications back to me. Wich tells me he has wiped his hands clean and wont be coming back. Sad as he raved on how he always backs up his work >.< Lol Thanks for the input and posative attitude ;)
Im tryin to stay posative. Just wont look at it for a while Lmao ;)
 
I know you are out their where it is rainy and cloudy,but if you decide to re-do it take it out of the box for a couple of days. Work the Heat gun on the material as you are installing it.Then a little more after installed and keep that thing moving or it could put a hole in the material. I found it was easier with the windows out. You get a more professional look! Good Luck.
 
Thanks Larry,
I will heed your words if i end up having to do it again, Keeping my fingers crossed that i dont >.>
:)
 
Taking my 67 dart to sure fit upholstery in Tacoma wa. Next week. Old timer and his son run the shop and do beautiful work. Gonna take one day for a very fair price.
 
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