If your headliner cardboard...
If your headliner cardboard looks like this, you need a new one. The folks at Zip Products offer a complete headliner replacement kit for an exact OE-style final appearance.
Headliners are an often forgotten part of your car . . . until they decide to fall apart and rest on your head. It's not a pretty sight. But the same high temperatures your interior experiences on those hot days affect your headliner as much as the rest of your interior. After time, that cardboard-based headliner will give up and drape nicely on your forehead.
Our '86 Corvette headliner had fallen into bad condition. The cardboard had become so tired it often dropped scraps of paper as we drove. The fix came from the folks at Zip Products who have a complete fix-it kit that does a great job renewing the headliner surface. The kit comes with adhesive and headliner materials. The instructions are thorough and clear. For those looking for an exact OE-style headliner replacement, kit HT-355 is the ticket.
However, we don't always want to do the exact OE replacement thing with our Corvettes. Inspiration came from the folks at John's Customz & Performance, who suggested we incorporate a design in the headliner material using the Zip Products headliner as the base. With the help of the artisans at Afterdark Signworkz we have created a headliner with character.
Follow along as we demonstrate not only the proper replacement of a headliner, but how to design and execute a novel headliner at home.
Afterdark Signworkz created...
Afterdark Signworkz created a design for our new headliner. We selected a Corvette emblem for obvious reasons.
With the design ready to go,...
With the design ready to go, Afterdark applied the design to a piece of 11/42-inch-thick foamcore board.
Using an X-Acto knife, we...
Using an X-Acto knife, we cut out the areas in the design that were to be recessed in the final headliner appearance.
Using the Zip Products kit,...
Using the Zip Products kit, we trimmed the supplied headliner to fit in the top. Then we applied the super-duty headliner adhesive to the base.
If you have an intricate design...
If you have an intricate design such as ours, a lighter headliner fabric material is required to make the shape standout. We applied adhesive to this fabric before installation, again waiting for it to tack up.
A little housekeeping was...
A little housekeeping was required to remove all of the old headliner debris. First, vacuum the surface.
After letting the adhesive...
After letting the adhesive dry for a few minutes, we placed the design in the center. The entire headliner was again covered with fresh adhesive for the next step. In our situation, where we are molding a design into the headliner, a lot of adhesive must be used to help it adhere around the design.
We placed the headliner on...
We placed the headliner on the fabric, pressing firmly to make certain it adhered well.
Next, we cleaned the top with...
Next, we cleaned the top with grease, wax, and silicone remover. The key to getting a headliner that stays put is starting with a good, clean surface.
Then we carefully trimmed...
Then we carefully trimmed off the excess headliner fabric with a razor blade, leaving enough material to roll up around the sides of the headliner.
Work from the inside edges...
Work from the inside edges out. This process can take a while-the more time spent here, the better the final, overall effect will be.
The final look is not only...
The final look is not only functional, but an attractive added feature for our Corvette.
Shape the corner in this manner...
Shape the corner in this manner to avoid lumps in the headliner surface.
With our design complete,...
With our design complete, we were ready to install the headliner in the top.
Using a blunt, plastic blade...
Using a blunt, plastic blade such as a putty applicator, begin working the edges of the design and the flat surfaces of the headliner. Be patient and make certain you do not crush the edges of the design.
Again, use lots of adhesive...
Again, use lots of adhesive to stick the headliner in place. Apply adhesive to the back of the headliner insert as well.