Headliner '62

[fordraised]

Can I get some feed back on the an average cost to install the headliner. I have the liner and I'm currently looking for a good installer. Found one that is known to the Classic Car community around my area, but I'm a little surprised at the quote he provided. And, if someone can recommend a good installer in the Greater Toronto Area.

[nbaum]

I'am trying to remember what I paid to have my 62 landau headliner installed. I supplied the headliner and I put in new tack strips. I want to say I paid $300 to $400US to have it installed. I have never done one but I hear they are not that easy to do right.

[Yeti Man]

I did mine. Took 3 tries to get it right, STILL cheaper than having it done. Do a search on thr forum; there is a thread on how to go about installing new tack strips and the headliner. Plus it shows how to do it in the shop manual. It was my first time ever doing one, and it is not as hard as urban legends imply......


Randy

[jidi]

Gotta agree with Randy.
While it may look intimidating, it's not really that bad. Kind of like a vinyl top install, lay the headliner in the sun for a few hours unfolded to get rid of the sharp folds, find your center lines front and back both on the car, and the new headliner and mark those places, and have at it. Pull it snug but not too tight as to distort the vinyl. An extra set of hands are a plus here. If you have a few wrinkles, a blow dryer will help get rid of those. If you can't get rid of all the wrinkles, a few days in the sun with the windows up will heat up the inside of the car enough to get rid of the rest. I always wait a few days before installing the visors and dome light, until the vinyl has taken it's shape.
I haven't done my 'bird yet, but it seems there are staples on each side either than being glued under the side molding which is a lot less messy.
Good luck! The money you save doing it yourself will buy a whole lot of gas or help pay for other little things your car needs, plus you get to say you did it yourself!!

Jim

[wisconsinjimmy]

I did mine and it is really quite straight forward, remove all the trim then pull the headliner loose and make darn sure you mark where the bows go. Now is a good time to say get the Osborne Interior Manual it will walk you through the install. The original tack strips are made of some type of cardboard, mine were shot so I planed down lathing strips scrwed them into the roof and then used an electric staple gun to attach the liner. Remember get the manual.
JimG

[TikiBird]

I bought my headliner from Mac's and had a local upholstery guy install it. He quoted me $300 then when I had it done, it went up to $375 by the time he made the tack board and installed it all. I took out the bows for him and numbered them from front to back and marked the passenger side for him. I also insulated the inside of the roof with a nice chopped fiberglass insulation with reinforced foil on one side. I polished the stainless that goes over the windows and the aluminum panels by the package tray and rechromed all the chrome pieces and it looks great. By the time I was done, I was into it for about $600 with the chrome, the new rear dome light, headliner and installation.
TB

[62 T-birdman]

I was quoted $700 to have my new headliner installed in my 62 T-bird (Fort Walton Beach , FL). Was told it was labor intensive. I'm still trying to decide if I want to take this challenge on myself.

[fordraised]

Thanks for the responses guys. Since my original post I ordered a headliner from a local dealer and it was a total waste of money. I took the headliner over to a shop in my area and he tried his best to install it but it looked absolutely cheap and poor quality. He offered to make a headliner from scratch and install it. What a difference.....he did a great job, the colour and quality was much much better.

[Beach Bum]

Two questions:

What brand/supplier did you get the cheap, useless headliner from? Posting that info here could help prevent someone else from making the same bad purchase.

Just out of curiosity, how much did the custom-built headliner and install end up costing?

[methos76]

I got alot of different prices, from 550 down to 275, mine is a 66 still debating whether to do it myself or shell out the money

[Beach Bum]

Just my own experience (which goes back 40-odd years) is that installing headliners in just about *any* vintage or brand of automobile is a major pain -- and the end result is usually not a good as you hoped. It's not just having the right tools (which is critical), but the knowledge and tricks that come from having done quite a few headliners (where you've already made the mistakes). If you've never done one before, then the $200 to whatever-hundred bucks spent to have a pro do it will be one of the best investments you can make in not only your T-bird, but your sanity. But even the pros can screw it up sometimes, so make sure they give you an ironclad guarantee that the work will be done to your final inspection and satisfaction before they get paid.

Now I've yet to do the one in my '63, but from what others have said I doubt I'll try doing it myself (it's actually in pretty good shape right now). But, man... I really, really hate installing headliners.

-- J.R.

[Steverino]

Thought I'd resurrect this thread (keeping it all together rather than starting new)...

Headliner's next for me. Got a quote for $575 from a local shop. Am tempted to try it myself with a kit from Nest / Mac's / wherever. At least I wouldn't be dealing with contact adhesive, so I could work at it carefully.

Looking for any updated input on best sources for a good headliner kit (or ones to avoid).

Also, best suggestions for replacement tack strips and staples to use with my pneumatic stapler.

Thanks in advance!

[Gagarin]

I have a headliner on deck, along with the rest of the interior pieces, carpet, doors etc. every time I think I am ready to start I notice something else I need so everything sits but...

Sometimes ignorance is wonderful thing, Over the years I have done 3 headliners and I dived right into the very 1st one without a clue and I was
very happy with the result. The others have had various results but only one did I have to go back and start over. No rushing through it which is always my personal challenge. It does help to have an extra set of hands

Bottom line, if you can take on that vinyl top and win the battle I would not be worried about it.

You tube has a few howtos for Ford headliners as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i_sEi6ao34

Note: I purchased my headliner from Stock Interiors https://www.stockinteriors.com/

Keep us posted

[Steverino]

Thanks for the encouragement and links! Will definitely keep you posted..

[Gagarin]

Steverino.....Any progress?

I gutted my interior two weeks hence, I will be down for awhile but I live on the Gulf coast, too bloody hot to get out and enjoy it so I get up early and work until the heat chases me from the garage.

I digress, pulled the old headliner, it had obviously been replaced prior as all of the bows are color coded but I went to number them and realized that someone had done this prior. We all have our own PO stories...... someone had glued some funky #@* non-automotive insulation to the roof? I had to remove this but invested in a box of Dynamat, I am in love. I soundproofed/insulated the whole roof in about an hour, slick as can be.

I also used the Dynamat to replace the old fiber material which covered the pass through to the trunk below that package tray (which I have still not figured out how to remove?) and will cut this material for use as a replacement for the nail/tack strips which basically fell apart in my hands,

So, noting too concerning yet but it could either be a beauty or a disaster? I do not think there is much space betwixt the two? I will be happy to report my failures as well as success.