In addition to repainting the camper shell, I also managed to install a new headliner in the cab. Just went with a reproduction of original from Dennis Carpenter. Didn’t have a second set of hands, so it took all day, but I managed to get it shaped and installed without breaking even one piece (quite the feat, judging from all I’ve read and the YouTube videos I watched). Altered the rear panel to accommodate a set of 5” speakers for the small mp3 player in the glovebox. The truck hasn’t had a headliner in the 15 years I’ve owned it so it was time. The dome light lead was still up there, and hot, so that was probably the easiest part of the install.

 

Really looks nice! That’s next up on my agenda, too. Just installed cab clearance lights , son is coming this weekend to help put in the headliner. I just had to get rid of that Roddoors ABS one .

 

Still on my list of things to do. I’m scared about breaking an original style.

 

What’s wrong with the ABS headliners? I heard if you use the correct adhesive, you can put just about anything on them.

 

I thought about the ABS headliner as well but decided that I’d prefer to make it look a little more “correct”. That, and I thought the black ABS might make the cab a lot darker, which wouldn’t be my first choice.
So… for the installation, if you’re doing a reproduction of original, here is my input from my experience… do check out the couple of videos on YouTube; I personally found them to be pretty useful. If possible, warm up the headliner in the sun for awhile… warming it up seems to help with the forming the contours. I would, after my experience, recommend a second person. Fill and use that spray bottle of water on the backs of the headliner pieces! I used maybe 3/4 of the bottle in total. I was thinking I was using too much, but it turns out, not. Take your time and use your patience when manually “pre-bending” the (dampened) pieces, by hand, to accomplish the needed contours for the cab. The two videos disagree on the installation of the top rear panel (with the dome light)… one says to tuck the bottom of the panel into the rear window weatherstrip first, then snap the top of the panel into the clips on the ceiling piece with a hook tool (which to me seemed at first like the more intuitive route); the other says to press the top of the panel against the ceiling clips and work the bottom into the weatherstrip. I personally went with the latter after trying both…. I felt like I was going to damage the rear top panel by trying to snap it into the ceiling clips. I had to trim a little off the bottom of the rear top panel, and also off of the two corner pieces at the rear of the doors.
Anyhow… just some input. Use or disregard as much or as little as what works for you. Only, no matter how much you disregard, heed the part about patience! Good luck.

-Norm

 

Could you put a perforated cardboard headliner on them?

I like the original better.

 

Yes; mine is actually the exact same reproduction headliner as the perforated; same “chicken-scratch” print pattern, only solid, without the perforations. The perforated version is actually correct for the Custom Cabs, I believe… the non-perforated like mine were in the more standard / no-options trucks. I went with the non-perforated myself, because first, it's what I remember being in my grandfather’s truck; and second, I thought especially since I was going to be doing the install by myself, that the non-perforated might be a little more “hearty” and less likely to break. I’m not sure that’s true, but it made sense in my mind. But, my grandfather’s truck was the main reason. But the perforated headliners are the same board, and all my input applies to them as well. In fact both the YouTube videos installations were the perforated versions.

-Norm

 

Great job on headliner! Couldn't help noticing the seats. Love how thin the backs are. My buckets are too thick. What brand are they?

 

first thing I noticed too. I switched to a late 80's f150 bench in my 66 because it was overall "thinner" than the stock seat. The ones in the OP's pic look like they are out of a 60's car of some kind.

On the Roddoors headliner.. It definitely looks cheezy as delivered but if you cover it, I think it would look like something that could have come in a car of that era... especially if you used material that was perforated. I realize it's for an old truck and not a caddy but I never liked all those overlapping pieces.

I have a roddoors liner that I'll be getting covered soon. waiting for my seat cover to come in so it can be matched.

 

On the seats, my truck is a Ranger clone so they’re just the “correct” ‘65/‘66 Mustang seats; only I had them recovered and re-foamed, and I used the “incorrect-but-cool” Pony interior seat covers. Not right for a Ranger but a little fancier and I like the look of them.

 

Well, earlier this year, the headliner drooped badly in my '61 flareside 4x4.
Also, the hardboard headliner in my daughter's '70 Jeep gladiator pickup.
Evidently, the humidity in the air during the winter months absorbs into the hardboard and they droop. _ _ fiddle sticks.

Norm, thank you for the nice dissertation on your install experience.
Could you maybe share the shipping experience, I.e., size of box and cost of shipping ?
Maybe some notes on the wetting and bending considerations

the driver's door panel on my '78 Ford E250 trekker van had buckled real bad from absorbing humidity, and I have had it clamped between two pieces of plywood to press it flat over time (dang near one year already). I've not re-installed yet.

