QuestionI have a 1955 Ford Customline with an 8-bow fabric headliner. the headliner is in place and ready for stretching or tightening on the sides. There are cloth flaps sewn into each panel on the back where the bows slide through. These flaps seem to be too long and need to be cut in order for me to pull the headliner tight from left to right. There is nobody in my town that will install this headliner and I am left to attempt to do it myself. Is it normal to have to cut these parts and could you provide me with any pointers on the install?
AnswerWill:
Sure. I did the headliner myself in my '54 glasstop Skyliner (why did I ever let that one get away?), and although it was 20 years ago, I recall it reasonably well.
First, you need to mark the center of each bow with a piece of tape wrapped over the area, and the center marked with a pencil. Use pencil, because ballpoint or Sharpie (God forbid!) will eventually bleed through the fabric.
Next, mark the center of the fabric on the reverse side by stretching it out on a large table and using a chalk line or tailor's chalk and a straight edge. Don't use anything else here--chalk will vacuum out of the fabric. but pencil or crayon will not if they show when the headliner is in place.
Start by inserting the bows into the headliner. Don't worry about the extra cloth flap or "tube" yet...using a needle and thread, secure the tube to the bow with several tight wraps, only in the center. The bow needs to be at the top edge of the tube to prevent wrinkles. Do this for each bow. Now, you can trim away any of the flap to expose the bow wire end. Trim the part of the flap that you don't need, to 1/8" to 1/4" wide. Make a neat job of it.
Next, beginning with the center bow, insert the bow into the retainer holes on each side of the roof above the windows. Work from center to back first, then center to front. Don't expect anything to pull tight or wrinkle-free yet--this is only the second step!
Next, note that there is an area of sheet metal at the top of the window, front to back, that is folded under and becomes the upper lip of the window. Your trim molding screws to this, and your headliner glues here, too. There will also be a lip running at the top of the windshield, and over the backlight (rear window), too. Your headliner will glue to this lip, and it is in this step that you'll pull it tight.
You need to procure a spray can of special, high-temperature foam and fabric cement. This stuff is specially formulated for automotive trim work, and is made by a number of different vendors, in "lace-spray" type cans. Don't use any adhesive that won't take 140°F, and don't use any that sprays in a mist-type spray like spray paint. Remember--140°F, and lace spray pattern. The counter guy will know what you mean. In a pinch, talk to the guy at the local auto upholstery place on the phone or in person, and ask him. It will take one can of adhesive to do this job.
Next thing you'll do is carefully trim the cloth headliner until its excess is 2" (maximum) wide all around the periphery above the window openings. Now, spray the adhesive in a 2" wide area on the back of the cloth, and also spray the sheet metal area that the headliner glues to. Allow this contact-type glue to set up for fifteen minutes or so so that the gooiness is gone, but there is plenty of "grab". If you wish, spray some scrap cloth and a tin can and play with the adhesion so you know how it will feel. Note that with the lace-spray pattern, you don't have to worry about soaking the cloth, which discolors it.
To pull the headliner tight, you need to work from all four sides, beginning at the center. Do only the center 6" above each side window area, doing driver's side, then passenger's, pulling the cloth tight and sticking it to the sheet metal lip. The wrinkles around the center should begin to come out now as you pull the cloth tight and press the glue joint together.
When all four sides are pulled at the center 6", you need to now work around the headiner in a clockwise (or counter-clockwise, as long as you're consistent) direction, pulling and gluing about 4" at a time before moving to the next side in order.
The last part you'll do is each corner. Note that this is a contact-type glue, so it'll be somewhat forgiving if you need to pull up part of it to re-position it, but hopefully you'll get a feel for this so you'll only do this once or twice in the very beginning.
Last, you'll trim off any excess with a sharp razor knife or single-edged blade. The molding will cover the edge of the cloth and the glued area, so it should button up nice and neat.
The most important part of the whole deal is planning before cutting or gluing, because there are no second chances. If something doesn't make sense to you, try searching online for more sources of instructions, or ask that local guy again!
Good luck...
Paul
