Monroe's 70 GTX

[monroegtx]

Headliner's in.

The bow retainers finally arrived this week so I tackled the headlining install. I watched a couple of you tube videos and read a couple of good forums on the install so I thought I'd give it a go. Not hard to do but not easy either. I found patience is your friend so don't rush it. Started on the Sat then a mate came over for a couple of beers, so that was the end of that day. Finished off today and I'm pretty happy with the result. Not perfect, but not a complete shambles either. Glad I did it myself, good feeling at the end. Might be time for a drink and a lay down, I'm buggered. :tired:

 

[747mopar]

looks really good, nice job!

 

[HawkRod]

Nice Job! As I need to do this as well (maybe in about 6 months or so for my car), a couple of questions if I may:
1) If you did it over, would you insert all the bows again before putting the headliner in the car, or would you insert one bow at a time to make the headliner easier to handle?

2) Did you use a heat gun? If so, any tips on where, how much, etc?

3) I assume you glued the ends. Again any tips or lessons learned?

Appreciate you sharing your experiences with us 'newbies' to this job!!!

Hawk

 

[monroegtx]

1) If you did it over, would you insert all the bows again before putting the headliner in the car, or would you insert one bow at a time to make the headliner easier to handle?

2) Did you use a heat gun? If so, any tips on where, how much, etc?

3) I assume you glued the ends. Again any tips or lessons learned?

Appreciate you sharing your experiences with us 'newbies' to this job!!!

Hawk

Hi Hawk. Yes I would put the bars in first. I think it would be a pain trying to get them in one at a time whilst installing. Its not too bad with them in cause you start at the back and have them sitting in front of you as you go back. You can always clip the vinyl to the sides as you go to keep them out of the way if they won't sit still.

I haven't used the heat gun yet but I do plan to. I've heard not too hot and not too close so I think just being careful and patient will get the job done.

I did glue the ends. For right or wrong, I pulled the ends taught and then brushed on the glue afterwards by coming over the top and onto the back of the grippers. I left plenty of overhang for grip and then at the back pushed the excess in with a plastic trim removal tool, like a putty knife. Trimmed up at the end. The front I did pretty much the same. Be careful not to put the glue everywhere, you only need a thin line on the inside or else the lining will be sticking everywhere. Good thing is you can pull the lining off the glue if you need to adjust before final setting.

Good luck Hawk. Have to dart out to work now but I'll chase up the links for the install and post here when I get back tonight. Cheers.

 

[HawkRod]

Thanks Monroe!

I will soon get my body shell back from the body work guys. I continue to try and plan the steps I need to take so I do things in the right order - it is no fun doing a job over again either because something else had to be done first, or even worse that it was done wrong (ahem, not that it has EVER happened to me :grin. I appreciate the tips and just following your thread - you are doing a fantastic job with the car!

Cheers! :beerchug:

 

[monroegtx]

Thanks Hawk. Below are the threads I looked at before starting. Very helpful. I was in a bit of a hurry when I posted earlier so I thought I'd elaborate on the bars a bit. Like I said I think its easier if the bars are already threaded through the lining. You place the rear bar into its retainers first, and then attach the two listing wires to the bar. Pull it forward a bit to tension it against the wires and then go to the next bar. If you hold the tension on each as you work forward it keeps them from dropping out. Once the front bar is in you pull the lining forward in the centre and hook it over a few of the central grippers. That will hold the tension on the bars, so then you can go to the rear and start pulling the tension that way. I pulled it firm but not too tight till I had both front and back all hooked up, then I pulled it a bit tighter.
http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?65610-Need-some-Advice-Opinions-Tips
http://restorick.com/tech/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1j8QbkHLZc

 

[kiwigtx]

Nice Job! As I need to do this as well (maybe in about 6 months or so for my car), a couple of questions if I may:
1) If you did it over, would you insert all the bows again before putting the headliner in the car, or would you insert one bow at a time to make the headliner easier to handle?