I was tempted to remove the sagged (drooped) headliner and soak in our swimming pool for re-bending, BUT _ _ _
the finish pattern was all checked and would probably have soaked off of the hardboard, so I chucked both.

@orange65
Yes, Norm's seats are Buff.
There are probably some '60's and '70's vintage bucket seats stored away in Bommer's shop lofts.
I remember some of the late '70's Dodge power wagons, and Jeep gladiator pickups had some similar bucket seats.
Those were in special packages, and are SCARCE today.

 

I have the ABS kit. I’ll likely be covering it in the perforated snow vinyl.

https://www.upholsterysupplyusa.com/...nyl-monticello

 

[/QUOTE] Norm, thank you for the nice dissertation on your install experience.
Could you maybe share the shipping experience, I.e., size of box and cost of shipping ?
Maybe some notes on the wetting and bending considerations [/QUOTE]

I didn’t have any problems with the shipping from Dennis Carpenter, but it ain’t cheap! I can’t remember the exact shipping cost, but the headliner was around $400 shipped, and the headliner itself was around $175. It comes flat in a large flat box, maybe 4’x5’. It’s packed well and mine arrived in the proper 4 pieces plus the clip kit, but in one of the YouTube videos I watched on the installation, this guy received his (he didn’t say from which company) in 20+ pieces. They sent him a new one, and he utilized some of the broken pieces from the first one on the install when he broke a piece or two of the second one. I ended up using about 2/3 of a full spray bottle for dampening. I shot the pieces down pretty well at the places where they have to form to the cab contours. The water tends to bead on the board at first, and I just rubbed it into the board and let it set for several minutes to soak in. Not saturating them, but definitely a lot more damp than I’d anticipated. You just need to increase the pliability of the boards with the water spray, or the boards will break. Then I started forming the appropriate bends, slowly and carefully. A little at a time. Seriously, take your time. Once the bends are pretty much formed and the boards are still damp, you can start installing the pieces. Shoot the boards down again before installing if they start drying out too much... They’ll have to bend even more when you install them. Once installed, they dry out and conform to the cab so they’re a lot easier to remove and reinstall if you need to (I removed the top rear panel after initial install to fit the speakers into it and get the dome light going).

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Other than that, this can help too:

 

Finished installing mine today, with the assistance of my wife. My son was to have driven from Santa Cruz to assist, but he’s been working 13-hour days , I couldn’t in good conscience ask him to get up on his day off, drive 175 miles then begin working in 100F + temps. Wife and I got up at first light yesterday, worked till it hit 90F. Then finished off this morning.

A few hints I learned from other members here:

1. Use a mixture of 4 parts water/ 1 part (or a bit more) ammonia to pre-wet the warmed headliner, we warmed ours with a heat gun since we didn’t want to work in the heat of the day. The ammonia temporarily makes the fibers more pliable and less prone to snapping. Thanks for this tip from member tbm3fan, Mike. Apparently, this method is done when steaming and shaping certain wooden parts. No residual scent from the ammonia.

2. Wet well the sail panels, then ever so gradually, form them around the radius of a 5 gallon bucket. Once fully conformed to the radius of the bucket, as tightly as possible secure it, with 3-4 straps, bungees, whatever you think will work, till mostly dry. We did one at a time. This really helps. ! Not sure where I stole this idea, maybe Chad? Thanks to whoever it was.

3. Buy and add some additional clips when you buy the headliner, for the front edge near the visors rear view mirror. Avoids a warped and uneven edge. Watch that YouTube video, linked previously, several times and pray you have patience and don’t snap the delicate fiberboard.

I cannot believe that Carpenter will not sell separately, the sail panels and piece that goes above the rear window - the easiest pieces to snap/damage. They’re also relatively small and would cost little to ship, compared to the very large main piece. The approx 200.00 price tag, plus another 150.00 shipping, is sure to have you sweating bullets at install time, out of fear of damaging it and having to buy another.

 

Really good input! I take it that your install was fully successful? I didn’t think of the ammonia, but that’s a good tip. Good tip for the sail panels too. I bent/worked mine over the sides of the hood; top rear panel edges too. That seemed to work okay but I like the bucket & bungee idea better. The extra clips are also a good idea, if there aren’t any still up there above the visors… most of mine were still up there (headliner itself was long gone), and I utilized the old clips with the new ones, for just the reason you suggested. Carpenter and the other companies should definitely sell replacement parts for these. I was extraordinarily fortunate not snapping anything, especially installing by myself. But you’re right… I was sweating bullets, and not because of the heat!

-Norm