arodenhiser

This was a task I dreaded to start. Hearing nothing but horror stories and reading that I should not be surprised if I ruin the first one or two trying to figure out how to do it. I read Hamm36 tips on this thread...

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/interior-upholstery/20286-headliner-tips.html

I will happily say his advice was worth its weight in gold.

My headliner is a PUI 6 bow in white. I got is a few YEARS ago and never got around to it. Unfortunately I stored it folded and not rolled, hind-sight is always 20/20.

I started this on Friday night. All it did was put the bows in the right looms. On Saturday I glued the roof insulation/batting to the Fatmat I already had installed. It felt like I was making a cheesy Christmas decoration glues fake snow the ceiling of my car.





It was below 50^F so the headliner was a little stiff. Bad timing. I chose the coldest week yet this year to start this.

I hung it in loosely. It is a good idea to make sure all of the bow clips slide easily in the holes. All but one bow is adjustable. This will make straightening and pulling it tight simpler later.







The fabric/vinyl was very stiff so I pulled it tight as I could and clamped it with the black bulldog/paper clips. I had 50 of them from Staples. I let it sit for a two days to try to let it unwrinkled a bit by itself.

On Tuesday I left a small space heater inside car for about ½ hour while doing other stuff and then started pulling and re-clamping. I tried used my wife hairdryer to warm and soften it up. Useless. So I just finished tightening and clamping.





The next day, Wednesday if you are following the days, I came back with some more heat. A B&D heat gun, a 500/1000^F model. I started gently heating, at 500^F and massaging the ripples and creases out while pulling it tighter and adjusting the clamps. Still no glue. I got about half of it nice and smooth. Thursday I finished the first round with the heat gun.







Friday. I trimmed all the excess headliner off. It was nerve racking to take a blade to it after so much work. I left about ½” past the edge of the frame. It’s time for some glue. I used common contact cement on the edge of the headliner frame strips. Starting in the middle at the dome light and working out to the sides and then to front and back, I heated every square inch again and pulled it a little tighter and bonded it down the frame and clamped. After doing the whole liner and having glued around the outside edge I put the windlace on. The windlace liked being warmed up with the gun too. It slipped on with a snap as it passed over the barbs on the frame. Here is how it looks.














The rear window windlace is still of because I have to wrap my sail panels and put those in first. I think the cold snap and my limited time a day helped. I could not rush things. I can still notice few creases from the folding but I think they will come out with a little time, and maybe some more heat. If you were tracking my time this post ends on a Friday. Seven days, about 6-7 hours in spent time.


Adam



Follow Millie's rebuild here...

Part 1 - As purchased - Play Time https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/27563-1968-cutlass-s-holiday-coupe-millie.html
Part 2 - Tear down - Metal Work https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/28997-1968-cutlass-s-holiday-coupe-millie-pt2.html
Part 3 - Paint Shop - New Stripes https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/28998-1968-cutlass-s-holiday-coupe-millie-pt-3-a.html
Part 4 - Reassembly - Rebuilding https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/29001-1968-cutlass-s-holiday-coupe-millie-pt-4-a.html
Part 5 - Headliner - Some Interior https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/29699-1968-cutlass-s-millie-pt-5-headliner.html

Aron Nance

Extremely nice work! You must have a ton of patience!

arodenhiser

I am a out-of-work stay-at-home dad with a son who is almost 3 1/2. He is in preschool for 3 hours a day. I only have that time, less drop-off an pickup travel to work on the car. I have learned a lot about patience in the last year and a half.

Adam




Follow Millie's rebuild here...

Part 1 - As purchased - Play Time https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/27563-1968-cutlass-s-holiday-coupe-millie.html
Part 2 - Tear down - Metal Work https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/28997-1968-cutlass-s-holiday-coupe-millie-pt2.html
Part 3 - Paint Shop - New Stripes https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/28998-1968-cutlass-s-holiday-coupe-millie-pt-3-a.html
Part 4 - Reassembly - Rebuilding https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/29001-1968-cutlass-s-holiday-coupe-millie-pt-4-a.html
Part 5 - Headliner - Some Interior https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/major-builds-projects/29699-1968-cutlass-s-millie-pt-5-headliner.html

agpilot442

Nice work!
Looks real neat and clean
Im dreading doing my head liner too!!

I have a silly newbe question How can i tell if my 68 has a 5 bow or a 6 bow headliner
my car came with out a head liner or bows do you just count the bow holes?
thanks Greg

arodenhiser

As I understand it the '68 could either be a 5 or 6 bow. Mine is a 6. It has 5 full width rods that were about 1/4" in diameter and 1 shorter rod that is about 1/8" diameter that snaps into the clips in the middle (front to back) of the roof with the by the dome light. This thin rod/bow did not go into any holes at the side. With the old headliner still in place it is easier to figure out. You just count the seams in the headliner.

I hope this helps.

Adam

slowolds

I see a side business for you. Great work.
I just did mine but sadly it has too many "I won't make that mistake next time" issues with it (still better than nothing).

RAMBOW

Great job! It turned out awesome!

arodenhiser

Thanks for all the kind words. The pictures are a little forgiving, but it does look pretty good. I just found out last week that I am moving 1100 miles due to my wife's work. She got transferred. We are flying out on Monday. The rest of the rebuild will have to wait a month or two before I can continue. We don't even have a house yet. We arrive, check into a hotel and start looking for one. Fun. Fun. Fun. I will keep updating as I go along.

Adam

arodenhiser

Well..... i just had to finish things up a bit more.
I glued the rear shelf foundation pad/insulation and tray down. Then it was time for the sail panels to go in. Wow, that was more work than I expected. I bought new boards and glued the headliner material to it. The new boards are flat. Guess what, the C pillar in you car is not.
If your old panels are intack I would recommend using them with the new material glued to them. Being pre-contoured to your C pillar will be a big help. It was very difficult to get the headliner material to wrap around the two sections of frame that holds/glues it in place because of the springiness of the flat boards. After some fights and make-shift warping of my new sail panels I got them in.





The windlace around the back window was a little tricky too. With the back glass in place it is hard to get the windlace to go over the HL frame. A small rubber mallet wrapped in clean plastic helped but mine still could be pressed on a little more.

Since I am getting ready to move I decided to throw my old interior panels and seats back in instead of shipping them. So these shot have my old "pearl-ish" upholstery and not the new parchment I got from Ledgenary. Those will go in this spring.





Except for bolting down the front seat, I think I am done for this year. It is Thurday afternoon and on Saturday she gets stored in the belly of moving truck surrounded by my furniture and stuff. Completely inclosed and dry until she finds a new garage to call home.

In case you are wondering why the heck I don't screw that dome light down/up. I am waiting to do one more heat and massage before poking holes in the headliner. That will be when the outside temperature are above 50F/10C.

Adam