Headliner Installations Stink!

[Mustang Jim]

I don't know if it's been said before, but headliner installations stink!

I just spent the last 7 hours pulling out the old headliner and installing a new one in my 64.5. I was alone on this project, so I'm sure that added to the time spend and my frustration. I used the old windlace as clamps to position the headliner and for holding it in place while the adhesive dried. I managed to get out most of the wrinkles, but I still have a few in the headliner. I will use a blowdryer to see if the heat will minimize the remaining wrinkles. I must have lost a half dozen screws during the process (rearview mirror and the screws that hold those little metal strips at the A pillars... hmm... 5 screws). Getting the rear window and windshield back in by myself was a real pain. Oh, and the 3M adhesive for headliners would barely hold and kept failing just as I was positioning the windshield.

Hey, it's done! So I have nothing to complain about. Right?

Seriously, I read up on the threads here for headliner installations and they were a big help to me today. Thanks to the previous posts, a not so fun task was a bit more bearable.

Jim

 

[robbz28]

Forget about the blowdryer and just park your car out in the sun....that should take care of any small wrinkles you had. As for me, next time I do it, Im going with the plastic headliner made by Mustangs to Fear, gives more headroom and looks nice too.

 

[65fastbackresto]

I thought the plastic one was 67 and 68 only?

Are they making one for a 65 now?

 

[robbz28]

their site says 65-66 available soon...

 

[65fastbackresto]

I hope its soon.

I haven`t been looking forward to the headliner install either.

Wouldn`t it be pretty sweet if you could incorporate some body color into the headliner? Stripes maybe? hum.......

I assume they are paintable?

 

[robbz28]

Well, they are plastic, so i guess you can do what you want to with them. You could upholster them and incorporate some stripes or a running pony or anything you wanted.

 

[rbohm]

their site says 65-66 available soon...

link?

 

[robbz28]

Mustangs to Fear - Eleanor Body Kits, Custom Interior Parts and More!

 

[zookeeper]

Fastback headliners are a breeze, I don't imagine coupe headliners being any more fun than a root canal.

 

[robbz28]

Fastback headliners are a breeze, I don't imagine coupe headliners being any more fun than a root canal.

They just flat out SUCK....i need to find Billy Bob who was working on the line back in the day putting these things in and get a few pointers from him...

 

[dagenham]

If the adhesive you were using was not holding then something was not right. I hope that doesnt come back to bite you later down the line.
I've never had wrinkles come out by just letting a car sit out in the sun. Trust me a hair dryer makes the minimum amount of heat needed to take wrinkles out. And dont hold the dryer in one spot. You have to keep it moving or it will leave a mark on the material.

 

[sparx]

I am 6' tall and when I sit in my 66 I feel like a midget.

2.5" will really be a high ceiling, hey I can wear a cowboy hat then!

Maybe the extra height I currently have is due to the completely worn out seat foams?

sparx

 

[robbz28]

If the adhesive you were using was not holding then something was not right. I hope that doesnt come back to bite you later down the line.
I've never had wrinkles come out by just letting a car sit out in the sun. Trust me a hair dryer makes the minimum amount of heat needed to take wrinkles out. And dont hold the dryer in one spot. You have to keep it moving or it will leave a mark on the material.

I have done 2 headliners, did them both without letting the material "rest", just took it out of the box and stretched it on the go. Once I got finished they still had some small wrinkles that i couldnt pull out of it. I would set it in the sun the next day and the material would then rest with the tension I put on it from installation and flatten out like it had been ironed, both times. I didnt know that this was going to happen, after i did my first one I was really upset with the initial results, the next day happend to be a hot sunny day and I got in the car in the afternoon (when the inside of the car was probably 120 degrees) and noticed all my wrinkles had disappeared...either some gnomes came in the night and fixed it, or the sun helped the material rest.

 

[Mustang Jim]

Well, I left the 'Stang out in the sun today. It's about 90F right now and a fair number of the wrinkles are gone. I have a couple of spots that I didn't stretch out quite right, but, all things considered, it looks presentable. I'm not thrilled with it, but I'll take it until they come out with that plastic headliner.

Jim

 

[robbz28]

You may can just take the windlace down in a spot or two, unstick the headliner and stretch out any remaining wrinkles, given the fact that its secured everywhere else the windlace ought to be able to hold what you unsecure...but give it a week in the sun and see what that does for you first.

 

[robbz28]

Im glad to hear the sun is taking some of it out. You may can just take the windlace down in a spot or two, unstick the headliner and stretch out any remaining wrinkles, given the fact that its secured everywhere else the windlace ought to be able to hold what you unsecure...but give it a week in the sun and see what that does for you first.

 

[mustangmutt]

I don't think MTF's headliners are made for coups. They don't cover the sail panel between the quarter window and rear window. Thats the most difficult area to get the wrinkles out when installing a headliner. The added headroom is nice, but I kind of like lowering the seatpans because it also makes it easier to squeeze between the seat and steering wheel for us who are 6'+ and over 220lbs, and IMO it improves the angle of the dangle when sticking your arm out the window.

 

[67rcks]

use a yellowish glue based on polychloridebutadien, just apply it, wait 5-10 minutes, put the headliner on and it sticks immediately (if 3M glue works like you are saying)