Headliner installation?

[resq302]

Ok, I am about to order a new headliner for my 69 charger.  Who here has done it and how hard is it to do?  Any tips or tricks as to how to install it?  Front to back or side to side?  I am hoping to have this done for Carlisle.

[Rallye]

I did mine following these instructions:

"Start from the back and latch your hooks onto the back bow rod, then work your way to the front (do NOT hook rear of headliner to the saw tooth hooks on the roof yet).  Once you have all four or five rods in place, hook the front to just a snug fit (not stretched tight).  Go to the back and finish hooking up the back, and then do the sides.  Heat in the car will eventually tighten up the headliner."

It's a pain to do, but I think mine turned out pretty good.  I did have to stretch and re-adjust the sides a couple of times.  Just be patient and take your time.  Best of luck...   

[AKcharger]

2nd Gens are a bit diffrent in the back with the cardboard sail panels but this should help

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,34904.msg380893.html#msg380893

[bill440rt]

 

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,31212.0.html

[resq302]

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,31212.0.html

Yeh, I saw that Bill and great post at that!  Was just wondering if anyone else might have had some tips or tricks to doing it with the glass still installed in the car.

[twodko]

You might want to PM Per, he did his and I'm sure he has some 411 to help you along. Good luck.

Tom

[69DodgeCharger]

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,31212.0.html

Yeh, I saw that Bill and great post at that!  Was just wondering if anyone else might have had some tips or tricks to doing it with the glass still installed in the car.

Me and a friend did one in his 71 Charger and it turned out great. We did it the way I did boat upholstery when I worked for Four Winns. Not sure how to explain it but we put the headliner on the bows, installed them and then decided on a "center" attaching point. We used the middle of the front to start. then went to the back and attached to the center. Then the side window opening center. Once we got our base points attached we just kept slowly closing the distance between the attachment points, stretching and adjusting/reattaching as we went to take up the slack, otherwise you will have a mess of looses fabric that gets worse the more you attach. Think of a square with all 4 corners attached. then you attach to the middle of the line between the four corners of the square and keep closing the distance between the attachment points always working from a center point out and from the corners in. This method minimizes "bunching" up of the fabric. What I mean is it spreads the excess looseness over the entire perimeter of the headliner as you go instead of concentrating and pushing it towards your final attachement points. Not sure if I got the point across but it works very well once you learn the "trick" of how to close the distances. Also we hung the headliner in the car parked it outside on a very hot sunny day with the windows up and left it for a few hours so the headliner could heat up and stretch then came back and finished it. This was done with the glass in the car. It makes it more tedious but it is not a dealbreaker. total time was less than 3 hours not counting the time we left the car to heat up the inside.

[tan top]

good idea to iron the headiner also a few times ! from a back !! gets rid of most of the packagine creases ! then lay it out in  the sun for an hour before you fit

[PocketThunder]

The best way for me was to drop it off at the upholstery shop, come back the next day and pay $450, drive home!   

[resq302]

The best way for me was to drop it off at the upholstery shop, come back the next day and pay $450, drive home!   

Um, no thanks.  Thats why I am in the predicament that I am in right now.  The guy cut the material and folded it over the cardboard backing plates on the C post.  This time I am doing it myself (or with someone if they want to come and help me)

[69DodgeCharger]

The best way for me was to drop it off at the upholstery shop, come back the next day and pay $450, drive home!   

Um, no thanks.  Thats why I am in the predicament that I am in right now.  The guy cut the material and folded it over the cardboard backing plates on the C post.  This time I am doing it myself (or with someone if they want to come and help me)

Was the headliner in the car when you took it to him? Did he refund you any money? Did he know anything about 2nd Gen Chargers? Not hacking you.....Just curious why a guy would install it that way. Isn't that how GM does their headliners? I can't remember I haven't been in a GM car that old in 20 years probably.

[resq302]

Well, if GMs are done that way then that could be why it was done like that.  The guy was referred to me by a friend of mine who is big into Mopars as well.  The guy specializes in Cadillac tops and not having the headliner in the car when I got it in 2000, he could have assumed that Mopars were done the same way as GMs.  At the time, I figured he knew what he was doing and with just getting my car in 2000, I did not know that much about my car at the time, otherwise, I would have been on top of him to do it correctly.

Live and learn.