‘54 Hornet Club Coupe Headliner Install

Ricko
Ricko Member
in HUDSON

I have purchased a headliner and it is time for installation. A friend of mine who has done several of other antique makes over the years offered to help me do it. The manual says the rear window must be removed and my friend thinks we could mess up the headliner when pulling in the window if we do. Can anyone tell me if we are missing something or can we be successful without removing the window. Thanks

Answers

  • 50C8DAN
    50C8DAN Senior Contributor

    I would have a professional do it. There are nightmare stories of guys trying to do this and really messing it up.

  • ski4life65
    ski4life65 Expert Adviser

    easier with window out, but I have done it while it was still in. I am certainly not a pro.

  • Xerxes
    Xerxes Member

    Pulling this post back up to the front...

    Any others who have replaced the headliners in their stepdowns? I need to replace mine, but the local upholstery shop is VERY high end in any work, so would rather do it myself IF IT IS DO-ABLE for a DIY guy ???

  • StepUp
    StepUp Member
    edited March 18

    Modern adhesives such as 3M Headliner and Fabric Adhesive diminishes yesteryear's mandatory tucking of the headliner behind the window rubber seals. Spray a light coat of the adhesive onto the 1" edge of the headliner (masking tape is your friend) and some onto the metal frame surrounding the window (use a few ice cream sticks to temporarily pry/twist the seal away from the metal frame), mate the two together, then squeeze both against each other for 15 seconds using a 12-16" flexible straight edge, and your done. 

    Don't misunderstand me ----removing the windows, tucking the headliner behind the seal AND using the adhesive as described above would be the tip top approach, but sometimes pulling the window(s) and seal(s) is not a feasible option especially these days when it costs of $500-$700 a window for labor and a new rubber seal.

    The headliner in my '53 Hornet 4 door was installed with the "adhesive only" approach 15-17 years ago and it's still pristine.

  • Xerxes
    Xerxes Member
    https://openforum.hetclub.org/discussion/comment/254820#Comment_254820

    Great. Thank you. good guidance.

  • Xerxes
    Xerxes Member

    Reviving this thread about headliners...

    I was wondering if anyone has removed their stock headliners and just applied reflective and foam insulation directly to the inside roof, and THEN applied a sticky-back headliner material directly to the insulation and to the roof -- bypassing the stock headliner bows and its complications?

    Would also give lotsa extra headroom.

    Example of self-adhesive headliner material from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DFMKFZPV/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=A1W6KIIK4ENDNF&th=1

    Thanks.

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