Who has done their own headliner?

[Hosehead]

Just finished tearing out all the interior of my 65 belvedere and I am now ordering new stuff for it. It seems like there is a bit more room under the chrome trim around the edges of the head liner.(more than the later b bodies, I mean) Have any of you guys replaced your own headliner without window removal?? Just wondering how bad of an idea it is to tackle this yourself without removing the front and rear glass. Thanks as always for the advice guys. And merry Christmas to all you guys!!!

 

[Hemicbx]

Waiting to see responses on this one. I'm thinking about the same exact thing on the same car (65 belv). Others I've talked to say "Don't do it; pay someone".

 

[Cranky]

Tried once on a 70 Challenger. All I can say is go for it but imo, it helps to have someone around to hold your hand.....which I didn't have. On a scale of 1-10, it might have been a 7.

 

[dvw]

My buddys wife just did my 64 post with the windows out. She also did her husbands 65 H/T with the windows in. It can be done. Its tough but still less work than removing the glass.
Doug

 

[Pistol Pete]

Headliners and convertible tops are the only things I farm out. For the $200 or so an upholstery shop gets for a headliner install, it's just not worth the time and aggravation. I've installed them, but without a steamer, it's difficult to get all of the wrinkles out.

 

[43tutor]

I installed a headliner in my 72 SSP this summer. It took me three days working on it a few hours a day. I did not remove the any of the glass. I was very pleased with the results. Now for the big question - Would I do it again? Probably not, I agree with Hemicbx - just take it to an interior shop and let them do it if you can afford it. If you can't afford having someone install the headliner it can be done without removing the glass but you must be very patient and do not rush the job. Once I finished the installation I used a hair dryer to help remove the wrinkles and I also parked the car outside, with the windows up, in the hot South Carolina summer which helped to remove the wrinkles.

 

[alleyoopmgv]

I installed my own in my old 71 Duster. It's kind of a b!tch. To me it's a two person job. I gutted my interior, took out all the seats and the center console, I even tore out the carpet cuz I was replacing that too. My brother helped me do it. He replaced his headliner in his Nova, so that helped.

Anyways, it turned out pretty good, I was happy with it. A lot of pulling and stretching, and the use of a heat gun. We did mine in a afternoon. It helps if you can lay it out in the sun before you do it. I didn't take out the glass either.

I'm with 43tutor, I wouldn't do it again! I'll pay somebody to do it for me. It's not any fun.

 

[anmracing]

The wife and I installed it in a '71 Satellite. Came out pretty good considering we didn't know what the heck we were doing. That was back in the 1980's. I didn't think I would ever do it again. Well, this past summer I decided to try my hand at it again on our '69 Belvedere. This time the wife wasn't there to help. It seems that the extra hands are very helpful! If you do it, make sure you have a little help. Both time we kept the windows in too.

 

[Hosehead]

There you have it.....take it to the interior shop! I was afraid of this, but I tend to agree, I'll gladly pay to have it look nice. Thanks guys.

 

[snakeoil24]

Pay to have it done. Go to your nearest Upholstery shop and sit in the parking lot for 20 mins. Look for the busiest guy in the place. After work is done grab him aside and offer to pay him cask you will get it done for 35 percent less and get a great job as a side job.

 

[68 Sport Satellite]

It's kind of a b!tch. To me it's a two person job.

What he said! ^^^

When I was in high school my mom helped me install a new headliner from Year One in my '67 Impala. We did it without removing any glass or seats and it actually came out pretty good. Two people working together is definitely easier for the install. The only real issues we had that didn't turn out cherry were the left and right rear valences on the sides, but the toughest part of the job as I remember was not screwing up on the perimeter cuts of excess material and getting it all glued in on the edges with the aerosol adhesive. You gotta leave enough material to meet the edge, but not so much that it makes wrinkles or won't allow the interior chrome to screw back in. It really depends on what level of quality you are hoping for. I'd say my install turned out to be an 8 out of 10. A shop could probably get it to be a 9 and MAYBE a 10 if they're lucky.

 

[Dako]

I dunno, folks. Did mine myself...with front & rear windows in...by myself(!) in an afternoon. I do admit, I wished I would have laid it out in the sun to better remove fold marks, but overall I am quite pleased with the results. Mine being a `66, has the 'teeth' around the edges so no gluing was required.

 

[Hosehead]

I dunno, folks. Did mine myself...with front & rear windows in...by myself(!) in an afternoon. I do admit, I wished I would have laid it out in the sun to better remove fold marks, but overall I am quite pleased with the results. Mine being a `66, has the 'teeth' around the edges so no gluing was required.

Hmmmm, this is kind of why I was asking....my 65 has teeth everywhere and they get covered with all that wide chrome interior trim. There are the areas in between the rear side glass and the rear window that seem a bit troublesome.