Headliner replacement with pics

[SmokeEater829]

As I continue to get my 89 B2 up to the way I want it, I decided to do something about the hollow tin can sound when closing the doors or rear hatch. Pulled the old headliner, added sound deadening material, and will be replacing the headliner in the next few days.

Pulling the old one out was easy. But I found that the board is shot. So I'm going to fiberglass the board I have, and mount the new material to the "new" fiberglass headliner board. Here are some of the pics so far. I'll have more later this weekend.

Old liner out

New headliner material

Sound deadening material going in

 

[Spede Demn]

My headliner was a mess from mice, I used hot glue sticks to repair all the cracks, filled in some holes with 1/4" styrofoam, then recovered it with a very lightwieght fleece with bears all over it, that was 4-5 yrs ago and no issues.

Fiberglass might be too heavy and difficult to tuck in the edges, and you cant put fiberglass directly onto the original liner, it will disolve on contact.

 

[SmokeEater829]

Not sure what you mean about tucking the edges?

But I can promise you that putting fiberglass on the original board will not dissolve it. The first layer of glass is drying in my shed right now. Tomorrow, weather permitting I'll get another layer of resin on it and then I'll flip it over and scrape the old foam off the fiberglass template. One more layer of resin on that side and it'll be ready for the new material to be glued on. I'll post more pics tomorrow.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

You should've done some speaker mounts or something.

Goin through the work to make a glassed headliner... And not customizing it... Come on now.

Put some 6x9s in the back, and a set of tweeters outside the visors...

 

[SmokeEater829]

Wasn't really wanting anything custom. I've got good speakers in the doors and rear walls. Just want something for the Camo material to stick to.

 

[tidmarshsmiths5]

That is awesome work! I like the solid attention to detail with the sound deadening material (something I plan to do to the sides and top of mine one day).

That camo headliner is way cool! :icon_thumby:

 

[Schnot]

Pretty cool. Where'd you find the material? None of the local shops around here only have lousy looking camo.

Also what do you use for adhesive? I've heard a lot of different opinions about what works best.


Sent from my iPhone.

 

[wildbill23c]

I want to know what adhesive to use as well, I'm going to be doing the same thing here on my 84 B2 real soon as the original is sagging bad and has molded in a few spots due to moisture problems in the interior thanks to the previous owner not sealing a leak properly and leaving the windows up during the summer.

Anyhow, I had the idea of using a material like that and doing the same thing, just cutting a template out of the old headliner and leaving an inch or so larger around the outside of it to allow for tucking it into the molding around the edges.

Schnot: Your local sewing or quilting shop should have all sorts of different material designs, if not they are a horrible sewing & quilting shop. Kind of depends on where you live possibly, as some areas people just don't do camo maybe?

 

[4x4junkie]

One thing I can tell you for sure, do NOT use Permatex adhesive.
I made that mistake with mine and it started coming apart after not even 6 months (used over 1½ cans of the stuff too = $$$).

I've heard several say 3M's stuff is good.

 

[wildbill23c]

Hmm, ok, I figured it would bleed through the head liner material and make it look horrible. I had an 84 Ford Ranger several years ago, and the headliner came lose and started sagging. I fixed it with some small barbed style fish hooks that I cut the eyelet off off and shortened them so they were like 1/8" long and shoved them up into the headliner and into the backer panel, too bad digital cameras didn't exist back then as I kept having people ask me if that was a factory headliner installation, I had to explain to them what it was and why it was done. Sadly for a spur of the moment fix idea, it turned out to work pretty well. Not sure how long it lasted, but I know it lasted a few years that way, and when I sold it the headliner was still held up with those fish hooks.

 

[SmokeEater829]

I'll be using 3M spray adhesive. The Camo material I ordered online. Inweave fabrics or something like that. I was hoping to have it finished by now, but the weather this weekend really messed me up. Rain and fiberglass work don't mix. With the moisture in the air, the stuff just didn't want to harden. Put another coat of resin on it yesterday afternoon and it set up fairly well. Back to work for the next couple of nights so not sure how much progress I'll make, but I will post some more pics soon.

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

One thing I can tell you for sure, do NOT use Permatex adhesive.
I made that mistake with mine and it started coming apart after not even 6 months (used over 1½ cans of the stuff too = $$$).

I've heard several say 3M's stuff is good.

Make sure you get the strongest version of the 3m stuff. I had to redo my flag headliner twice. I used the 3/4 strength version.

Also make sure there are no heavy wet spots of adhesive. It'll bleed through.

 

[PetesPonies]

The adhesive you use for headliners like this is critical. You must use the best you can find. It is so easy for the headliner to fall after even a short time. Cheaping out here will hurt your dearly.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

The adhesive you use for headliners like this is critical. You must use the best you can find. It is so easy for the headliner to fall after even a short time. Cheaping out here will hurt your dearly.

Your recommendation?

 

[PetesPonies]

http://www.shop3m.com/60455055693.html?WT.mc_id=GoogleProdSearch&gclid=CMz2ub-izbYCFQef4AodHlkAXw

you can find it locally, like Autozone etc. Just make sure its this material, not another 3m.

 

[SmokeEater829]

Glassed the back of the headliner, then flipped it over removed the foam and realized just how bad the board was. Went ahead a lay a thick coat of resin to the foam side of the board. It hardened extremely well. Today I'm going to bondo a few bad areas and sand the whole thing down smooth. Then I'll be able to apply the foam and cloth. I'll try to add some pics of the progress so far.

 

[PetesPonies]

I've done the same as you are doing . . and the resin worked well. You should be OK.

 

[SmokeEater829]

While I'm at it I decided to pull the armrest thing from under the rear windows and recover them too. I think they turned out pretty good.




Just sitting in place, not installed yet.

 

[SmokeEater829]

Last coat of filler has been sanded. Never realized this was gonna be such a big job. And maybe I'm putting too much into it. But tomorrow should bring foam and material. Here is a pic after skimming and sanding. All smoothed out now!

 

[SmokeEater829]

Final shot before it goes back into the truck.