The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs 61 Burb Headliner/A/C question

Ok The headliner in my burb is falling down and is not the best of condition. What or where can I find a replacment? Or what have you all used?

Have any of your put in a rear A/C unit out of a later model for more efficent cooling? I would be interesten in seeing some pic's and hearing some details. I'm not convinced that a dash unit will effectivly cool the big passenger compartment.

Thanks in advance...

I'm also not at all convinced a dash unit will cool a 'burb. I base that on what the factory heater does in my '62. Or doesn't do, as the case may be.

It's a long way to go, but one idea I had for A/C would be to run some custom vents along the trans tunnel and have them come out under the seat, blowing back to the passenger seat. I'm planning on building a custom center console in my truck, based on a factory high-hump trans tunnel. My '62 Sub came with a factory granny 4spd trans, with the high hump. I'm replacing it with a factory low-hump trans tunnel, and will be cutting/welding the factory high-hump cover to have cup holders, a small storage "dish" like today's center consoles, and a factory cigarette lighter to use as a phone charger. In my situation, I could run heat or air ducts under the console and have them extend under the front bench seat, exiting under it in the center, and install vents to direct the air, much like a modern SUV.
I'm not going to run A/C though...even in Atlanta during a record hot summer, it wasn't unbearable with the windows open, the vent windows open and the kick panel vents open. If it's 95 and below, as long as I'm rolling just a little bit, I have a cool breeze. 95 and above, it's a warm breeze, but still enough to keep me from sweating.

As for the headliner, I've got the same issue. I installed Dynamat in the ceiling. Next, I'm going to get some 1/8- or 1/4-inch MDF, cut it to the same shape as the original headliner inserts, hit it with spray upholstery adhesive, and glue some sort of fabric to it. Then I'll reinstall as the originals were put in. That would work for a fairly factory look.

Right now, I'm leaning towards doing something just slightly different, and rather than cut individual panels, I'd make it one long piece (fabric-covered MDF), screwed to the roof braces so it was a continuous headliner. The edges would be tucked into the side interior trim pieces that run the full length of the body. Then I'd either use finished-looking screws with recessed washers like are found on the door panels of cars, or I'd make a simple headliner bow out of flat stock or sheetmetal, like the chromed headliner trim pieces in '58 Buicks and Impalas.

-Brad

Thanks Brad, anyone else want to chime in here? Allthough I like the idea of running vents to the back seat and I believe that I may consider that as well. Anyone use late model A/C Rear air conditioner?

Thank again...

mdf only comes 4 feet wide.....anyone have a link for plastic generic headliners?

True. But it's 8 feet long. Turn it sideways.
A quick look in my '62, and I think I can use one sheet for the driver's roof and the excess for the short piece at the back doors, then one each for the middle sections.
That buys several more sheets than you'd guess for the project, but I still think it's the hot ticket.
I'll be doing it in mine this summer.

Also, I put stick-on Dynamat on the roof panels--without it, the ENTIRE roof oil-canned something fierce every time I hit a bump, pot hole or rair road track. It NEEDS something like dynamat stuck to the underside of it. I'll put another layer of closed-cell sound deadener between the headliner boards and it, so I'll have a very quiet roof.

-Brad

got a great tip for burb headliners!!! use foam backed cloth, put smooth straps across webs, spaced down to make up for side moulding mounts welded to ribs, then adhesive on the smooth ribs and fabric and glue to ribs stretching as you go. one piece all the way and smooth!

I put 3 1X3s down the length, after Dynamat & foil-backed insulation. I then used 1/8 Masonite in 3 pieces(crosswise) covered with a foam-backed headliner material. Contact adhesive held the Masonite to the 1X3s, GOOD spray adhesive held the headliner material to the Masonite, and screws held the 1X3s to the ribs. You'll have to be very careful to get the edges lined up along the sides(mine are exposed and the headliner wraps around) and make sure you cut carefully to match the side and front contours. After you get it all up, wrap some screen molding(cut to length, with tapered ends) and using a brad nailer, nail the cover strips over the joints into the 1X3s. I really like the way mine turned out-I even added a mini console to mine. I had found some seats from an 04 Nissan Quest that only needed cleaning for $200, and had sent the skirt from the front seat to a fabric company so they could match carpet, headliner, and some vinyl(which I haven't used on anything yet). I'll try to get some pictures to put up somewhere.

Got my pictures on Photobucket today-the link is in my signature.

very nice burb. i usually don't care for newer style interior but yours works. like the overhead light

nice headliner! cant wait to start my interior! got a tan leather pwr set out of a mint eddie bauer expedition. like the way your seats came out.

brad! might not want to use mdf!!!! sags and deforms with moisture, you can get sheets of fiberglass 4x8 at home depot, one side smooth other textured and you can even get joiner strips for it

On the Rear A/C unit.

I am no where near that point on my 55 Burb but I agree a dash only unit isn't going to keep thing cooled down. I am in central Texas and even with windows down and vents open we keep clean rags handy to wipe off the sweat.

Recently after a death in the family I noticed that the "Family Car" had A/C blowing from beneath the back seats. While questioning the driver (A fellow Car Guy) I learned that the system provides both Heat and Air from the same unit using a reversing valve just like a heat pump for an all electric home. The driver did not know where the unit came from but he did know that the car came from a Coach Company in Mena or Fort Smith Arkansas.

This would only require freon lines run to beneath the back seat and would be much simpler that any type of duct work. I haven't worked on this yet, because I am nowhere near that point, but if someone can track down the coach company and find out where to source such a unit it would anwser a big question for a lot of us southern boys and provide heat for the northerners as well. Face it, with Global Warming we all need to add A/C.