The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors AD headliner

What is the least frustrating way of installing the cardboard headliner panels in an AD cab? Someone said to wet it, do it in the shade, use four hands and have a bottle of whiskey nearby to help. I thought I once saw an ad for a one piece pre-molded fiberglass headliner. Anyone remember this?

I just replaced the cardboard headliner in my truck. As with any other old truck job, patience was the key. I did not wet it or use any other hocus pocus. I went slowly and it worked out fine.

Vendors like Jim Carter carry the fiberglass headliners but fasten your seat belt. I paid about 30 bucks for my cardboard one, the fiberglass one piece jobs are $ 145.

Thanks for the input. $145 and that is American dollars which equates to a heck of a lot more in Canadian pesos! patience is the answer!

Hey Bill - I'm doing that same headliner thing now -- the cardboard pieces seem too big, and i have trouble figuring out how the metal bow is supposed to go on the ends (in behind the frame or on top of it? This thing is hard to work with, i'm just glad i didn't have to work on the assembly line in 1951 doing this everyday!

I also share your frustration. I'm installing a cardboard headliner from Carters in my 54. The rear section seems to go in ok. The front section is clearly too big. Not sure whether I should have assemble the whole thing then put it up, or one section at a time like I'm doing. I would be curious to know if all these come from the same manufacturer from the same stamp, or do some fit better. I could easily eat the price of this one if it reduced the frustration I see trying to make it fit.

ya'll keep everybody posted I just got a new one and it came rolled up in a cardboard box so I know I'm in for a treat gobsow did ya get my pm?

Better to have the cardboard pieces too big than to small. I've got 4 out of 5 pieces installed in my '54 Suburban and the second from the front (you have to start at the rear) did not have enough material so it could be trimmed to fit properly (pieces one and two were OK and three needed to be trimmed a little). I have not gotten to number 5 (the front one that goes under the windshield rubber).

As you work from back to front (on Suburban or Pickup), the headliner bow goes over the cardboard (and thus there is no problem with fitting the rear piece to the bow). Also, the bow is screwed into factory holes, so each bow is a re-reference point for the next panel (the rear of a panel is pushed into the front of the bow).

Of course, a perfect fit at both back and front is needed on the front-most panel (its rear side goes into a bow and its front side goes under the window rubber).

Tim

say does anybody know where to find a headliner for a 41-46 suburban? just starting this interior project and the sight of the roof is killing me . and do the pick-up liners work for the front section of my truck?it seems to me they may be the same size.

TC I have a 49 burb where did you buy the headliner?

49bourbon,

I got my headliner from Jim Carter. The color (gray) does not seem to be correct for 1954 (Pulsar Gray interior) but it might be the correct gray for earlier years. He sells medium brown, black and gray sets.

http://oldchevytrucks.biz/p/1947_1955/fullpage.php?page=151&session=1072420

54/55 suburbans' seat covers were also different from earlier years (maroon/gray). Jim Carter has these wrong for 54/55 but probably correct for earlier years. He sells spanish grain maroon (all maroon) and spanish grain brown.

http://oldchevytrucks.biz/p/1947_1955/fullpage.php?page=149&session=1072423

He also has door panels and rear side panels for suburbans (brown, black, or gray) and, once again, the the colors are not correct for 54/55 (maroon panels) but might be OK for earlier years.

http://oldchevytrucks.biz/p/1947_1955/fullpage.php?page=152&session=1072424

Tim

The $145 for the fiberglass headliner is well worth the extra $$.. no need for any weird science to get it all in place.. mine (39) popped right into place.. the only problem was locating the mounting screw hole in the middle of the top.. I've got an extra hole for a dome light now..