The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors 37 headliner and floorboards

In my continuing effort to get my 37 half-ton on the road, I need some info on the headliner. The truck came with a shaped headliner made out of a heavy cardboard-like material. It is not installed in the truck. Inside the truck is a rigidly attached heavy bow-like member with a couple small bolt heads protruding down. This is painted, does that mean that it will be visible after the headliner is in the truck? Also, a couple light-weight bows along with the upper piece that covers the wiper motor came with the truck. I have shop manuals for the mechanics and Fischer body but none show how the headliner is attached or what the roof should look like with it in place. Can anyone provide information to me? Pictures of the headliner installed would be great. One last thing, was the floor boards of this truck originally metal? Thanks.

The rigid bow stays right where it is. It is attached on the right side and the left side just above each cab door. Those small screws in the bow go through the cardboard headliner into the bow to hold the headliner up, but I didn't use mine and my headliner has stayed up for about 15 years. I found the screws to be too short and it actually deformed the headliner to try to use them.

One light weight strip goes over the headliner material and is used to hold it in place at the top of the metal interior piece which surrounds the rear window. The other does the same thing across the metal interior piece above the front windshield. There are also some smaller shaped pieces for each side that go around the door frames to hold the headliner in place. Finally, there are two pieces that go over the windshield wiper motor to cover it and a flat piece to cover the hole on the other side, unless you have two windshield wipers, than it is made to fit around the wiper motor.

Hope this helps. I would take a picture of mine, but you really can't see the various pieces on a headliner shot.

Thanks for all your help. Wasn't sure what I was missing. Looks like I have everything except the shaped pieces for over the door frames. Will have to try to find them or improvise.

Are the floor boards in your 37 wood or metal?

The floor board and the toe board are both metal. I believe that was the first year for metal.

Thanks, 6cylindersovertexas. The boards in the truck I just bought are newly made out of plywood and I think the thickness of the toeboard is interfering with the upward movement of the clutch pedal. I have the toe board out and will hollow out the back side to give more space to the under the floorboard part of the pedal. I found fiberglass reproduction listed for the floor board but so far have not found the toe board. Also, the floor board is for a 4-speed. Mine is 3-speed. Anyone know if it will work for a 3-speed and where I might find a toe board?

All of the fiberglass floorboards I have seen are made for four speeds. They are made, however, so you can use a small piece of material to close the hole down to the size you need for a three speed.
Recently, one of the members on this site, A. Chipmunk, lead me to a site of a company which makes steel floorboards. I don't know how close they resemble the original or what the situation might be with the transmission hole or the battery access hole, but it might be worth looking into. They are:
Direct Sheet Metal and their web site sddress is:
http://www.directsheetmetal.net

I also know that battery access hole covers are being reproduced, so a person could cut a battery access hole into their floor board and use the reproduction battery access cover if they don't come with access hole in them. The 1/2 ton truck floorboards also have an access hole for the master cylinder reservoir. The larger trucks do not because the master cylinder is located closer to the frame rail on a larger truck. The floorboard in my truck came out of a larger truck and I cannot access my master cylinder unless I take up the floor board.

That brings up another point, if you decide to look for an original floor board and/or a toe board, don't rule out the larger truck cabs because all of the cabs were the same in size. And don't forget, 37, 38 and 39 are all the same. Cars and trucks are not, however, the same.

If you decide to contact Direct Sheet Metal, let me know what they have and if they can give you a picture. I would like to know for the future.

Ken, I wish you luck and if I can answer any questions or help you with your truck, please let me know.

Joe

:o
Ken, I have to correct myself. It was dave64 who told me about Direct Sheet Metal and the post is in the area of this post.

Thanks dave64!

A. Chipmunk spoke of the fiberglass floorboards!

I was just preping for paint on my floor boards today and have noticed that the shifter hole and the ebrake hole are both cut open about an inch to the right.
Just wondered why that was done. Any ideas?
I placed it back into the truck and if they were not cut that way it wouldn't fit. doesn't make sence to me.
I wonder if the boots will cover.
One more question... what is the small hole about 1.25" for? It's in the middle towards the seat. any ideas? Does it have a plug? haven't found one in the box of parts.
Thanks for the help.

Kevin, all I could do is guess why the holes are cut larger to the right.
That other hole at the back of the floorboard near the center - that's a good question. I don't know. Anybody else know?