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I ordered new headliner trim for my 75 F100 and I do not have the center actual headliner, I was hoping to be able to make my own instead of paying the $65 or so that they are asking for a replacement piece. I already have the vinyl and spray adhesive, just looking for some recommendations in regards to the material used for the "Board" as well as a template or dimensions when cutting the piece out.
My recommendation is to pay 65 bucks and do it right. You will be in this 25 or 30 bucks in materials, plus your time, and it wont look as good. Well, it wouldn't look as good if I made it lol
But to answer your question, upholstery shops with have the board you need.
My recommendation is to pay 65 bucks and do it right. You will be in this 25 or 30 bucks in materials, plus your time, and it wont look as good. Well, it wouldn't look as good if I made it lol
But to answer your question, upholstery shops with have the board you need.
You know I was looking at some pictures of the headliner and I noticed there is a slight curve at the ends and I was thinking that might be a challenge to make it look just right. $65 might be worth the investment..
I know if I did it I would end up cutting it short on one of those corners, going back to buy another board, and using the one I screwed up as a template haha
Made one for a buddy out of that beaded plastic like you see in commercial bathrooms and such, I had a few scrap pieces I'd gotten from a contractor to make a headliner for an old IHC truck I had at the time. It worked okay in that IH LoadStar cab, but it was a 3-piece and fairly flat.
The one in that Ford cab was a bit of a bear to get curved just right (had to use a heat gun), but turned out nice. He used some kind of parts-store plastic paint to kinda/sorta match it to his seat cover color, it looked pretty nice for a driver/user pickup. I haven't seen it for probably 4 years, don't know how well it held up long-term, though.
t's basically a flat piece, but getting the size correct would be a bear if you don't have an old one for a pattern - it's hard to get the lengths correct measuring through all those curves. I personally would say it's $65 well spent, I think that plastic sheet would cost at least that minus the several hours we spent messing with it. (granted, our material was free, and we were cheap labor)
I used hardboard which is available relatively cheap at Home Depot. I think I redid my entire headliner for about $40. Its much nicer than the original.
I used hardboard which is available relatively cheap at Home Depot. I think I redid my entire headliner for about $40. Its much nicer than the original.
Well, my challenge is not having a template to create a new one from scratch, does anyone have the dimensions of the cutout to do the job? I already have 3 yards of Vinyl, so I would rather try to make it from scratch, obviously a template or measurements would make this alot easier.
Can you hit a local JY to get a 73-79 template? If not lay out the trim and mark the out side of trim line 1st. then test fit and probably trim another 1/4" or 1/2" off.
I made mine but I had the factory cardboard for the template. I used this ribbed plastic stuff they sell at hardware stores for green house panels. It’s called chloroplast here... it’s light, the ribs provide enough rigidity but enough flexibility to match the curves. I was happy with the result... the wrinkles all faded with time...
Well, my challenge is not having a template to create a new one from scratch, does anyone have the dimensions of the cutout to do the job? I already have 3 yards of Vinyl, so I would rather try to make it from scratch, obviously a template or measurements would make this alot easier.
James
If you have the trim pieces up, you can mock up some pieces of cardboard or heavy drawing paper to get the corners right for your template. As for he actual material, find the latest model extended cab bullnose you can at the JY. This material is pretty rugged and will last a very long time. Finally, if you do the job yourself, good luck. Keep in mind that an upholsterer is not too expensive. I just had my Xterra headliner installed for $300. Job only took one day.
James,
I have done mine the same way, but had the old headliner for a template.
I suggest going to the junkyard or ? and paying the a couple of bucks and getting a old one out of a junk truck 73-79 Ford.
I used the old template to cut it out on a Door skin I bought at Home Depot and glued it to the door skin, easy!
Thus the thin door skin flexed on the curves well, no other support was necessary. Have Fun.
Don
James,
I have done mine the same way, but had the old headliner for a template.
I suggest going to the junkyard or ? and paying the a couple of bucks and getting a old one out of a junk truck 73-79 Ford.
I used the old template to cut it out on a Door skin I bought at Home Depot and glued it to the door skin, easy!
Thus the thin door skin flexed on the curves well, no other support was necessary. Have Fun.
Don
