The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors 54 Interior Visor Mount holes? Help!

Working on a 54. Anyone got a clever idea of how to locate mounting holes in a 54 headliner? I am about to embark on installing a replacement headliner from Jim Carter, and it has no holes in it for the inside visors, and no perforations. Anyone got any clever ideas on how to skin this cat? Obviously don't get any do-overs when cutting cardboard... Thanks in advance!

grind the heads off the screws leaving a short sharp point. Scrw them in till there is just enough of a point to make a mark.on the headliner.

not a bad idea! Thanks!

Also,,fill a 5gal. bucket with cusswords. Havent talked to a person yet that hasnt had problems with the repro headliners.

Sounds like an old woodworker trick Alvin. I think I still have some of those for transfering dowel holes.
Here are a few pics showing that method used on a door panel Blue. Scroll down to the bottom: http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/ad_interior&page=all
DG

I have used Alvin's technique twice and both times had no problems. No problems with the holes for mounting the interior visors (both sides) - the cut and fit of some of the panels is a different story.

You got that right!

headliner pic

headliner pic2

That gap was due to the way the liner was die cut, Not any mistake I made... (This time)

That is a good tip on transfering the holes.
I made a paper template taped to the door opening.
I installed the liner by myself, Fun Fun Fun

Good Luck

Ohhhhh god, not another pain in the ars to look forward to!!! I just got the head liner for my '54 last month and it's going thru the straightening out process right now. I also have one for that '50 that I'm not ready to install yet. When I laid them both out on top of each other I noticed a big difference in the way they looked. Of course I expected the front to be different, but they dint match up at the back and sides where they should be the same. So here we go again, man this hobby isn't for sissies is it!

This reminds me of the WWII story about the captured Japanese navel vessel that they captured in tact. It was an exact copy of one of ours, right down to the repair patch that the original had on the steam engine. Seems that when they copied the headliners for our trucks, they copied them from an original, right down to the SHRINKAGE!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I installed the headliner in my '54 long before I found the Stovebolt Page. I didn't dampen the back - as in the tech section - to help fit the compound curves. After a few hours of cussing, I finally said **** it and rough cut it to fit. Has a couple of gaps that I see every time it get into the cab. I'll replace it again, someday.

- Lonnie

Lonnie, I've been doing a lot of thinking about this headliner problem, not the cut but the instalation. I'm convinced that the headliner was installed at the factory before the windshield and door surround windlace. It doesn't make any sense to me that they would go thru all the trouble that I've heard about here. If my headliner is shot then I'm sure the windlace and windshield gasket is about due for replacement also. I'm going to replace all three and install the headliner first then the windlace and reinstall the windshield.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,

I have never had any significant trouble installing the headliner after installing the windlace and windshield.

I bet you will have an more interesting time installing the headliner first, Denny.

Installing the windlace is very straight-forward as long as preliminary precautions/preparations related to the channel are carried out (these have been discussed here several times).

Installing a windshield and regular rubber seal is not bad, as long as you have a helper.

Installing a windshield rubber and stainless windshield trim is an undertaking I have not yet mastered (but, I have not given up - I have two more trucks/windshields that I will try new techniques on).