[MIPLAYSTATION]

What is the best material to use as a headliner board????



.

[73oldsman]

I used the search button for you and got 22 hits concerning this subject.. Hit the link and read on. You may even answer a few more questions you may have in mind http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/sear...archid=1801361

[DanTwoLakes]

[QUOTE=MIPLAYSTATION]What is the best material to use as a headliner board????[/QUOTE Once again, you need to give us more information. You need to tell us what make and model car you are referring to. By headliner board, what are you talking about? If you're referring to the molded headliner boards that have been used in cars since the mid to late 70's, you need to order that particular board to fit your specific car.

If you're referring to a custom "hard" headliner retrofitted into a car instead of a headliner held up by bows, there are all kinds of things to use. First of all, you need to have a solid base to attach the headliner to. My choice for that is 1/4" luan plywood. ABS and PVC solid plastic sheets, PVC foamboard sheets,(also called closed cell PVC) and waterproof panelboard are all good choices to attach the new headliner to. Of those choices, waterproof panelboard is the least expensive.

[LSX Nova]

[QUOTE=DanTwoLakes]

Originally Posted by MIPLAYSTATION

What is the best material to use as a headliner board????[/QUOTE Once again, you need to give us more information. You need to tell us what make and model car you are referring to. By headliner board, what are you talking about? If you're referring to the molded headliner boards that have been used in cars since the mid to late 70's, you need to order that particular board to fit your specific car.

If you're referring to a custom "hard" headliner retrofitted into a car instead of a headliner held up by bows, there are all kinds of things to use. First of all, you need to have a solid base to attach the headliner to. My choice for that is 1/4" luan plywood. ABS and PVC solid plastic sheets, PVC foamboard sheets,(also called closed cell PVC) and waterproof panelboard are all good choices to attach the new headliner to. Of those choices, waterproof panelboard is the least expensive.

Dan, Would you bond the panels to the roof then apply the covering or would you cover the roof sections first then bond? Or none of the above?

RGJ

[DanTwoLakes]

You still need to explain what kind of headliner you're trying to do, and in what make, model, and year car you want to do it in.

A hard headliner (in place of one hung by bows) needs a solid base attached to the side to side roof supports if possible. If there are no side to side supports for the roof, you need to hang a framework grid made from 3/4" hardwood plywood attached to the perimeter of the inside of the car above the door openings from side to side and then front to rear.

[LSX Nova]

Originally Posted by DanTwoLakes

You still need to explain what kind of headliner you're trying to do, and in what make, model, and year car you want to do it in.

A hard headliner (in place of one hung by bows) needs a solid base attached to the side to side roof supports if possible. If there are no side to side supports for the roof, you need to hang a framework grid made from 3/4" hardwood plywood attached to the perimeter of the inside of the car above the door openings from side to side and then front to rear.

Sorry about that. It's my Nova it's a 64 and it has bows. It doesn't have supports running across the roof from side to side just around the perimeter.

RGJ

[DanTwoLakes]

O.K. You need to build a grid from 3/4" hardwood plywood which will be attached to the sides, front, and rear of the car above the doors. The grid pieces should be 2 1/2 to 3 inches vertically and follow the contour of the roof, but are not attached to the roof, only the perimeter. After that, you need a base for the "hard" headliner, which is a sheet of 1/4" luan plywood. This is screwed to the grid you made. Then, you attach the actual headliner (which is made outside of the car) to the roof of the car with high temp contact adhesive. The actual headliner can be attached to waterproof panel board, ABS plastic, PVC plastic, or PVC foamboard. PVC foamboard is 1/2 the weight of solid PVC. It is also called closed cell PVC and expanded PVC, and goes by the brand names Sintra, Maxxion, Komatex and Celtec. You can get it from a sign shop normally.

[LSX Nova]

Originally Posted by DanTwoLakes

O.K. You need to build a grid from 3/4" hardwood plywood which will be attached to the sides, front, and rear of the car above the doors. The grid pieces should be 2 1/2 to 3 inches vertically and follow the contour of the roof, but are not attached to the roof, only the perimeter. After that, you need a base for the "hard" headliner, which is a sheet of 1/4" luan plywood. This is screwed to the grid you made. Then, you attach the actual headliner (which is made outside of the car) to the roof of the car with high temp contact adhesive. The actual headliner can be attached to waterproof panel board, ABS plastic, PVC plastic, or PVC foam-board. PVC foam-board is 1/2 the weight of solid PVC. It is also called closed cell PVC and expanded PVC, and goes by the brand names Sintra, Maxxion, Komatex and Celtec. You can get it from a sign shop normally.

Would the grid suspend just below the roof but not touch without any material in between? The grid would be screwed to the sheet metal above the doors on both sides and to metal structure material located at the windshield and rear glass. The expanded PVC would be made in one piece or mutable pieces and would attach to the luan with contact adhesive? I assume the covering material is glued and wrapped to the PVC before installation or would you bond the covering to the PVC after it is installed? Sorry for all the questions.

