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Sat Dec 28, 2013 2:28 am

Hi, I'm about to mounting a new headliner in my 69 baywindow. But I haven't got a clue how it should be done, I have searched on internet for some good How-to guide, but without result.
So now I hope that someone here on Thesamba knows any good link, or can give me good advise.
I'm also going to glue the vinyl around the windows, but I thought that those pieces were precutted, but I just got a piece of white vinyl, and I have to do all the cutting and fitting on my own.
Should I do the parts around the windows first? And how much vinyl should it be above the windows?
I would be greatful for all answers, pictures, links that can help me

/The Duke

Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:56 am

Can't advise on install but make sure any glue used don't have ACETONE in the mix, it will soften the material(a type of plastic) and will come loose.

Sat Dec 28, 2013 7:14 am

The headliner should be installed by a professional. One minor error and the whole thing looks like shit. Whatever it costs to have it installed professionally will be money well spent.

Sat Dec 28, 2013 7:41 am

i have some pre-removal photo's of my headliner for my 70. i will need to dig them up and upload them.

the biggest thing with headliner installation is time. it's not a race, so plan on a couple of 8-10 hour days to do it right.

i will upload some photo's in a bit

Sat Dec 28, 2013 8:28 am

Do a search here. Most find it almost impossible to do a professional looking job and report that $1k+ is money well spent on a pro.

Sat Dec 28, 2013 9:26 am

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=312589

Mon Dec 30, 2013 2:13 am

With help from a friend we managed to install the headliner in about 8 hours, actually it wasn´t that hard.
It wasn´t easy, but not as difficult as I thought it would be.

Mon Dec 30, 2013 6:12 am

Looks great! So I guess you don't need the photos? I uploaded them, just didn't post them :shock:

Any tips or tricks you can share for future members doing a search? I promise to upload the photos I have tonight..

Mon Dec 30, 2013 6:19 am

I haven't done one myself but my partner did on a 1978 bus we bought and flipped. He's a real perfectionist and a smart guy. Afterwards he said next time he'd gladly pay $1000 for a professional installation.

didn't come out all that great did it?

Mon Dec 30, 2013 10:23 am

Your partner needs to use a heat gun to smooth out the wrinkles. We have an old deaf guy that does ours for our shop and he could do a bus headliner in 3-4 hours by himself assuming the windows were already out. He always uses a heat gun for the final step. He makes putting on a headliner look like putting on a sock. It's awesome to see a true professional at work. I have studied him carefully while he is working and think I could reproduce his results to a degree. I am still on the fence whether I want to do it myself or have him do it. He did offer me a really good price, but then I love doing everything myself on my bus. Just not sure.

Mon Dec 30, 2013 10:35 am

a very professional 40+ years in auto upholstery shop did mine in 2008. It took two technicians who had done them before 2 1/2 days to finish it right. You also have to worry about getting the right amount of overlap at the windows or it will pull out over time OR worse, cause rust by allowing a seal to leak. Dan of Dan's Vans did his after talking with my guy and from what he said, it is a real PITA.

Mon Dec 30, 2013 10:39 am

tootype2crazy wrote: Your partner needs to use a heat gun to smooth out the wrinkles. We have an old deaf guy that does ours for our shop and he could do a bus headliner in 3-4 hours by himself assuming the windows were already out. He always uses a heat gun for the final step. He makes putting on a headliner look like putting on a sock. It's awesome to see a true professional at work. I have studied him carefully while he is working and think I could reproduce his results to a degree. I am still on the fence whether I want to do it myself or have him do it. He did offer me a really good price, but then I love doing everything myself on my bus. Just not sure.

Yeah, I'm sure you're right. Oh, he did use a heat gun BTW. After you get yours done in 3-4 hours please come back here and post up the finished pictures for us.

Mon Dec 30, 2013 10:57 am

pm.rydahl wrote: With help from a friend we managed to install the headliner in about 8 hours, actually it wasn´t that hard.
It wasn´t easy, but not as difficult as I thought it would be.

That looks pretty damn good for a first go by a couple of noobs, nice work boys!

As others have mentioned it takes years of experience (AKA mistakes) to learn how vinyl stretches and behaves, maybe you got a case of beginners luck? :D

Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:07 am

aeromech wrote: Yeah, I'm sure you're right. Oh, he did use a heat gun BTW. After you get yours done in 3-4 hours please come back here and post up the finished pictures for us.

There's no way I could do it as quick as him, I was just noting how quickly a highly experienced pro can do it. He does our convertible tops too some of which require hand sewing. He has one of those skills that is a joy to watch in action.

Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:12 am

I believe you. There's a crusty old guy who runs an upholstery shop by himself in my town. His hand shake was painful but his seams, repairs and overall workmanship are a delight. He was a day ahead of schedule on our drop-off, even with a large workload. :o

These people exist, they just need willing apprentices.

Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:40 am

Quote: These people exist, they just need willing apprentices.

good luck with that.

Wed Nov 05, 2014 5:33 pm

SGKent wrote: Quote: These people exist, they just need willing apprentices.

good luck with that.

I am going to need a little myself . . .

My 1970 bus had a perfectly fine oem headliner that was just getting a little dingy and had two small tears:

But after driving around with a perfect factory white headliner in the '78 bus, I just could not tolerate the, the, the dinginess. So I went all past the point of no return . . .

I am going to have to be so careful. I love the factory headliners, and I must do my best to replicate with absolutely no prior experience.

Measured the exit points for the bows from the center so I can cut the new support loops exactly the same. This looks critical for a consistent vault:

Straightening the bows to all the same radii looks to be critical too. The inexplicable variations in the installed original headliner came from the bent # 3 and #6 bows. Did shrinkage over the past 46 years do that?:

Re-secured the original ceiling padding today:

If I pull this off, I will do an excruciatingly detailed blow by blow write-up with photographs. If it looks like hell, I will sell the bus and go get a job as a tax-preparer mascot waving at people from the safety of my stupid statue of liberty suit, because I will be too humiliated to ever show my face again.
Colin

Wed Nov 05, 2014 5:42 pm

You're gunna do it with the windows installed?

Wed Nov 05, 2014 5:45 pm

Ok, so you have until April. Good luck :popcorn:

Wed Nov 05, 2014 5:47 pm

I install head liners in my westys all the tme and they come out great---------well they are all wood :lol: I did a head liner in my FB one time will never do it again.