Headliner help

[BABIS]

Hello guys,

I would like to buy this fibreglass headliner backing kit https://www.deloreango.com/it/fibreglass-headliner-boards.html but I was told there are no holes for the original metal clips and unfortunately I have no reference where to place them; can you help with some measurements of their final position?
thanks!

[mburshtain]

Hello guys,

I would like to buy this fibreglass headliner backing kit https://www.deloreango.com/it/fibreglass-headliner-boards.html but I was told there are no holes for the original metal clips and unfortunately I have no reference where to place them; can you help with some measurements of their final position?
thanks!
If you choose this option, I would suggest the following :
1. Remove the metal clips from your existing middle piece while preserving the original holes.
2. Laying your original headliner, on top of the new fiberglass one, and mark the location of your new holes.
3. Drill and connect the metal clips to your new fiberglass headliner.

Hope that helps.

[BABIS]

If you choose this option, I would suggest the following :
1. Remove the metal clips from your existing middle piece while preserving the original holes.
2. Laying your original headliner, on top of the new fiberglass one, and mark the location of your new holes.
3. Drill and connect the metal clips to your new fiberglass headliner.

Hope that helps.

thank you, the issue is that I have no old headliners to do the job!

[axh174]

I've actually got my original headliner backer boards (the pressed cardboard stuff) out for headliner recovery at the moment. If no one replies beforehand, I can measure distances later tonight from the edges of the center board to the center of the rivet holes and take a few pics.

I'll check back on the forum later tonight and post some measurements.

Also, I'm assuming that you have the metal clips and recessed pop-rivets needed for the center board?

-Kevin
VIN 2234

[BABIS]

I've actually got my original headliner backer boards (the pressed cardboard stuff) out for headliner recovery at the moment. If no one replies beforehand, I can measure distances later tonight from the edges of the center board to the center of the rivet holes and take a few pics.

I'll check back on the forum later tonight and post some measurements.

Also, I'm assuming that you have the metal clips and recessed pop-rivets needed for the center board?

-Kevin
VIN 2234

Thanks Kevin! yes I have the metal clips; as for the rivets, I will search some flat head rivets locally..

[axh174]

Hi BABIS,

Took some measurements of my headliner backing boards tonight. I've created some marked-up pics to demonstrate the measurements, but please read this whole post because there are some points to be wary of.

First, as a disclaimer, my boards are 37 years old, and are slightly warped compared to what you will have with DeLoreanGo's new fiberglass boards. As a case-in-point, the aft edge of my front headliner board is slightly narrower than at the midpoint; the board has been slightly flattened in that area (presumably) because of pulling the headliner material taunt up over the fiberglass body along the door weatherstripping. As such, my recommendation is to measure your boards, find your centerline, and then measure out from that centerline to the metal clip rivet locations.

In the pic below, the dotted lines represent distances from my board centerline while solid lines represent distances from the board edges. (If anyone knows how to insert an image so it's bigger in the post, please PM me; the rivet holes are nearly impossible to see).

58592

The pop-rivet centerlines are 10-5/32" from the aft edge of the board, and 5-11/16" from either side edge (but remember, my board is a little wider here). From the centerline of the board, each pop-rivet hole is 2-1/32" distant, and the distance from one pop-rivet to the other is 4-1/16".

The pop-rivets are installed flush with the headliner backing board to prevent any distortion in the headliner material. This appears to have been accomplished by molding/drilling/gouging out (not sure which) a circular recess approximately 0.05" deep and 1/4" in diameter. Then, a flat-headed pop-rivet with a head 1/4" in diameter and a shank of 5/32" was installed. I estimate the pop-rivet length to be about 1/4". The pic below shows the head of the pop-rivet along with an adjacent molded/drilled recess hole.

58593

58594

Before moving on to the aft headliner backing board, there are three other things I want to point out about the forward backing board. First, if you look at the first image, you'll notice I've put some dimensions in the upper right hand corner. These are the approximate distances for the sun visor mount holes. I want to stress these are approximate. On my board, the holes seemed to have been drilled slightly off the mark, and then the visor mounts pushed under and around the board to get the screws to seat properly. This caused some minor damage to my board. I've done my best to estimate the actual visor mount centerlines, but it's a little difficult to say I nailed them. Measurements are taken from the outside corner "shelf" edge.

Second, my backing board has a metal plate glued to it in the forward center to help keep the courtesy lamp in (and prevent the board from deteriorating when the lamp is pulled out to replace the bulb). I didn't see this pre-installed on the DeLoreanGo fiberglass backers, and I'm not sure if it's needed for a fiberglass board or not. This is DMCH part number 108746 found here (http://store.delorean.com/p-10018-adaptor-ctsy-lamp.aspx).

Third, the "roofside" of my forward headliner board has a foam cushion glued to the leading edge. I don't see this in the DMCH parts list. But here's a pic to illustrate:

58595


And here are the metal retaining clip mount dimensions for the aft backing board:

58596

As with the forward board, this is also slightly warped from age. Best to once again find your centerline and then measure out from there for the pop-rivet mount holes. The pop-rivet centerlines are 2-1/16" from the aft edge of the board, and 17-3/4"" from either side edge (but remember, my board may be warped). From the centerline of the board, each pop-rivet hole is 2-1/32" distant, and the distance from one pop-rivet to the other is 4-1/16".