2) Did you use a heat gun? If so, any tips on where, how much, etc?

3) I assume you glued the ends. Again any tips or lessons learned?

Appreciate you sharing your experiences with us 'newbies' to this job!!!

Hawk

Having done this job many years ago myself, I'm going to leap on in with the best piece of advice for headliners.......

Get it out of the box now and spread it out to avoid lifelong wrinkles and creases.

Put it safe in a room of it's own and don't let it develop more creases. They are folded up pretty tight from the factory in those cardboard boxes.

There ya go. :icon_thumright:

 

[NZ 70 RR]

Great job with the headliner, hard to beat the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

Thanks for that tip kiwigtx, mine is still in its box. Will get it out tomorrow.

 

[kiwigtx]

Great job with the headliner, hard to beat the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

Thanks for that tip kiwigtx, mine is still in its box. Will get it out tomorrow.

No problem....it takes forever to get those creases out if it's left too long in the box.

 

[HawkRod]

Great job with the headliner, hard to beat the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

Thanks for that tip kiwigtx, mine is still in its box. Will get it out tomorrow.

X2. Hopefully a few months will help it release the wrinkles...

 

[monroegtx]

X2. Hopefully a few months will help it release the wrinkles...

I think Kiwi gives some good advice there. I left mine out for about 3 weeks. I didn't have floor room to lay it flat so I draped it over the couch. I think that made a bit of difference for the real hard creases. Felt like it wasn't trying to spring back too far.

 

[Ron 73]

Having done this job many years ago myself, I'm going to leap on in with the best piece of advice for headliners.......

Get it out of the box now and spread it out to avoid lifelong wrinkles and creases.

Put it safe in a room of it's own and don't let it develop more creases. They are folded up pretty tight from the factory in those cardboard boxes.

There ya go. :icon_thumright:

Getting good help is hard enough to find anymore and getting great advice you just can beat it, Thank you sir!!!

 

[monroegtx]

Got the paint cans out and cleaned up the trims and belt attachments. Some of the original trim had faded unevenly or may have been a different shade than the others, not sure. Anyway a coat of paint makes 'em look nice and clean. I made up a rough parcel shelf just to have something sitting there, later on when I've finished I'll come back and make a decent one for it. The seat belt covers and bits were new and black, so had to make them blend in. I'm gonna have to learn a bit of patience I think. I'm always screwing things on before they're finished to see what it looks like, and then have to take them off again to finish up. Makes for good practice but not good time management. :sSig_lol3: I'm forever redoing stuff. If anyone has a couple of the seat belt holder covers, the ones that sit above the door, feel free to contact me. I'd be interested in taking them off your hands. I'm missing two. I can get them new but they only seem to come with the metal clip, I only need the plastic covers. :icon_thumleft:



I was going to paint the windlace as well, but after doing the trims the colour was pretty close to being the same anyway, so I didn't worry about painting those. I'll have another look after everything is back in and decide then.

 

[Habib]

that interior is looking really good keep up the great work

 

[440+6]

Great work Monroe, this is going to be such a great car!
My headliner went from box to car and had some crease marks for a few months, but all of them did go away. I do think laying the headliner out for as long as possible is a good idea.

 

[boneheadsGeTeX]

Looking good, dont think iv ever seen green on a gtx , not realy a fan of green,, but damit man that thing looks good, love the green, looks so good on her,

 

[HawkRod]

If anyone has a couple of the seat belt holder covers, the ones that sit above the door, feel free to contact me. I'd be interested in taking them off your hands. I'm missing two. I can get them new but they only seem to come with the metal clip, I only need the plastic covers. :icon_thumleft:

Is this what you need? If so, PM me and we can drive to a hard bargain...

Hawk

 

[monroegtx]

PM sent

 

[roadrunnerman]

nice work on the headliner. will come back to this when it's time to do mine.

 

[showard]

You helped me decide to tackle my own headliner job.
Good work Monroe.