headliner rod spring ???

[malcolm2]

I have been working on my ceiling. Ran across this part today. I have never seen it before. I can kinda figure how it works and how it attaches. But if anyone has any pix, I would love to learn.

He is selling 6, jersey looker has it as 6? But don't I have more than 6 bows? One per bow, maybe just the rear section??

Listed on eBay as follows:
VW AirCooled Bus Headliner Rod Springs 68-79 Prt# 117867535A

while it lasts, here is the ebay ad:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-AirCooled-Bus-Headline...SwygFealOy

I found it on Jersey Looker in the BODY section way down near the bottom, has the headliner in the view, #32.

http://www.jerseylooker.com/FicheDump/EarlyBaywindow/8-084.jpg

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My Toys: '75 Porsche 914, '92 Ski Nautique and now a 1972 VW Transporter Deluxe (punch list fixing)

[SGKent]

one on each end of bow. The bows are different lengths. The number and placement varies by year. If you didn't mark which bow came from where it is a pita to figure it out. One bow to each seam as I recall. Some bays are six seam and some are seven I think. You can find someone with the same year and configuration as your bay, then have them count the seams, and measure where they are in the bus. Some buses have sunroofs too, which changes the placement.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[malcolm2]

[SGKent]

I looked thru some old threads and someone commented that the springs are only used on sunroof bays. They have less bows than a standard bay because the sunroof takes up part of the roof. I can't verify this but the poster was sure of it.

Malcom - if you have a standard bay with no sunroof I think those have rubber coatings on the end. If you have a sunroof bus I BELIEVE there are two different headliner configurations based on the year. If it were me, and the headliner is gone, and this is a station wagon and not a pop-top, I would find a crappy old rusty donor of the same year, take measurements of the seams from a known point, and pull the rods out. I would mark each with a number, and write down the measurements where they were on that bus. When I had my bus restored I told the guy not to tear out the headliner and to let me do that so I could take measurements. He ripped it out anyway and lost some of the bows, making no measurements or marks. It took me several days and people helping me to figure where they went. Also the headliner I bought did not really fit the bus and my upholstery guy had to modify it to make it fit right. Fortunately they had been around for 50 years and had experience with buses before.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[alaskadan]

Fwiw I removed a headliner from an 84 sunroof van and so no springs like those. When I make a new head liner I don't mix up the bows and number them. I know you didn't have a choice though that sucks. Is it safe to assume that the longest bows are in the mid span and shortest at the front and back?

[SGKent]

[HikinFool]

I am replacing the headliner in my 71 standard bus (no sunroof, not a camper, etc.) with a TMI Products vinyl headliner. The one that I am replacing, I installed about 25 years ago, and got it from a wrecking yard so I'm unsure of the bows being correct.
My questions relate to the very rear of the bus; Is the furthest back bow the same length as all the others? Where does the bow rest (left and right side)?, and does the rear of the headliner with plastic stitched into it widthwise glue into the rear hatch weather seal slot?
Thanks so much for any help, and hopefully pictures.

[SGKent]

you are probably on your own on this unless you find a 1971 to scavenge in a bone yard that the owner doesn't mind you ripping out what is left and taking some measurements as it comes out. The rods go in the seam folds so make some sharpie marks or pencil lead marks on the bus where the seams will go and measure between them side to side. That may be a clue.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[HikinFool]

Thanks for the reply and help SGKent! Does anyone happen to know where the rear/last bow is supposed to rest from left to right, and where the plastic strip that is stitched to the rear of the headliner is supposed to be glued?

[HikinFool]

Thanks for the reply SGKent. Do you, or anyone know where the last/rear bow rests on the left and right? And where the plastic strip that is sewn into the rear of the headliner gets glued?