GTV headliner install, part 2 - VERY LONG

["dion fields" <noid@domain.elided>]

back by popular demand ! todays the last day !
headliner installation !  get yours before theyre gone !

WARNING ! i am not a professional upholsterer, though
i did talk to one once . . .

this process took me a little over a day, after the preparations,
to actually install the liner.  I would suggest doing it on a nice 
warm day or in a nice warm garage.  This will allow the fabric
to stretch fully and get , and keep, any wrinkles out.

first I replaced all the old foam padding using the contact
cement by spreading lightly on both surfaces to be glued,
letting them dry for several minutes, and then pressing the
foam into place.  I was sure not to cover up any mounting
holes for accessories.

next I installed the rear rectangular insert.  now here I 
copied the installation method from the previous "restoration."
the insert was simply glued to the sheet styrofoam already
stuck to the ceiling.  I applied cement around the perimeter
of the opening, and in several horizontal lines on the ceiling.
measuring the opening, I then applied cement in a same 
size rectangle and in several vertical lines, leaving plenty 
of spare fabric around all sides. after the majority of the 
cement applications were dry to the touch, I stuck one side 
of the rectangle up while trying to be as square to the car 
as possible and leaving some overhang of material.  the 
fabric was very oversized, so it did not need to be perfectly 
square.  then, starting in the middle of the edge that was 
stuck up, I used my hand in a swiping motion to spread the
fabric against the ceiling down the middle to the other side.
I found if I tried to stretch the fabric taught, then I induced
wrinkles that I could not remove.  now from this central stuck
strip I spread the rest of the material up into place.  I had to
work out a few wrinkles once it was up, but the nature of
contact cement allows you to peel and re-stick the liner
with a working time of 10-30 minutes, depending on the
ambient temperature and humidity.

I then trimmed the edges to within about 1.5 inches (6.5cm)
with scissors.  using a small putty knife with the edges and
corners dulled and rounded, I persuaded the fabric to tuck
under the sheetmetal seam.  this was the most tedious part.
now, it seems to me that if I made a panel, covered it up with
the fabric, and installed it last after the main liner, it would
be an easier and tidier job, but I was just following the
previous installation procedure.

sweet,  the little piece is in !

I threaded the one metal wrung through the sleeve on the
back of the main liner and snapped it up into place.  then I
applied some cement to the edge of the ceiling along the
window frame, and adjacent to the wrung, on both sides. 
then I pulled the fabric taught along the wrung and marked
the inside of the fabric with a pencil where it would contact
the glue on the ceiling edge.  using the pencil mark as a
guide, I applied cement to a small area of the fabric.  once
dry, I got a helper ( the only time )  and we pulled the liner
tight across the wrung, stretching the fabric, and stuck it 
down to the window frame.  now I had one tight line of fabric
from side to side, across the car.

next I pulled the fabric taught forward to the windshield frame
and again marked the inside with a pencil along the frame.
glue was applied to the liner and window frame and allowed
to dry a few minutes.  starting in the middle of the windshield
frame, I pulled the fabric tight, to the point of pulling down the
wrung in the middle of the roof, and stuck the liner to the 
window frame.  working out from the middle, I glued down
the fabric, always pulling it tight, across the length of the 
windshield. then repeated the procedure forward from the
wrung on each side.  I found that if I  pulled the fabric tight
enough in the right direction, all the wrinkles disappeared !!
amazingly, even with the liner pulled so taught, the glued
held its own in shear very well, even in such a small area
as the edge of the windows - about a 1/2 inch strip.

wow, the front half is up !!

next, I worked my way back starting down the centerline of
the car. I glued the center of the liner to the edge of the
sheetmetal around rectangular opening, and worked my
way along this edge across the front and sides of the insert.  
now I could pull it taught to the sides of the car starting from 
the wrung and working my way back to the C-pillars. I needed
to align the fabric to these pillars while I pulled the sides
taught. once I glued up the rear edge of the rectangular insert,
I could pull the liner taught to the rear window edge and 
follow the same procedure as the windshield.  I had to
finesse the tension and direction of the fabric to get out the
wrinkles at the top of the C-pillars. I ended up having a
small fold on each side these points, but they blend into
the stitched seam already present and is held down flat by 
the rear window gasket.  finally, using the dulled putty knife,
I tucked the edge around the rectangular insert after trimming
it like the insert before.  just like gluing, I started the tucks in 
the middle and worked my way out to the corners. once again,
this was the toughest and most tedious part, all the while 
cursing  that it would be easier to have a pre-made insert that 
could be installed last.

I jumped back from the car, threw my hands in the air, and
yelled "DONE," trying to do my best impersonation of the
Ferrari pit crew.  but I would have been kicked out, because
I forgot to trim off all the outside edges with a razor blade 
first.  now all the trim, gaskets, and accoutrements could
be re-mounted.

the liner was only glued at the edges and held up by the
wrung and the tucks around the rectangular insert. the 
shape of all these things keep the liner up and formed.
nowhere did I wrap the fabric around to the outside of the car,
in fear of a wicking action drawing in moisture, and taking
up extra thickness that would be used by rubber and trim.

there you have it. I hope I didn't leave too much out.  if I made
any mistakes, someone please say so, so the next person 
does it right, and I know better for next time.

goodluck and Godspeed everyone,

dion fields
'73 GTV
los angeles



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