RGJ

[DanTwoLakes]

No problem. The grid is attached just as you described, with nothing in between. If you wanted to put up insulation or soundproofing before you put in the grid, that's fine. It doesn't need to be screwed in, although I prefer that. I attach metal "T"s to the ends to do the attaching. It can be attached with epoxy type products and fillers also. Make your headliner on one piece of whatever you decide to use. More than one piece could end up being a nightmare. The covering is attached outside of the car. There needs to be perimeter pieces sewed to the PVC to be able to stretch the fabric to the sides, front and rear of the car.

[LSX Nova]

Originally Posted by DanTwoLakes

No problem. The grid is attached just as you described, with nothing in between. If you wanted to put up insulation or soundproofing before you put in the grid, that's fine. It doesn't need to be screwed in, although I prefer that. I attach metal "T"s to the ends to do the attaching. It can be attached with epoxy type products and fillers also. Make your headliner on one piece of whatever you decide to use. More than one piece could end up being a nightmare. The covering is attached outside of the car. There needs to be perimeter pieces sewed to the PVC to be able to stretch the fabric to the sides, front and rear of the car.

The "T's" you are referring to are located at the end of each plywood grid piece. The T would be screwed to the end of the piece of grid and face the attachment metal structure on the roofs perimeter. A hole would then be drilled through the T on each side and a sheet metal screw is used for attachment. Does that sound correct?

The extra covering material sewed to the PVC would then be glued around the perimeter and in my case the trim pieces would attach over it around the rear windows with wind lace covering the edge everywhere else or is there a cleaner way to do it?

RGJ

[DanTwoLakes]

Yes, the center leg of the "T"s are screwed to the ends of the wooden grid, and the "T" part is screwed to the sheet metal. I put a little notch at the end of the grid pieces so that the side to side grid pieces set on the ledge of the sheet metal. This way, the piece could be supported until I could position the "T"s and mark them for screw holes. I set the grid pieces in place, hanging on the ledge, and wedged a piece of foam between the piece and the roof to hold them upright and in the correct position while marking for the screw holes. Once you get the side to side pieces in place, (probably 3 of them in your case), you can finish the grid from windshield to rear window.

The extra covering material that is sewed to the PVC around the main part of the headliner is either glued or stapled in place around the windows and doors just like you would do if you had a headliner hanging from metal bows. You will still have to use windlace if that's what your Nova has now.

Here's a tip for you: after you have the grid in place, cut your sheet of luan base to fit and position it in the car with a few screws. Then find the center of the car from windshield to the rear window and snap a chalk line down the center of the luan. At this point, you want to measure to see how big the headliner board will be. It should a consistent distance away from the perimeter of the car roof, about 5" away all the way around. Make a few marks on the luan base so you know where the headliner board is going. Now take the base board back out. Connect the marks you made and you'll have the size of the headliner board. Cut your headliner board, use the center line on the luan base to center the headliner and also position it front to rear. Make the four corners of the headliner board round for easier sewing. You can use a compass if you want, but a large coffee can is a good template. Once the headliner is cut to its finished size, trace around it onto the luan base with a black magic marker. Put the luan base back into the car and screw it down to the wooden grid being sure you use the same screw holes you used originally. you can use some construction adhesive (like PL-200) on the grid for extra holding power. Now you know exactly where the headliner board goes when you install it in the car. Sew the perimeter fabric 1" in all the way around the headliner board, and you can staple the outside edge of the headliner board to the luan base while your contact adhesive is drying. Use a good spray grade of high temp contact adhesive like DAP Weldwood top and trim adhesive. This needs to be sprayed from a gun, not from an aerosol can. Use a cheap HF spray gun with at least a 1.8 MM nozzle. Up to a 2.2 MM nozzle is fine. You're not trying to lay down a coat of paint, the glue is going to be splotchy. Coat both the luan and the PVC liberally with the adhesive.

[LSX Nova]

Thanks for the reply Dan. You make it sound easy but I'm sure it isn't.

RGJ

[DanTwoLakes]

Just take your time, and you'll do fine.

[heyjude076]

Here are a couple of links I found in the Knowledge Base.

The first one is a step by step discussion of what is being discussed here with pictures. Make sure to scroll through the whole thread.

I haven't looked at the second but included it just the same.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=38449

http://www.nastyz28.com/2gcog/headline.html

Good Luck

[DanTwoLakes]

The Jalopy Journal (H.A.M.B.) thread is a good one. It gives a step by step tutorial starting at post 18. I disagree with the guy who posted this thread on not sewing windlace. I can cut and sew windlace for the average two door car in about 10 minutes start to finish and have it come out tighter than any glue job. It would take forever to glue it. The secret to covering the 1/2" diameter sponge rod is to use a 5/8" welt foot for thinner fabrics, and a 3/4" welt foot for thicker fabrics.