Headliner 23 window from scratch

[Navydave73]

I’m starting a thread to show the trials and errors with building your own headliner. There are some good pics in the galley with various details that I will be using.

Details above the front window, looks like on a skylight bus, the part above the drivers head goes in first

[Navydave73]

This is a later bus without skylights but good details on where the air box piece goes.

Where to stop on pass b pillar

Does a 23 window have these pieces near the front of the air box? My friends 21 had them, so I’m assuming yes. If anyone knows, please chime in. They give you something to glue the headliner to where it transitions from the air box to the front panel behind the sun visor

Above the side windows, the original is made up of individual pieces sewn with a seam above and below. This will save material, maybe why they did it at the factory. The headliner I just did on the 21 window came with huge pieces of material for the sides and there was a lot of waste. I will be using German package tray cloth headliner material to closely match mohair.

[Navydave73]

Rear piece with hold down strip

Beautiful shot of the front

Rear piece

NOS skylight and front piece. There is a stitch that’s supposed to be just at the front of the second skylight. I can see cardboard tack strips that will go in the slot where the beading is. I don’t see cardboard on the other side or behind the air box at the sunroof opening so does that mean there is no cardboard all the way around the sunroof opening grip strips?

[Navydave73]

The only real complicated piece is the ragtop, but there are great pics of this NOS one.

And dimensions thanks to Ozinbc

Skylightseam

[Navydave73]

More detail of front air box

This is a good reference photo showing OG mohair front

And this one

This overlap shows that the driver compartment goes first, then front window surround, then side window piece.

Depending on the weather, my goal is to start this next weekend on a 59 23 window. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I’ll do my best to document successes and failures along with measurements. Im remembering leather washers in the back corners of the sunroof headliner section. Never seen them on an aftermarket headliner, any thoughts?

[John Ghia]

Dave your skylight seam picture shows a vertical seam at the B pillar not a diagonal 45 seam.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1225016.jpg
This 56 Wolfsburg has it diagonal
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BUS BOYZ

[Navydave73]

I was planning on 45, seen it both ways though.

Working on the cut plan. 8 yds should give me enough.

[matthew henricks]

Wow. This is one area on my bus back in the day i did not want to tackle. Will be watching with interest.

Having just done a beetle headliner i can say that i would NOT use 3M 90 spray adhesive again. I would go with traditional contact cement. Alot more work but also better results i think.

Will be watching.
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1964 Original Owner build Thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=702135&highlight=

Ambulance Fan's. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627707&highlight=

Parts i am looking for:
64 bug nice used front/rear Black LHD floor mat.

[Navydave73]

COVID...the gift that keeps on giving. Supply chain issues, everything is on back order, so I have 2 scrap rolls that are available. 1 of 4yds and 1 of 2. wont get anymore in stock until next year. The Upholstery Supply Shop does have the foam backed version that they can order locally for pickup tomorrow. I think i can rearrange my cuts so the only section that will be foam backed is the rear above the luggage compartment. If it looks weird, ill re-do it next year.

[Navydave73]

sorry you have to do a headstand to see this sketch.

[Daddybus]

Making your own 23 window headliner...Navy Dave you are insane!

[Douglas Denlinger]

I might be able to source the bulk material. Depending on the color and texture.
If your interested let me know.

Also.....the 45 cut at the B pillar is WRONG and not as original from the factory.
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Transporter Restorations
Upholstery Haus

Active 23 Window Samba Collector/Restorer,since 1986

[Navydave73]

good to know, vertical it is then. thank you for the offer on material Douglas, ill know tomorrow if i need it or not. I try to give myself plenty of overages when i cut pieces, but ill look at my measurements again to be sure i have a good layout for cuts.

pillow fabrication.....laying awake at night wondering how i will do certain things...it occurred to me last night that when i did Stan Ford's headliner for his wife's 21 window, i screwed up the piece above the drivers head and had to buy more material that matched his TMI headliner. I cut it too short at the A pillars, but i think i saved that piece for a template for mine. that will help with layout to maximize the use of the material i have.

[Navydave73]

[Navydave73]

Setting up the tables for upholstery.

Pfaff 145 German sewing machine is a must for German upholstery

Another stab at the layout cut sheet.

I had the air box piece from a failed attempt on a 21 window. It is a good pattern

Metal piece at the corner of the air box and roof.

[Navydave73]

1/4” worked for me for the cardboard grip strips

Skylight pieces are 14 x 74
Front is 68 x 50 with an 11” opening for the air box

I tried to use plastic tack strip for the skylight pieces above the windows but it proved to be a pain in the ass so I cut them off.

I’m a hobbyist, not a pro. Please keep that in mind. It took me almost 5 hours of making patterns with the stripped material before I installed the first piece above the windshields.

[Navydave73]

Cardboard strips for grip strips on the air box. 30” long and 1 1/4” from the edge of the rear of the air box. I tried to get the skylight panel seam just in front of the 2nd skylight but it didn’t necessarily work out.

Not perfect but still looks pretty good so far. Done for the evening, back at it tomorrow

[Navydave73]

Day 2.
make sure you buy a nice wax coated canvas apron on Amazon so your entire family can call you Geppeto.

after the first few skylights, i figure out to push the center material out while lining up where the headliner material will land. This was helping to keep the bottom of the skylight material flush around the edge where the rubber will sit. otherwise it was stretched taught.

rotary cutter was the only thing that would cut this stretchy material without a ragged edge

major mistake: the top and bottom of the windows should have been cut to 17" instead of 18". When sewn, there is 1/2" Selvage so the material cut to 17 will end up being 16" seam to seam. Well, when i shortened this cut length, i forgot to lengthen the side pieces to compensate. I ended up having to sew these seams as close to the edge of the material as i could get. so, my seams are off. The whole reason i made my own headliner was for these seams above and below the windows and i messed it up.

layout of all the side window pieces

Mr. Denlinger let me know the headliner angle behind the drivers head was supposed to be square not angled, but i was not able to find a nice line for the straight cut to match up to so i went with a 45 angle cut.

all in all, it looks pretty good. It will be beautiful once i rebuild the original door panels in the next couple of weeks. There are only two more parts to the headliner: ragtop and the rear luggage compartment. Neither of them looks incredibly complicated. So far, the worst part of this whole thing was installing the rear hatch headliner piece. it folded on itself and the glue stuck before i was ready.

[matthew henricks]

Very nice and i applaud your "cheap" nature to tackle such a project.

What glue are you using?

Keep the updates coming...
_________________
1964 Original Owner build Thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=702135&highlight=

Ambulance Fan's. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627707&highlight=

Parts i am looking for:
64 bug nice used front/rear Black LHD floor mat.

[Navydave73]

3m super 90. That’s all I use for headliners. I’ve tried the big gallon of upholstery glue that you spray with a paint gun. It makes a big mess and gives me something else to clean. I usually save that setup for seat upholstery.

I’m headed to WW on Friday to get window rubber and sunroof rebuild kit. I usually like body color ragtop material, looks more original that way. However, I don’t like white ragtop covers so I’m breaking my own rule and going with dark blue Haartz Canvas. Should look good. If not, I’ll make another one.

Thanks for the comments