Headliners: repair or replace?

Next item for my bullnose is to fix the dead headliner.

The fabric is already gone... and the paper is peeling off the board. The board has a busted out area where an aeresol can exploded and embedded the base of the can in the board (happned to a PO); the board is all there, but it would have to be put back together and taped flat.

New fabric and glue is a *lot* cheaper than a new headliner... but is it worth the hassle, especially since mine is in such terrible condition to start with?

My Bronco headliner was pretty rough, but I cleaned it up and used a thicker diamond pattern vinyl and some good spray glue. It has looked good for 2 years now.

Here is how it looks:

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/1982-Bronco-351-4x4-Code-name-Esperanza-tp9221p11266.html

Do you have the option of finding a jy board to recover? If not, I'd give the repair a shot. Maybe talk to a shop and see if they have some tips or a recommended foam to hide any repairs? If the board turns out well order the fabric/glue, if it doesn't at least you aren't out much but some time.

I really like the vinyl look

Man y 'all have a headliner  guess those are top of the line trucks. Mine is just painted steel. One thing is for sure though it has not fallen like some of my other vehicles that do have headliners. One of them I bought brand new and has been garage kept the entire time and it still feel down. 

Just use yours to cut a backer from a refrigerator box or something if you're is full of holes and falling apart.

I got a lot on eBay that had a can of spray 88 and enough foam backed fabric to easily recover cover mine.

If you do strip yours, one of those Nylox rotary brushes do a good job of stripping the foam without destroying the board.

The material for the hole is still there... it's just busted from impact. I might be able to shove/fold it back together. I'll get pics tomorrow.

It's stripping itself, actually... the paper that the foam was glued to (layer of the board?) is peeling away all over. Have to rip off sections of it to keep it out of my hair/eyes.

Mine ain't no Lariat or Ranger... Plain old XL. Other than some interior bling (aluminum accents and rosewood cruise wheel and dash panels), factory A/C, and said headliner, mine was bare bones on the inside. I added some features after the fact (Tach, trip odometer, headlight buzzer, a radio with more than AM, and delay wipers) though.

I do remember my dad's old 1987 Chevy Custom-Deluxe 10... that was literally bare bones besides an FM radio, a long bed, and a 305 V8 + automatic. No A/C other than opening windows... and, of course, no headliner. Ran great, only died in 2008 because it rusted to nothing... Seems all of the Chevy trucks I've grown up with/owned (and Astro/Safari vans too!) had rust issues in a bad way, and outright killed 3 of 5. Shame...

I had an 84 Dodge that had no headliner and bare bones interior.   But the Ford had the backer in there and it was torn at the corners.   All the previous material was off - I ran over it with some fine sandpaper and damp rag to get dust off.  I used clear packing tape to try to hold the corner together.  

I used a kit from https://www.yourautotrim.com/headlinerkits.html.   They had 1790 blue listed but not available.  I called and guy fixed up that order for me.   It was like $48 with shipping.   Spray adhesive and foam.  

Halfway.  I did half at a time.



You can see where I taped up the corner here.  Box on top was just weight to keep the whole thing from flying away on a breezy morning.



Installed:



I agree that you could probably use a big box to make a new backer if need be.  Lay the old one and draw and cut if you can't use original.  

Cut holes BEFORE you install.   Like the visor holes and poke the screw holes too if possible.

Looks good, Randy!

Agreed- that looks excellent

Yours looks great.  I just ordered and "installed" a ready to mount (minus hole cutting) upholstered headliner from StockInteriors.  The headliner itself came in looking awesome.  Installing it was a nightmare.  Granted, this could be 100% user error, but the front portion that goes under the front trim was angled so much more than the original that I couldn't get the trim to clip into the roof.  I heated up the plastic backing and flattened it out a bit and it got me closer, but then realized the material was too thick and wasn't letting the clips reach far enough into the holes to pop in.  I mean I was using every ounce of strength.  My arms hurt for two days after trying to work that thing in!

