Posted By: 340mouse
Headliner tips - 07/20/14 03:49 PM
Taking the headliner out of my 68 Cuda fastback(friggin mice)
any tips I need to know, any tips on installing would help also.
Thanks Dave
Posted By: RapidRobert
Re: Headliner tips - 07/20/14 04:51 PM
I've only did one (65 dart). vinyl I'm assuming. Set it out on a blanket in the sun to get some of the wrinkles out. Need a helper. I would suggest working on it over several days or more as it will test your patience & you want most of the wrinkels out before you cut it/install the trim that locks it down tho a hair dryer will remove very slight wrinkles after you are done. The rear sail panel area was the hardest to get smooth. I would suggest some dynamat (or similar) that is thin under there also. take your time
Like RR, I've only done the one in my sons '71 Charger. Like he said, lay it out in the sun for a while. Label the headliner bows as to location when you remove them. And echoing RR again, take your time.
Tim
Posted By: ONEBADBIRD
Re: Headliner tips - 07/20/14 05:06 PM
I did the headliner with my wonderful wife assisting, so yes it is good to have a second set of hands (for sure when you install headliner initially with inserting the bows). I had to go back either later in the day, or the next day and re-adjust some spots to tighten it up to get puckers out. This was the first one that I have done, and it came out beautiful!
Posted By: Crazy68Dart
Re: Headliner tips - 07/20/14 05:56 PM
I just finished the headliner in the Dart. It came out pretty nice. My car has a cage, so that sort of complicated things but some tips:
- Make sure you trim the listing pockets back far enough. Otherwise, you will get wrinkles when you stretch near the seams. I needed to go back and trim mine back multiple times and at that I still think I could have gone further.
- Lay it out in the sun, some guys take a steamer or clothes iron with a towel to the fold marks. Mine has been out of the box in a while, and I had it in the sun a few times. Either way, not critical, those marks will eventually come out.
- Start front to back, center/center, then do sides front to back (how I did mine anyway).
- I went to Harber Freight and bought a bunch of the 99 cent claps with red dipped tips/handles.
- Use brush on glue/contact cement. I can't imagine using a sprayer unless it was a pro version with controlled pattern.
- Patience, and lots of it!
- Look at all the gripper teeth and make sure they are there (Dart was missing one for some reason). Make sure they are straight, etc. for easy "gripping".
- Up to you on this, but I glued foil backed rubber patches across the surface of the roof to help with vibration. Then I glued poly/insulation to help with heat control and additional sound deadening.
I thought I was done, and saw some wrinkles. I did not pull side to side tight enough. Don't be scared of tugging on it a bit. The material will stretch. Anyway, I pulled the sides loose and re-did them.
Sail panel area was the hardest part as you can imagine.