Headliner Install on Project '69!!

[bill440rt]

I managed to get my courage together for this headliner installation. I've heard horror stories from some people, they're not lying. Headliners suck.
I called a few trim shops. NO ONE wanted to make a house call to install this, the competent shops are about 1 hour away from me & since the '69 is a roller, it would've had to be trailered there. PIA. 

Last one I did was about 10 years ago, for my '70, & it was made from NOS fabric which has a tendency to tear easily. I will say this: the repro headliners are MUCH easier to work with. They are made from a plastic/vinyl type material, & stretch quite nicely.

What made it even suckier, is that the headliner was already removed when I got the car, & none of the bows were labelled. I was able to put them in the proper order. One of the short bows at the C-pillar was missing, so I made one out of steel rod to match. Then, one of those pesky clips for the short bows was broken, so I made up a substitute out of metal tubing. A little tack weld to hold it in place before installing it in the headliner, & it was ready to go.

Special thanks to Kevin69RTvert who was on hand to help get it started to hook the bows into the roof. A pro did the one in my '68, & he taught me a trick by putting your trim screws in FIRST (dome light, visors, mirrors, etc). Don't put them in all the way, leave some unthreaded. Once the headliner is done, you only have to feel for the protruding screw heads, & make a little "x" to expose them. Much easier (& less risky) then trying to feel blind for some small hole you can't see.

Anyway, we started hooking the bows at the rear, & worked forward. Pull the headliner tight at the front & temporarily hook the front into place. I also used a little glue, 3M's Super Trim adhesive. Here's how it looked when we started:

[bill440rt]

I then went back to the front & started stretching the material tighter at the roof header. You can hook it in a little more permanently at this point at the front. The top of the rear window area can also be stretched tight & hooked in. Next step is to stretch the sides, working front to back one bow section at a time.
It helps to make some relief cuts at the sides as you're working front to back. Use more glue at the sides. Some spring clamps, clothespins, & those little headliner retainer clips help to hold the sides in place after you stretch. I'm working alone at this point, so they come in handy as an extra set of "hands." Check your progress often, you may have to go back & re-stretch an area you were previously working on.

This is how it looked as I started the stretching process:

[bill440rt]

OK, you can see in the previous pics how the front is getting tighter, & the rear still needs work. Keep stretching a little at a time, re-glue if necessary.
The hardest part is the C-pillars. The headliner is held in place by the "teeth" around the rear window opening, & then glued at the bottoms to a metal flange on the package tray. I found it easier to work from top to bottom, then glue at the package tray last. Relief cuts in the material definitely helps.

This is how it turned out. A lot of the wrinkles are in the material from being folded up in the box. A good day out in the hot sun should get rid of them. Once the rear window trim & metal side trim goes on, it will tighten the material up even more & they will disappear. A heat gun & then wiping with a damp rag with cold water also is a good trick. When the pro got done with the headliner on my '68, it looked very similar to this. All the wrinkles disappeared over a short time. I'm no pro, but you can get good results as long as you take your time & have patience.

I need to search for those screw heads next, & install the dome lamp, etc.
Next up will probably be rear window, 1/4 glass, mouldings, etc. I'll post more progress pics soon.

[bull]

Good job, man! I bet it's a helluva lot easier with the glass out.

[resq302]

Damn Bill.  Looks great.  You can do my next one.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

  and my original one is starting to come apart at the seams .... 

As usual Bill, excellent work....I knew the ribbing you got when you said you were going to "farm out" the headliner install would make you do it yourself

[T16]

Turned out great 

Hope mine will be as good as yours 

[jaak]

Looks great, Bill.  And thanks for all the helpful tips!!!


Jason

[bill440rt]

  and my original one is starting to come apart at the seams .... 