Long story short ending....I got frustrated and put the trim back up with some sheet metal screws that I've color matched with touch up paint to make them as incognito as possible.  If I end up hating myself too much for it later, I'll find a spare trim piece and try again.  

Rant over.  Y'alls headliners looks great!

Part of the issue of the head liner falling down is the foam. Over time it dries out and just falls apart.
I know the foam is used to "hide" any bad areas on the cardboard backer so if you can find something a little thicker it may hide the bad areas with out the foam.

As for using a large box I see the corners would be a bear to make.
Also I would think once the cardboard got damp it may sag so it should be coated with something.
I heard Gorilla glue thinned and painted on the cardboard, both sides, should do it as water will not harm it like Elmers glue does.

No head liner in my base custom truck.
Dave ----

You're 100% wrong on the corners Dave.
The headliner backing is just punched out of a flat sheet of something between cardboard and hardboard.

Yes, the WHOLE issue is that the foam disintegrates leaving the fabric hanging like a tent.
The foam gives the fabric enough support that it doesn't wrinkle at the folds.

I suppose you could apply varnish or poly to the cardboard, but how do you think it's going to get wet on the ceiling of the truck?
What on earth would you use to 'thin' Gorilla Glue?
What would you do with it once it foamed up all over the place?

Here's a pic:



The light tan is what's under the peeling paper... very dusty and velvety. A PO tacked the headliner at some point, as that's all that's holding the paper to the board in many places.

So if you peeled what's left of the paper off it looks like the backer is supporting itself.   ???

I feel pretty certain if you polyed the backer it would soak in and bind up any dustiness.

My kit was pretty much what Randy showed.
I did it a decade ago and it seems to be holding up fine.

You just need to take a lot of care getting the fabric/foam stuck down once it's covered in contact cement.
You can't let it touch at all where you dont want it... or to itself.
And you don't want to stretch it much because that will cause wrinkles somewhere else.
I used a broad plastic Bondo squeegee to gently rub the liner to the backing.

Agreed that if you peel the white off, you will have same backer as others and mine.  Mine had a few spots under the visors and dome light that had to be peeled.   I then lightly sanded and wiped with damp cloth.  Let dry and ready for the spray adhesive.  You definitely want to clean the dustiness off of there.   Nothing will stick for long.   I thought sanding and blowing it off would work, but I had to wipe it as well to get it clean.  

I just used my hand to spread the material and it worked better than I thought it would.  

And thanks for the compliments on mine.  It was easy and made a HUGE difference in how I felt about the interior.  

You've got it backwards... the white is what's under the paper. The dark stuff is the paper.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

You're 100% wrong on the corners Dave.
The headliner backing is just punched out of a flat sheet of something between cardboard and hardboard.

Yes, the WHOLE issue is that the foam disintegrates leaving the fabric hanging like a tent.
The foam gives the fabric enough support that it doesn't wrinkle at the folds.

I suppose you could apply varnish or poly to the cardboard, but how do you think it's going to get wet on the ceiling of the truck?
What on earth would you use to 'thin' Gorilla Glue?
What would you do with it once it foamed up all over the place?

What is the humidity level there in the summer?
In the winter you get in with wet & snow boots andas it heats up inside that water has to go some where no?

On the Glue I think they make one like Elmers that water will not hurt and dose not foam up like the syrup looking  stuff dose.
I looked into this years ago for my AMC Javelin head liner
Dave ----

"Gorilla Glue" (to me) is that foaming urethane that looks like molasses.
Yes, they sell epoxy, yellow wood glue and cyanoacrylate as well. But that's not what I think of when someone says "Gorilla Glue"

Varnish or polyurethane finish would be better to consolidate punky cardboard.

Seems like one could seal it with Elmers diluted with water or even a coat of Kilz primer?  If ya really wanted to.