Hey all I have a 69 Cutlass supreme hardtop bought a new headliner. when installing bows how much fabric needs to be removed on the edges or how much bow should I have exposed on each end. I cut about 1.5 inches off and still seems to be wrinkling on the edge where the bow inserts.any other tips or tricks would be great ty for any help you can provide as I have no clue what I'm.doing lol

 

I just finished, well 98 percent finished a 5 bow in my 68. I have one spot that is driving me crazy on the passenger side rear directly behind the coat hanger clip…. One small wrinkle! To answer your question; I would guess I cut back the bow sleeves until about two inches on either side of the bows were exposed. Just be patient, when you get frustrated, walk away for a few hours. Also use good glue (I used 3m77 on the straight aways and black weatherstrip adhesive in the corners), get new plastic clips (for the bows and dome light wiring), number your bows and mark sides and holes so you can put them back later, mark your other holes for everything (the damn dome light holes are a pain), clean up your tack strips, and bows. Get a few of the flexible plastic putty scrapers it will make life so much easier when you are tucking and stretching, get lots of binder clips to hold the liner to the tack strip while the glue dries, if you have one of those cheap Amazon suit steamers they work great for warming up and stretching the tough spots. Your patience will be tested when you get to the last bow and the rear window, just make sure you test fit your sail panels and winlaces before cutting the headliner. Good luck!

 

You need to trim the sleeves back to near the top of the "end arch" to keep them from bunching up- but not too far either....
Take a look at the pisc below, this was the original headliner in my last 68- notice the headliner takes a sharp dive after staying tight to the bow, this is where it was trimmed. The 2nd pic is where i actually marked how high up this was(on that car)

So typically i'll start by laying out the headliner on a table, center the bows on the sleeves, mark and cut them just enough to allow the tip to be exposed.
Then after you hang them in the car with the material loose, i'll then cut the sleeve back another couple inches to get near the top of the bows "end arch", but not too much(can always trim more later). The idea is that when you pull it tight side to side the sleeve and liner will slide out a bit more on the bow.

This should keep it from bunching up. Hope that helps!

OE Headliner before removal

OE liner, taken loose and marked

new headliner installed

 

As far as other tips-
Heat up the liner in a clothes dryer for 5-6mins on hot before you do anything. Shipping creases can be a nightmare to try and get out once in the car- So do it before you do anything.
Steam can work as well, but do it BEFORE you install the bows and before its in the car so you are not trying to do it upside down. Been there done that, it sucks.

Leave the screws in the bare roof half threaded in for the dome light, visors, rearview mirror, coat hooks etc.
Once the new liner is in, you can find them with your fingertips, but a small cut in the liner and push it up and over the head of the screws. SOOOO much easier than trying to find them blindly.

I only use DAP Weldwood HHR Landau top contact cement for headliners- its meant for high temp work and won't let go. I've had very bad experiences with any spray stuff lasting long holding a headliner or sail panels.
I brush it on using 3" disposable brushes from harbor freight.

Remember that heat relaxes vinyl, it does not make it tighter.. so however the liner looks when you glue it, that's the best its going to look.

Binder clips are your friends. Years ago when i did my first one I learned this tip from a friend and bought a few HUNDRED clips off amazon. I've done a dozen or so headliners since then and they make things really easy.

I tend to do headliners in stages before I glue it
Stage 1- Hang the bows & liner & trim the sleeves, clip up the front and back flaps
Stage 2- 1st stretch, start at the rear and clip, then do the front and clip, then each side. I don't worry about the front or rear corners at this point, or the sail panel area.
Stage 3- 2nd stretch, take the rear loose again and pull it tight again (tighter), repeat front and sides. It should look pretty good at this point- if not repeat until it does.
*I've done enough of these that rarely need the 2nd stretch anymore and go straight to the glue step
Stage 4- Glue and final stretch- Take the rear loose, mark a line on the underside of the liner with a sharpie where the edge was (usually the crease was visible, so i mark that) and brush your glue on above and below that line, same for the roof side (get both sides of the trim strip) let tack up for 5 mins, then stretch and attach and clip. I still leave the corners alone. Repeat for the front and sides.
Stage 5- Now work out the corners and the sail panel area, carefully pull them and make our pie cuts as needed, then glue and attach them.
Stage 6- Trim extra material, install trim, etc etc.

The nice thing about doing it in steps like this (besides breaking up the work), if you are unhappy with how it looks before gluing- STOP. Walk away. come back later take it loose and try again.
What it looks like at step 3 is the best it will ever look, so if you don't like it keep working before you glue it or try to do those front/rear corners.

hope this helps!
Ben