The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors Cardboard Headliner Install in '41

Well, today I made a perfect mess of my "pre-cut" one piece headliner. There seemed to be no way to get it installed without it developing creases in the area just above the doors. I've read all of the previous postings on this topic and was just wondering if anyone has recently had a good experience installing this infernal thing?

I even washed myself in a 50/50 mix of water and ammonia while trying to wrestle this one piece wonder in place.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Don

From all the dealings i've read about with aftermarket headliners,,,
-the wind has to be blowing just right...
-you need at least 2 friends to "help"...
-theres a list of cuss words you have to download and use them at the proper time...
-in other words,its a mutha. If you get thru the first one,,youll never want to do it again.
My upholstery guy put the one in my '54 pickup,,
he had the same list of cuss words i would have used....................
:hammering:

MARTY... I used the one piece ABS in my 54 came out really nice and easy to do...the door opening weather stripping is where I used all the cuss words... that channel was a bear! T/C Steve

DON...you need an extra set of hands my wife did all the holding of the liner and it takes a bit of time....make sure you mark out all your drill points( if any on a 41) I did all the measurements and witness marks on the wind screen with a felt marker and we hit every one....Good Luck, Steve

Steve,

I made such a mess of the headliner is more than likely going to end up a trash can liner. About 12 years ago I took out the two piece and actually saved the pieces. They are in the attic and if the mice haven't made a nest out of them I'll be installing them temporally.

My intent was to install the one piece headliner to lend some more '41 originality, although it is possible that my truck was a "change over" series. When I obtained it in 1990 it has a two piece headliner installed, which according to Jim Carter's catalog began in the mid-1941 production run.

I don't know what year Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) came out but if it looks right I may consider it. Is the ABS headliner pre-formed and molded to fit the curved corners and sides?

Maybe the wife's touch is what I need,

Don

Steve, I went to the local dealer here in Kansas City that sells to all the upholstery shops and bought 3'x5' sheets of black headliner cardboard. I used the precut one as a pattern and cut my own. I had a real problem with the one I bought too, the new cardboard I bought bent much better. It was real cheap so I bought a few of them just in case, turned out I didn't need but one. Joe

I am bringing the cardboard headliner and the bows to an upholstery shop in a few minutes. He said to bring in what I have to see if he could do something with it since it is brand new. If he can make decent headliners out of the cardboard as a template I may ask him if he will just make up a bunch and post them here for sale. We will see how it goes. This guy does A LOT of old cars and trucks and LIKES doing them over other jobs.

I just installed a headliner from Jim Carter in a 1940 truck. I had to cut as much as 1 inch off of 3 sides to get it to fit properly. Definately a 2 person job.

Thanks for the input guys. If anyone has any pix they want to share on this topic they would be much appreciated.

Anxiously awaiting to hear the results of your visit to the upholstery shop Zipper.

Don

He was working on his own 30 Buick when I got there. He took the cardboard headliner and said he would try to straighten it out since it was rolled up. I am going on vacation on Sunday so I don't expect to hear from him for a week or two. He had also told me the first time I talked to him that he could do the truck at the end of October or beginning of November. So we may not have a clear answer from him for a few weeks.

I've read too many horror stories about trying to install the cardboard headliners. So I figured out a way install a matching naugahyde headliner without any sewing. Check it out if you want.

Thanks for the links John. Sure is a nice looking truck and well done headliner -- food for thought.

Don

Sweet install John...I think I know what I am doing for my truck now. Great idea and very nice outcome.

they do ship with extra around the edges so the narrow parts don't get cracked or broken in shipping.