I am getting ready to install a new headliner in my 69. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to do this? What is the easiest way to do it?

Thanks Matt

Not to be a smartass but pay somebody to do it. I live south of Peoria and I had a guy up by there do mine and he charged me 160.00 bucks. That was after I spent a weekend trying it myself. It can be done but if you can afford it I would definately pay to have it done. Mine looks perfect no wrinkles and well worth the money.

brk65,
Did you use any pading or sound deadener under your headliner?

I agree with Brk65. I tried it for a weekend, wound up taping the front of it to the top of the windshield and taking it to an upholstery shop. Some of the smartest money I've spent.

I did mine and it was not to hard. But the windows and seats were out at the time. If you try it go and get a hand full of clamps like the metal things that are used for paper clips, and some contact cement. after you hang it start pulling it and clamp it front back side to side as you go. When you are happy with it work it into the teeth and trim it.

I agree...pay a shop to do it. Not worth having a stiff neck for days afterwards. ;)

Someone posted this awhile ago. Check it out if you decide to do it yourself.

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/3915/mycar/interior.html

I just did the headliner in my 69SS last week and it turned out great. The bows and plastic clips were in perfect shape so I had a good start. It was a real pain and took a couple days, but it is -25 and the car has the glass out so I figured I'd give it a try. Used the binder clips (about 150 of them), stretch and glue method. The next one I do will be much easier, but if your glass is still in the car it would be MUCH more difficult. If it is convenient, get someone else to do it.

Some have successfully done this themselves. I didnt want to even try because it is a pain so I paid 250 to have mine installed. Well worth it.

Lay your new headliner out and slide the bows in it. Bring it into the car and hook you center bow into the side holes and secure the bow to the roof with the anchor tabs or platic clips. Plug in the rest of the bows and stretch and clip the front at the 12:00 position. Pull and clip at 6:00 and then 9 & 3. You will have to cut back the sleaves along the sides. Pull and clip all the way around. When your happy with the fit start pulling clips and glueing. That's it in a nut shell.

It's to bad , but I would take the seats out, and console if ya have one?
After your all done and you have wrinkles in it, go to "Wally World" and buy a steamer for clothes.
The kind you use for taking wrinkles out of hanging garments.
Use it wherever you have wrinkles, you will be amazed at the difference.
T.C.

i plan on doing my 69' within a week or so.no seats in car.i will not pay that kind of money i've done just about the whole car now so i will try to take my time and do as the others have said here.

lay the headliner material rolled out and flat outside for a little while in the sun. It is much easier to work with warm. As stated before put the bows in the sleeves in the correct order. Start by putting the center in first then work your way to the front glass. You can use the clip method if you want but I like to just glue the center and pull it tight since the clips will slack off and give you wrinkles. After the front strech it to the center of the back. Then the middle of each door. After that just work your way around the car. I like to use a heat gun to warm up the material to strech it and get it tight but if your not careful you can burn the material. The steam machines work well for this and also installing carpet. When it is time to install the visors and such I use a awl or ice pick to find the holes. You should be able to find the outline with your fingers the pick up the hole with the awl. For glue, I would reccomend the top and trm adhessive by 3m if your local upholstery shop wont sell you any. Good luck.

brk65,
Did you use any pading or sound deadener under your headliner?
I just left the stock insulation in. It was in good shape.

lay the headliner material rolled out and flat outside for a little while in the sun. It is much easier to work with warm. As stated before put the bows in the sleeves in the correct order. Start by putting the center in first then work your way to the front glass. You can use the clip method if you want but I like to just glue the center and pull it tight since the clips will slack off and give you wrinkles. After the front strech it to the center of the back. Then the middle of each door. After that just work your way around the car. I like to use a heat gun to warm up the material to strech it and get it tight but if your not careful you can burn the material. The steam machines work well for this and also installing carpet. When it is time to install the visors and such I use a awl or ice pick to find the holes. You should be able to find the outline with your fingers the pick up the hole with the awl. For glue, I would reccomend the top and trm adhessive by 3m if your local upholstery shop wont sell you any. Good luck.

