It's not a Chevelle related question, but this is the only place I can think to ask. I work at a trim shop and just put a headliner in a chopped-top '53 chevy. I won't get into the nightmare that process was, but I will get into the nightmare I'm currently in. When the owner is driving the car and the windows are up, everything is ok. With the windows down more than maybe an inch or two, the front two headliner panels billow up with air- a lot. enough to where the front bow actually bends down with all the force. With the windows up you feel a little bit of an air leak from the front pillars. with the windows down you feel a BIG air leak from the pillars. There is no weatherstripping on the doors yet, however I did replace the windlace. I think the leak must be somewhere in the windshield area, is getting behind the pillars and up behind the headliner. It must be something with the pressure differential of the passenger compartment with the windows down vs. up. I don't know- I'm at my wits end, and like I said, this is the only place I could think to ask. Please, someone... help. sorry this is so long winded (pun intended).
-Sean :clonk:

I guess they should finish with the weatherstriping and see if that helps. It sounds like you have done your job by installing the headliner. If it's a custom chop top car that somebody else built and you just hung a headliner, I don't think your responsible for the air flow issues IMHO. If it leaks air it will leak water too. Maybe give it the hose test and see if anything apparent pops up.

I bet it is a window related issue...specifically the runners and the regulators and what not...53 model they are probably smooth worn out so the windows don't act like their supposed to...the window trim is new repop stuff so it isn't broke in...I would put a water hose to it and that would tell you where you have sprung a leak so to speak...you may have to tell the customer they need to call a a knowledgable window man...I bet parts for a 53 aren't exactly readily available either...especially runners and regulators and crap like that...

That liner should be tight and secure...you got a weird problem going on here...

so here it is gentlemen, the solution to my problem! the owner had previously welded shut all the vent holes. when you got up to speed with the windows down, there was not enough air coming into the cabin (because there were no vents) to replace the air going out the windows (the whole high pressure in the cabin, low pressure outside) and was creating enough of a vaccum to actually suck the headliner down. also the front bow was weak (or possibly wrong? don't you love when an owner comes in with all the bows in a bundle and says "i think these are all of them") so i made a new bow out of 3/16" spring steel. the new stronger bow is able to resist that suction and keeps the headliner from flopping all the way down. the owner does not want to put any vents back in and says he'll deal with the little amount of movement still there. so that's that, hopefully my trouble can help one of you out someday. thanks for all the advice.
-Sean

Sean,
Good to hear the resolution to this problem. It really was realated to the chopped top.

Dot

Yeah, and we figure that chopping the top/leaning the pillars only made the car MORE aerodynamic which only made the suction problem worse. Thanks again guys for all of your advice.
-Sean

I learn something new everyday...now I shall look for vent holes in the roofs of cars...very interesting...

Good fix Sean.

Hope you got paid for your extra time!

Thanks for posting the solution.