As usual Bill, excellent work....I knew the ribbing you got when you said you were going to "farm out" the headliner install would make you do it yourself

Thanks guys.
Chris, the ribbing DID have something to do with it. I guess as the wallet grows smaller, the "cajones" grow bigger! 
Oh, and BTW, installing one in your car would be my pleasure! 

[tan top]

  nice job   , awesome stuff

[Silver R/T]

nice job, want to come do mine?

[resq302]

Damn Bill, with all these requests for doing their car, Im sure you can fatten up your wallet with all of the added work.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Damn Bill, with all these requests for doing their car, Im sure you can fatten up your wallet with all of the added work.

You don't know Bill very well do you?

[resq302]

Oh so Bill can be hired out then huh?     The time I can save for other projects.......

[chargercraig]

I'm still jelous

[Blakcharger440]

Hey Bill.....I am installing the headliner in my 70 Charger RT and there are two small bows near the rear window (one for each C pillar) and the headliner that I have doesnt have the same loop for these two small bows to go though...is the headliner supposed to have loops for these or is mine defective and need to be sent back???

Also did you use the big cardboard triangles that fit against the C pillars behind the headliner...or do 69's have them?

[T16]

Having problem with one of my bows after some stretching.. the bow wants to fall towards the rear. Just one bow that keep on messing it all up 

[69Charger_440]

Was curious to know if you put any sound deadener/insulation material before you installed the headliner?  If so, what type?

Thanks,

Fernando

[bill440rt]

Yes, Fernando. I used the repro headliner insulation made by REM. It's already cut to fit, just glue it on. It's basically a white fluffy form of jute padding.

T16, try starting at the back & work forward. Do you have the 2 little "J" shaped wires that go into the roof & hold the rear bow in place? If not, you'll need them to hold that bow in place as you stretch it forward. Starting at the rear, work one bow at a time going forward. When you reach the front, you can pull the headliner tight into the front "teeth." That helps hold the headliner forward. You may need to stretch it tighter some more as you work the rest of it.
Hope that is helpful.

[69Charger_440]

Yes, Fernando. I used the repro headliner insulation made by REM. It's already cut to fit, just glue it on. It's basically a white fluffy form of jute padding.

T16, try starting at the back & work forward. Do you have the 2 little "J" shaped wires that go into the roof & hold the rear bow in place? If not, you'll need them to hold that bow in place as you stretch it forward. Starting at the rear, work one bow at a time going forward. When you reach the front, you can pull the headliner tight into the front "teeth." That helps hold the headliner forward. You may need to stretch it tighter some more as you work the rest of it.
Hope that is helpful.

K thanks!!

[dodgedarren]

Question: How do the front clips work that are along the top edge of the windshield??

[dodgedarren]

Help!! How do the clips in the front work?? I cant seem to remove them.

[bill440rt]

Help!! How do the clips in the front work?? I cant seem to remove them.

The clips in the front hold the metal front edge molding in place.
They are removed using a flat screwdriver & needle nose pliers. You'll see two small flat metal tabs wedged together in the center. Use the screwdriver to spread them apart. You might have to pull them out then with the pliers.
Reinstall in reverse. Insert the clips, the squeeze the tabs together with the pliers. This will spread the tabs back out on the other side.
You'll get the idea how they work better once you get one of them out.
Good luck!

[GordonGriggs]

 
Nice! 

[dodgedarren]

Day one of headliner install went pretty good. One issue I am have because the rear window is in I can not seem to get the teeth to bite down on the headliner material on the side areas. Also I bought a "set" of headliner clips which was 6 clips but seems like I am going to need 14. Am I suppose to clue the sides??? I read that Shaky used glue but does the trim glue set that fast?? My other issue is that now that I finally figured out how to get the front clips off I cannot figure out how they go back on. Any advice or tips would be hugely appreciated. I've been restoring this car for 3 years and I cant believe how close I am to finishing her. She is a real RT with just over 100k miles on her. She ran and looked so good even with the rust holes I sometimes would question why I even bothered restoring her but now I see why.