Installing a Legendary Interiors headliner in my '72 Cutlass 442. I got the bows inserted in the cloth tubes on the headliner. It was hard to do and the tubes did not need trimmed. They were trimmed back about 3 inches on each side from the bends. I had it laid out in the sun a couple times and it was wrinkled but not real bad. Yesterday, my wife and I installed it into the holes for the crossbows because I could not get it by myself d/t a repaired rotator cuff that took away one arms range of motion. Any rate, we got it up there and I started putting the clips in up by the front and rear window glass. I went out today and put the clips on both sides. The photos below are as it sits now. Looks pretty rough to me. Tomorrow morning I'm going to turn on a heater in the garage before I leave to vote to get it real warm and around noon, I'm going to try to stretch it more and then use a handheld CONAIR steamer to see if I can get it smoother and if so, I will try to glue it.

The process looks a bit easier in all the YouTube videos I've watched. Look at the "as it is photos" and give me your opinion from your experiences if I did something wrong please? And, what I need to do different or does this look like it should??

Or should I undo all the clips, move it around and then re-stretch and re-clip it? It just doesn't look like I expected at this point!

Thanks, OLE442

 

I'd undo all the clips and then use the space heater before restretching the headliner into place. I've never done a headliner install though. Good luck. 🤞

 

Yeah, I'm thinking that this will be my first and last bow type headliner. The newer ones on a fiber board are easier.

OLE442

 

Judging from the wrinkles it needs to be pulled side to side. Along the edges, at the pinch welds, I used DAP Weldwood contact cement, but landau top glue from an upholstery shop works better. Get it as warm as possible before you stretch it. Having a broken wing surely complicates things, though. Good luck!