The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors Headliners

Just received my headliner from Chevy Duty for my 49 suburban. Its 5 pieces rolled up tight in a box. No instructions no nuthin.

The cardboard looks very stiff and at this point I am afraid to try to unroll it, might crack or damage it.

I have read every post regarding headliners and came to the conclusion that installation is a nightmare or at best a bad dream.

I guess to start with I am going to need some advice to just get it unrolled. Thanks everyone in advance. Weeds

I don't know anything about headliners but I would at least get it up to room temp to make it more flexiable. Good luck with it and keep us posted.

You should call Chevy Duty and ask them how to unroll it. If it were mine, I would spray it very lightly with some water, wait about 15mins or so, untill the cardboard becomes a little more flexible. Then try to flatten it out on a table with some objects holding it down till it drys out again. That is if it were mind. I don't care as much if I screw up something of mine, but I don't want someone to take my word and screw up something of theirs because of my say so. Do at your own risk. Cecil.......

Weeds, I just unrolled it and turned if over (2pcs) and put some books on it over night. It is
a pain to put it in. Need 4 hands. Good Luck.

http://community.webshots.com/user/46metal

Weeds,

Here are a few words of advice and encouragement.

- Let the pieces get warm and let them unroll as much as possible on their own. Mine unrolled easily after they got warm.

- Be sure that all the rear door (upper) hardware and covers are in place and adjusted correctly for closing the rear doors. Once the headliner is in place, you will not be able to make adjustments or tighten bolts (many of mine did not have captive nuts).

- Make sure the side ledges/grooves are not pinched - the cardboard should be able to slide easily in these grooves/channels.

- Is your front windshield installed? If not, you might want to install it before you install the last piece of headliner (it is held in place by the windshield seal/rubber. Same goes for the side-door windlace.

- If you did not mark your metal bows when you took them out (I forgot to do this). "Dry-fit" the bows and mark them before you start installing any of the headliner pieces.

- Try to get another person to work with you. That is the best way to hold up a piece in place, while installing a bow.

- Install the headliner pieces from the rear to the front.

- A metal bow is placed over each piece (except for the front piece), before intalling the next piece. The grooved side of the bow goes forward (to receive the back edge of the next piece of headliner).

Please let us know of your progress with this project. I am also interested in how well the Chevy Duty (Classic Parts of America) headliner pieces fit. The set I received from Jim Carter had its problems. Some pieces needed trimming and other pieces had been cut too small.

Tim

Dad6, 51J, 46M and Tim thanks for the replies, advice and encouragement. I have unrolled one of the pieces and laid some books on it. Ill let it stay there for a couple of days and see what happens. This thing seems almost impossible to install because of its stiffness.

Tim, while reading your post it dawns on me that I am missing some parts, namely bows. My sub had no headliner when I bought it. Do I understand correctly that there are bows that screw onto the outside of the headliner and into the roof braces?

I am a long way from putting in the headliner as I am still doing body work but I bought it to check the color (gray) so I can match the interior paint to it. If I had some pics maybe I could see what it is supposed to look like. Anybody have any of an AD suburban headliner? Way cool truck 46metal. Weeds

Weeds,

The bows in '54 the headliner were not screwed in on the side/bottom edge - each end of the bow fits into the side channel and the bow presses up against the headliner. You might see little bulges in the side channels, where the bows slide in, over the headliner (whose edges rest in the grooves). As I recall, there were three small, hidden, counter-sunk/flat-headed screws that hold the bows to the "channel braces" in the roof.

These bows show up every 2-3 months on eBay but they often got lost once the headliner got damaged and an owner removed the cardboard.

I did not take pictures of the installation of the headliner pieces (sorry) but I will post pictures of the "after" installation (by Sunday).

Tim

Better late than never?

Photo Album of installed 1954 Suburban headliner, obtained from Jim Carter.

Tim, Thanks for the pics. I was unable to get the Chevy Duty headliner to un roll without creasing or cracking so I sent it back. Your Jim Carter headliner looks good in the pics. If it was as stiff as mine it must have been a bear to install. At this point since I am missing the bows and hardware I have postponed the headliner decision until later. After seeing your pics I may yet go with the cardboard. Are you satisfied with your installation? Again thanks for the pics.

Weeds

Weeds,

Sorry to hear the bad news about the CD headliner. The Jim Carter headliner pieces unrolled with no problems (see my first post, above).

No, I am not completely satisfied with the JC headliner set but it might be the "best game in town". I bought a JC pickup headliner set and will try to use the pickup front piece of headliner as a replacement for the poorly cut front piece in JCs Suburban set. I hope to get this done before the trip to the ATHS show in Baltimore in late May (a machined flywheel and new clutch assembly goes in today/tomorrow, if I am lucky).

Tim