I agree with the procedure above. Try leaving ALL the trim screws in place so you can find the quickly. Such as the visor mirror etc. I did use some of the clips/clamps but they will slide a bit so dont depend on them. Instead of the spray adhesive I used the bottle and brush. Work from the centers out, take your time and use the heat gun advice listed above. There are no secrets, just patience and focus!:yes:

Did the headliner in my "69" this fall. It didn't come out too bad for rookie. I used about two dozen folder clamps and they worked good. Used an old tupperware flat bottom container to spray adhesive into and then applied it with a glue brush, the kind you buy at harbor freight for $ 1.99 a dozen. After you get the old liner out put all your screws back in, you will thank yourself later and be sure to include the dome light ( I forget and had a hell of a time finding the holes for the screws). Also for the back sailpanels it is easier with the rear window removed. I had to replace mine anyway. Have noticed since install that slowly some of the wrinkles are starting to go away. It takes time ,but is not out of the realm of the average guy. Do a google search and you will come up with several step by step instructions, just make sure they are for cars with a suspended headliner and bows. One last thing, make sure that you mark the holes the bows came out of ( very important). Good luck.

Ted


:thumbsup:

Thanks for all your advice guys. I do appreciate it. I will give it a shot here in the near future. Happy Holidays.

Matt

One of these days I will have a thread for all you guys showing you step by step how to do this...let me give some brief pointers...the above mentioned advice on running your screws in half way so you can locate all your holes is INVALUABLE...if you don't do this step you're probably in trouble...

Once you have the liner on the bows and you've hung it in the car here is what I do...I start in the back by gluing the liner where it is supposed to go in the back by the window...(I always use a couple of 3" masking tape strips on the window cause I spray my glue) pull it tight let it set up...then here is a BIG SECRET to getting a tight headliner...behind the sail panels on the B pillars you'll find a tack strip...I always staple the headliner to this tack strip just like it was done at the factory...this secures the headliner in the back so that when you go up front you can pull like crazy and get the baby real tight..if you don't your headliner will eventually do this and it will not be super smooth and tight...
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o68/interiortopdetail/bcheadliner.jpg
In that pic someone didn't tack the headliner in the back...
Once the back is done I jump to the front and glue and pull like crazy...I let that set up pretty good...then I go back to the back and do one side at a time pulling them tight and gluing them...YOU MUST ALSO CUT THE LISTINGS A TINY BIT TO ALLOW THE HEADLINER TO SLIDE DOWN WHERE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE...This is a very tricky part...if you don't cut enough it bunches up....if you cut to much then your not gonna have the nice curving that you should have along the side edges...

After it is installed you may have some box wrinkles but you shouldn't have any other wrinkles...for these wrinkles spray some water on them get you a hair dryer and iron them out...be careful when applying heat to headliner material as it melts very easily...

Try not to get dust or dirt on your headliner as it is hard to clean off...if you do use a solvent like Stoddard's solvent to clean it off...

This is just a very basic description of the steps involved installing a bow and clip headliner...again someday I will have you guys a good thread about it..good luck!!

And if you have a tri five or a 48 plymouth or any car like that and you haven't done at least 10 bow and clip headliners in your lifetime you BETTER bring it to the trim shop....TRUST ME...HAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!

This is just a very basic description of the steps involved installing a bow and clip headliner...again someday I will have you guys a good thread about it..good luck!!

I know what the Bows are but what exactly is the Clip part?? My headliner is removed at this time.

Clips are the small plastic pieces in the middle of the roof that hold the bows in their proper postion...they're very easy to break...hard to find extras...and they can pinch your listings such that your headliner will have a dimple in it...I always try to 'jiggle' each one of them a little when I'm hanging the headliner so they hang sorta "free"...hope I'm not completely confusing you...