One thing I think that may be important to point out is the dimensions from the side edges are measured from the trailing "lip". If you choose to measure from where the side edge "flaps" meet the main body of the board, take note that the flaps gradually transition into the main body of the board, and there is not a hard edge. So position your chosen measurement device accordingly.

Lastly, my door headliner backing boards have cushioned foam strips glued to them as seen in the pic below. I don't see these in the DMCH parts list, and I don't know if they're necessary, but they're 1-1/2" x 5-5/8" and 2/8" thick.

58597

If you have any other questions, I'll do my best to help. =)

-Kevin
VIN 2234

[BABIS]

If you have any other questions, I'll do my best to help. =)

-Kevin
VIN 2234

Thanks a lot, I couldn't wish for anything better! can you give me a couple of measurements for the courtesy light hole? I don't see any reference on the fiberglass board

[axh174]

Hi BABIS,

I took some measurements on the courtesy light hole. Here's the updated pic:

58607

Several things to point out. The courtesy light retaining plate hole is 3-5/16" by 1-1/8", so if you don't plan on using the retaining plate, that's the size of the hole you'll want to cut. The hole is slightly bigger than the courtesy light such that the courtesy light should fit snugly into place once the headliner material is glued to the board.

If you plan on installing the courtesy light retaining plate (which I think would be recommended), then the width of the hole should be cut 3/8" wider to create a hole 3-11/16" by 1-1/8". This appears to be so that the total thickness of the plate and board is not so great as to prevent the clips on the courtesy light from grasping onto something. With the wider hole, the clips on the courtesy light will then solely rest on the retaining plate to hold the light in place.

Distance from the trailing edge of the board to the courtesy light hole is 25". This is to the edge of the courtesy light hole, not the retaining plate. So once the hole is cut, you can just center the retaining plate over it. I've tried measuring from the leading edge of the board, but it's a bit tricky because it is sloped. The leading edge distance is approximately 1-1/16".

Just like with the backing board metal clip, I'd recommend finding your centerline and measuring outward. The dotted lines on the picture are distances measured from the centerline. The distance is 1-21/32", which I find to be a little tedious. So another way to think of it is measuring 1-5/8" and then tacking on 1/32".

Hope that helps!



If I may ask, what headliner material are you planning on using and what glue? Not to hijack the thread, but I'm trying to decide between a couple, and I figure now might be as good a time as any to get some feedback.

Also, if you do get the DeLoreanGo boards, take lots of pics! I'd love to see them and how your headliner recovery goes!

-Kevin
VIN 2234

[BABIS]

Thanks Kevin!



If I may ask, what headliner material are you planning on using and what glue? Not to hijack the thread, but I'm trying to decide between a couple, and I figure now might be as good a time as any to get some feedback.

Also, if you do get the DeLoreanGo boards, take lots of pics! I'd love to see them and how your headliner recovery goes!

-Kevin
VIN 2234

I already have a spray can of 3m super 90 glue; about the material I guess I will buy the one sold on deloreango or maybe I will search something locally!

[eight8toy]

If I may ask, what headliner material are you planning on using and what glue? Not to hijack the thread, but I'm trying to decide between a couple, and I figure now might be as good a time as any to get some feedback.



If you have a Joann's fabric store or similar where you live they had a nice foam backed headliner material in grey. Using the spray adhesive it attaches nicely to the board.

[axh174]

I'm fairly certain the headliner fabric I pulled off my center board is original ('81 black interior automatic). Based on the amount of foam that was left, it appears to be a 1/8" foam backing.

Getting ahold of some automotive trim samples, I was able to make a nearly perfect color match to Item #: PH-1810 "Medium Dark Grey" from yourautotrim.com (https://www.yourautotrim.com/mediumdarkgrey.html). However, it appears this color in only sold in a thicker 3/16" foam backing. Additionally, I noticed from the sample board I bought that the weave pattern of the fabric doesn't quite match the original.

On the other hand, the foam thickness and fabric weave pattern on the headliner sample board I got from headliner-magic.com (http://www.headliner-magic.com/headliner-material.html) does match the original. But I can't match the color. The closest color is # 2076 "Medium Graphite", which I can live with.

Ultimately, my conundrum comes down to this: I'd like the molded edges/slopes/indentation of the backing boards to be well-defined. How likely am I to loose that definition if I use a 3/16" foam backing versus a 1/8" foam backing? For example, am I likely to better see the oval indentation of the center board if I use a 1/8" foam backing, or does it not matter?

On the glue side of things, I'm trying to decide between the 3M spray adhesives, or the DAP Weldwood Contact-Cement (https://www.lowes.com/pd/DAP-Weldwood-Off-White-Interior-Exterior-Contact-Cement-Construction-Adhesive-Actual-Net-Contents-32-fl-oz/3819177). My concern is, if I have to ever do the headliner again, how difficult is it going to be to scrape either of these products off? (Incidentally, is this one of the reasons some folks epoxy coat the fiber backing boards, to make it easier to scrape the glue off?)

I'm probably just being way too nit-picky/obsessive-compulsive about this...

[DMC1890]

I finished up mine a couple of weeks ago using the Joann's material with 3M spray. I coated my original panels with several coats of resin because my panels smelled bad, and they were a bit 'mushy'. I'm pleased with how the center panels turned out, but my technique on the door panels was not good, and the corners have some wrinkles.