Quote:
Originally Posted by flash
I would like to try that install one day in my 68. Do you have any tips for us rookies?
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!. Get your headliner laid out and warmed up to get all the wrinkles out. also, transfer all the rods into their correct spot. It is important not to mix up the rod that go into the headliner. They only go in in a certain order.
2. The cloth channels will be two long. Get the bows centered in the channels and then snip back the cloth about 1/2" past the 90* bend.
3. Before you put the headliner back in put all the screws in the holes you took them out of. Don't leave them out to far , but enough to be able to find them under the headliner. It will make it easier to mount all the hardware that need to go back up. You can use a knife to slit the headliner once you are finished and push the screw head through.
4 Then take the whole assembly into the car and starting with the rear, put the first bow in whichever holes they came out of. Then make sure the the cloth channel has no wrinkles in it by pulling even on both sides. Snap the bow into the center clips. The clips may be very brittle and/hard so be careful. I had a backup set I purchased just incase I broke one. This was the hardest part of the entire job! Maybe new clips are easier but I was able to use my originals. Also the bows may be loose when you reinstall them and can spend around on you. Mine fit tight which made it easy to keep them in the correct position.
5. I had about 40 of those medium size metal clips to use around the edges.
6. Pull the headliner forward and back to see if there is enough material, mine had plenty of material to put on the glue strips. I did not cut any excess material off until the very end before I installed the strips that go around edge of headliner. Pull the front tight and lock it down with a few clips. then pull the back hard and secure with clamps. This should set all the bows/clips into their position, in my case I had one front bow that move on me and had to reset in into the correct position.
7. For glue I used 3M high strength for vinyl. Start in the middle work about a 6" section at a time, and pull it tight (and somewhat a little outwards. if you get wrinkles you can work them out when you get to the sides. But dont pull to much on the sides yet. just enough to keep the wrinkles out of your 5" section. I sprayed my glue strips and then the back side of my headliner and let it set for a couple of minutes then attached it to the glue strip and attached a clip to help hold it. Work across the front and then move to the rear and repeat the process. I then move to the front half and worked the sides. (everything in front of the small bow that goes in the clips) Once I got the front looking good I move to the rear section behind the small bow. You will have to make a few relief cuts in the corners to get the liner to pull straight. Take you time in the corners a go slow. The nice thing about 3m glue you can take it loose and redo something if you need to and reglue it.
8. I got the sail panels already covered on the front, but you have to trim and glue them up before you install them. Not all the sides get glued because some of the material gets glued along the window glue strip.
I borrowed some of this info from a write up on Team Chevelle to do my headliner. This was a first time for me, but having a second set of hands really help, plus my friend had done 2 others before mine. Here's a link if you are a member of Team Chevelle, it also has pictures
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=161372
Ray