Plastic/Cardboard headliner

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wes beem

wes beem

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My 71 duster has the bows for the headliner currently, after watching videos and reading up i know for a fact that is NOT something im going to be able to do myself and be happy with the end results.

Has anyone successfully installed the later style cardboard/plastic ones in a 70/71 model duster? is everything the same?
 
I’m interested in this answer…my car has the later cardboard style and it would undoubtedly be a simpler installation.
 
My Dart Sport had an ABS plastic headliner in it when I got it. Fit wasn't good at all. It will be a while before my car is ready for a headliner to go back in but, I will definitely be looking for an alternative. I like the fabric bow mounted much better. Hopefully I can figure something out when the time comes.
 
tinman2 said:
My Dart Sport had an ABS plastic headliner in it when I got it. Fit wasn't good at all. It will be a while before my car is ready for a headliner to go back in but, I will definitely be looking for an alternative. I like the fabric bow mounted much better. Hopefully I can figure something out when the time comes.
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Where you located? If you still have the ABS one id be willing to trade you my headliner bows for it if your interested
 
wes beem said:
Where you located? If you still have the ABS one id be willing to trade you my headliner bows for it if your interested
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Conover, NC. My car has a sunroof so it has the cut-out for that. I may have to use the ABS one I have but I will be looking at modifying it somehow so it will look better.
 
All the ABS headliners I see for the Dart hardtop are listed for 73 - 75. Is there any reason they wouldn't fit on a 70 Swinger? All the hardtops from 67 onward have the same roof, don't they? My 70 Swinger currently has a warped old cardboard headliner.
 
Should work. Pain to install but happy with the results. 73 Scamp.

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autopar3000 said:
All the ABS headliners I see for the Dart hardtop are listed for 73 - 75. Is there any reason they wouldn't fit on a 70 Swinger? All the hardtops from 67 onward have the same roof, don't they? My 70 Swinger currently has a warped old cardboard headliner.
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They are listed for 73+ because that was the years that used them. 72 down used a standard headliner. Headliners are not that difficult to install. I did one when I was in high school and it turned out perfect. The ABS ones require fitting and trimming, they do not drop in place.
 
I am pretty sure that the headliner in my Dart is original. I think that the build date is 11/71.
 
If its ABS its not original. The originals were a cardboard type material.
 
Guess that we will never know. I believe that I am the 3rd or 4th owner of my '72 Dart, if it came with a cardboard headliner, someone found a used 340 Brite blue ( not painted ) ABS headliner and installed it. The rest of my interior is original. I replaced the orginal furry carpet with pile. Will be replacing the orginal cloth/vinyl seat covers and door panels with legendary parts when they show up. This car was a poster child of original till the previous owner gave it a paint job and changed the suspension. I have overhauled and is still stock 318 and 904 trans.
Was just adding my 2 cents, kinda got off track for the OP.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
 
CRUZE 418 said:
Guess that we will never know. I believe that I am the 3rd or 4th owner of my '72 Dart, if it came with a cardboard headliner, someone found a used 340 Brite blue ( not painted ) ABS headliner and installed it. The rest of my interior is original. I replaced the orginal furry carpet with pile. Will be replacing the orginal cloth/vinyl seat covers and door panels with legendary parts when they show up. This car was a poster child of original till the previous owner gave it a paint job and changed the suspension. I have overhauled and is still stock 318 and 904 trans.
Was just adding my 2 cents, kinda got off track for the OP.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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Ummm, sure we will. The ABS headliner is a replacement for the OEM hard board headliner used in 73+ A bodies. I helped test fit these back when they came out around 15 years ago. If yours is truly ABS it is not original.
To the OP, I would suggest getting a fabric headliner and giving it a try. If you already have all the bows that is the route I would go. They look so much better and are not that hard to install.
I have salvaged a hard board headliner by putting a layer of fiberglass on the backside for strength and then covering the front with vinyl. If you have one that is cracked up this is a good option. If its all warped up like they sometimes tend to do, not much to do to save those.
 
It's funny how the headliner is hardly ever noticed.. you certainly don't see it when you're outside the car very much and when you're inside the car that's not what you're looking...
It's really only something you see when you're looking for it and when you are judging it.,
My homemade headliner is looking great 6 years later and it cost me under $100 and could have cost me way under that had I not opted for some exotic material... It's a hardcore with a soft cloth overlay...

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It's a faux beaver skin and I can brush it one way or the other and give it a different look but really it's funny how people really don't notice it until I tell them...
It's very possible and I seen the normal modern sponge back cloth. I wouldn't expect anybody to do this with the material I chose but also that was my point... At the time of course they had rainbow colored first well that was about 2 inches long so I could have really gotten bananas but I didn't...
 
You said beaver skin :)

Looks good, what kind of wood did you use? Looks like luan board. Hold on, I will try to find some pics of my alligator skin headliner.
This is the original board headliner I reinforced and recovered. Material was from walmart.
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