Refinish headliner?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

HiHoeSilver

Away!
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Posts
10,918
Reaction score
14,578
Location
Chicago
My best advice on how to do it would be to watch some YouTube videos. What I will strongly advise against is using contact cement from an aerosol can. I don't know of any that have held up past the first or second summer, if it even lasted throughout the reinstallation. I bought a gallon a DAP Weldwood adhesive and used a cheap Harbor Freight spray gun on my air compressor to install a fiber-backed outdoor upholstery vinyl (HEAVY!) headliner in my Jeep XJ. Four years later, it still looks like the day I installed it.

If you don't wanna invest in all the tools and materials to do it the correct and permanent way, you could split the difference by removing the panel, stripping off the old material and bringing it to a shop to re-cover it. Most of the labor is the removal and installation, so just having them cover it should be considerably cheaper. It'd be a professional job and you wouldn't have to buy all this stuff that you'd likely never use again.

I like the spray gun plan seeing as there's now a compressor on site and you need a cheap gun for primer already anyways....
 

89Suburban

Bull in the china shop
Space X Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2013
Posts
17,840
Reaction score
50,836
Location
SE PA
I know it was years ago but i just read your ‘hole’ thread on gmsquare... good werk brutha. I did a few of my g-bodies, k5’sand pickem ups when i was a yung buck. I swapped the stupid whit 2 hole pattern headliners to the cloth on a few too. I think I bought that headliner material at jcwhitney. And yes i used a shop vac and wire brush, cardboard and duct tape to cover and fix cracks... ahh good times, good times...

Thanks dawg.
 

07Burb

GM fan for life
Staff member
Moderator Supporting Member Administrator
Joined
Jan 3, 2011
Posts
50,933
Reaction score
19,329
I need to do the headliner in my dually. I hope to get to it this summer!
 

Rocket Man

Mark
Supporting Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Posts
26,679
Reaction score
52,949
Location
Oregon
I’m wondering how to get the headliner from my Denali to an upholstery shop when it’s so damn huge that it takes up the entire inside? Drive with it laying on top of my head? That’s sure to get some laughs out of people who see me. Anybody done this, let me know how you figured it out.
 

Tonyrodz

Resident Resident
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Posts
33,185
Reaction score
51,399
Location
Central Jersey
I’m wondering how to get the headliner from my Denali to an upholstery shop when it’s so damn huge that it takes up the entire inside? Drive with it laying on top of my head? That’s sure to get some laughs out of people who see me. Anybody done this, let me know how you figured it out.
Would it fit in the Silverado? Or if it isn't too far, but carefully strap it to the Tahoe roof rack to bring it there.
 

iamdub

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Posts
20,821
Reaction score
45,012
Location
Li'l Weezyana
I’m wondering how to get the headliner from my Denali to an upholstery shop when it’s so damn huge that it takes up the entire inside? Drive with it laying on top of my head? That’s sure to get some laughs out of people who see me. Anybody done this, let me know how you figured it out.

This is exactly how I got a full headliner home from the salvage yard in my S10. flet like I was driving a chop top :Big Laugh:

You could let it rest on the tops of the head rests on the seats, but use something like a pool noodle or two to raise and support the left side for you headroom.
 

Jeff Groves

Retired Demo Expert. I don't need to run anymore!
Joined
Mar 26, 2019
Posts
533
Reaction score
558
Location
Nevada, Ohio
Get everything removed so it only takes a few minutes to drop it the final bit.
Drive there and finish the drop.
Or cut some 1x2 to kind of hold it up for delivery and pick up.
This is not Rocket science. OH! Wait! Rocket Man......
:p

A piece of wood on the back seat with a T type bar and one in the rear will do the job.
If you use my idea? I'll be needing $25.00.
 
Last edited:

Rocket Man

Mark
Supporting Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Posts
26,679
Reaction score
52,949
Location
Oregon
Get everything removed so it only takes a few minutes to drop it the final bit.
Drive there and finish the drop.
Or cut some 1x2 to kind of hold it up for delivery and pick up.
This is not Rocket science. OH! Wait! Rocket Man......
:p

A piece of wood on the back seat with a T type bar and one in the rear will do the job.
If you use my idea? I'll be needing $25.00.
I have a $7.35 credit. You know, from the shipping on that mic I’m sending you.
 

07Burb

GM fan for life
Staff member
Moderator Supporting Member Administrator
Joined
Jan 3, 2011
Posts
50,933
Reaction score
19,329
I’m wondering how to get the headliner from my Denali to an upholstery shop when it’s so damn huge that it takes up the entire inside? Drive with it laying on top of my head? That’s sure to get some laughs out of people who see me. Anybody done this, let me know how you figured it out.
IMO drive the denali to the shop, take it out there, drop it off and take the denali back up there when it's done.
 

petethepug

Michael
Joined
May 4, 2016
Posts
3,788
Reaction score
4,356
Location
SoCal
Get a quote from an upholstery shop on ...
  • How much to have them do the entire job.
  • How much if you pull the headliner and bring it to them to refurb.
  • How much if you pull the headliner and scrape it clean from all the old adhesive and foam.
It's all about the glue the shops use and properly applying it with a system they know will stand the test of time. Headliners are something you only want to do once. It they're not done to spec, they diminish the vehicles value and comfort.

I guarantee that if you pull the headliner, drop it off to be recovered and stick some hush mat up on the roof while you're waiting, you will fall in love with your truck all over again. It makes that big a difference in noise level, ascetics and new car smell.
 

Rocket Man

Mark
Supporting Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Posts
26,679
Reaction score
52,949
Location
Oregon
I have to laugh my ass off if anybody thinks sound deadening is gonna make a bit of difference on The Beast unless the engine isn’t running in which case it doesn’t matter. You’d have to ride in it to fully understand I guess. Let’s see...Supercharged 6.0, cammed, longtubes with straight pipes...I can’t even hear the whine of the damn Whipple lmao. But it sure does sound badass.
 
OP
OP
Matthew Jeschke

Matthew Jeschke

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2017
Posts
2,344
Reaction score
1,747
Location
Sahuarita, Arizona
I went to Joann fabrics. They have headliner material there, it's the EXACT same color as my truck and very in-expensive. However, it's also the exact same with as the ceiling (not counting the curves in the headliner). Anybody used this stuff from Joann before? Is it intended to stretch?
 

iamdub

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Posts
20,821
Reaction score
45,012
Location
Li'l Weezyana
Most lightweight materials can stretch. You don't wanna stretch headliner material, though. The fabric has a weave pattern to it that will look like crap everywhere it's pulled. It's intended to be laid into place with very minimal pulling for the curved areas. There are plenty of other materials that can be stretched without it showing in the grain/weave.
 

Tonyrodz

Resident Resident
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Posts
33,185
Reaction score
51,399
Location
Central Jersey
I went to Joann fabrics. They have headliner material there, it's the EXACT same color as my truck and very in-expensive. However, it's also the exact same with as the ceiling (not counting the curves in the headliner). Anybody used this stuff from Joann before? Is it intended to stretch?
Used it in my t-top GN, came out pretty good. I didn't really need to stretch it much, only around the coat hook area.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
137,759
Posts
1,991,371
Members
102,745
Latest member
Buford bubba
Back
Top