The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Headliner Quality

I installed a new vinyl-covered cardboard headliner about seven years ago and it has shrunk so much there is has a gap about 3/8 inch above both doors. (I bought the thing from Roberts.) Do they all do this or is there a source for a shrinkless headliner. Thanks!!

_some_ of the original cardboard headliners did this too but it took 35 years . I'd call the manuf. and complain , couldn't hurt . mention this list full of Stovebolters just waiting to buy new headliners but not sure of their quality control / warranty .

It must be getting really cold there in the winters

Yup, as George Constanza would say "It's shrinkage!!"

Was your headliner trim to fit? or was it pre-cut?

The headliner was a pre-cut one from Roberts whose address I got from Hemmings I think. This was before I found out about American Classic, Chevy Duty, etc. I'm willing to tear this one out and put in another one since I neglected to wire up the overhead light the first time. I would also like to put in some bubble-pack type of insulation or a closed-cell type of insulation above the headliner. I just don't want to do this a third time.

I just put in a new pre cut headliner in this weekend, on my 54 GMC. I got it from the Filling Station in Lebanon,Oregon I painted the back side for moisture as they suggested. It fit like a glove no complaints here. Mick Inniss

Be _sure_ to glue some non-absorbent insulation to the roof ! as much as possible , coming down the back of the cab , around the window and like that .
you will really appreciate the noise reduction plus cooler in summer , warmer in winter etc.

I've had three of headliners in my '48 since 1989. All junk in my opinion. 2 different suppliers. The last on I took back out, and my wife covered it in quilt batting and then covered it with black vinyl. She sewed in "diamond patterns" with dark green thread, almost like a tuck and roll. Looks nice, and I dont worry about "shrikage" any more. And yes, paint or spray the backs of any cardboard interior parts, or the first humid morning they will look original again...

I need to install the headliner in my '37. It's one of those you have to form with a water and ammonia. Should I paint it on the back side?

What about the insulation you are installing? What brand or kind is it? I have been looking for awhile trying to decide what to buy. The Dyna-mat is to much money. I wanted something for noisy and insulation. The tar base stuff won't hold to the roof if it gets to hot, will it ??? Does the cotton fiber with foil back type work? How do you glue it up so it will stay? Joe

I installed my repo headliner 10 years ago &
no shrinkage yet, of course I sprayed the backside with tar undercoating before installation.

I put a replica fiberglass one in the 39
It's pricy but fit easy and I'll never have to do it again

how much do you invest in the fiberglass one???

Solo It was some timw ago....I think it came from Chevy of the Forties....and was around $100.It has a texture like the original.I painted it with flat paint.
No one has ever said ....THAT'S F-GLASS!!so I guess it looks right.You can clean it and touch it.I've hit big bumps at speed and not broken it with my head!
As Martha would say'A GOOD THING'

yea that does sound like a good thing... I'll have consider somthing like that when I get to that point...

Joe H, I installed a carboard headliner in my 37 last year.Put up the same kind of insulation you mentioned. I used 3M weatherstrip adhesive to hold the insulation in place.I didn't paint the back side of the liner, figuring the water-ammonia solution had to soak through.The installation was fidgety to say the least, but it came out ok.The carboard repo liner in our 51 still looks good after 6 years without painting the backside. I would have painted it if I knew the trick then.The glass headliner Jim has is a nice touch for a regular driven truck.

A lot of good advice here!! I was going to use some 1/4 inch thick closed-cell polyethylene foam which comes in packages arriving at work. It's the stuff that comes in white sheets and doesn't absorb water at all. (I'm cheap.) It's extremely light and I was going to lay it in without gluing. I wouldn't use a cotton insulation, especially in a humid climate. I'll rethink the project. Thanks a lot.

Wall...I considered that but two things
1...My head would'a dented it
2...This is my truck not a thermos!

For the record I am cheap and lazy...I want it to last and I don't wannna xxxx with it

Might try checking this place out.

http://www.quietride.com/

They do theirs in ABS plastic.
Tim is trying to duplicate the headliner pattern for my 59. If successful I will probably go with it and their firewall insulator if I cannot find original cardboard one. Can't say one way or the other how the product is at this time.
Bruce

Email from Quiet Ride a few days ago. They gave up. Say its not worth their time to duplicate my liner. Only took them 7 months to figure this out........... Thanks Tim :p