I was wondering if anyone has tried recovering their headliner with vinyl? I redid the headliner in my winter beater last year using the normal foam backed fabric. It turned out really well, but thought I might try something different in the camaro. It wouldn't be too heavy would it? Are there different kinds of vinyl? If so, what kind do you think would work best?

Thanks for the help.

 

I'm considering doing this too. The best vinyl I've found is whisper vinyl from Jo-Ann fabrics, its about $15 a yard. It's ultra soft, and feels/looks like leather. It actually feels more like leather than the actual (cheapo) leather on my seats. I don't think it can be done with the factory headliner though, I think you would need one of those ABS headliner boards. You would then have to wrap it with thin foam, around 1/4" thick, and then wrap that with the vinyl. The vinyl is going to require more tension than headliner foam to get it to pull around curves nicely, and the stock headliner (fiberglass?) board isn't stiff enough, at least not for a t-top car which has alot of compound curves. It might be doable with a hardtop, since it's mostly flat.

 

Awhile back someone on the boards was actually selling the headliner, sail panels and sun visors with the vinyl. I can't remember who, but I also am interested in the perforated vinyl......

 

The hard top headliner would probably harder...it's a wider span and actually has a nice curve to it.

 

I did my t-top headliner in vinyl. I covered the stock board in resin to stiffen it up. It's a job to get it on there, I started on the back and had serious doubts by the time I got to the skinny part of it, but it can be done. It looks really cool.

The only problem for me was that I messed up the corners. I forgot they show on the top side, so I cut them a little close and you could see it on the top. I filled it with some black foam stuff and it looks pretty good, but I want to redo it when I have some spare time.

 

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'll have to go to my local Jo-Ann fabrics and see if they have any of the whisper vinyl. Does it have any sort of backing on it already?

I have a hardtop car so I really shouldn't have to put any tension on the vinyl should I? I figured the glue would hold it to the contours. I didn't really stretch the foam backed fabric I used on my other car.

I was actually thinking about trying to do it without any foam. I figured the extra weight of the vinyl would make it fall apart that much faster.

Is the headliner board really that flimsy? The way everyone talks, it makes it sound like the thing is going to disintegrate the moment I touch it.

 

In my experience... yea it does

 

A vinyl headliner just doesn't sound right, I need to see a pic Most backing boards especially t-tops are close to dust, that's another thing we need reproduced.

 

Here ya go, and for future reference it's really hard to take pictures of a headliner that's installed.





That front corner came off a little as you can see in the first picture, so if you do it use better glue than I did

 

Actually they are being reproduced out of ABS plastic. It's just more than I really want to spend, though.
http://tpiparts.net/82_92_headliner

87 formy:
Thanks for the pics. The headliner looks good. Sorry to hear about the glue coming loose. When I did my other car I used 3M Hi-Strength 90 spray adhesive. It's probably overkill and was the most expensive part of the whole project, but I sure as hell didn't want it to fall again.

 

sweet idea! im in, ill be trying that this weekend

 

Jim85iroc@yahoo.com is the person I was talking to about the vinyl covered headliner, sail panels and visors. He was using the after market plastic headliner board not the cardboard original crap,and you can get them covered in fabric or vinyl. I haven't been in touch with him for awhile, but it might be worth an email........

 

Hi...

So did you get to do it? Did you use vinyl for your headliner?

Would love to see pics! I just took my car to the upholstery guys I usually got to and they'll do it as soon as I get the ABS headliner.