by Michael Maffattone

Created on: August 24, 2008

After 32 years of being involved in automotive restyling and restoration, the question that I have heard the most from customers is "Can anything be done with this"? What they were referring to was their headliner. For those of you that are not familiar with this term, it is what you see when sitting in your vehicle and look up. It is your "ceiling" so to speak. Up until 1976, there was basically one type of headliner. It was sewn fabric accommodated by pockets or "bows" that attached to certain points in the vehicle. The headliner that most people are familiar with and the problems they cause are comprised of a "fuzzy" fabric with foam backing that is adhered to a board. Your problems arise with the passage of time. After several years, the foam backing, the part you don't see, starts to dry rot. The material then separates from its foam and begins to drop. It sort of looks like air pockets. Once this process begins, there is no quick repair. The entire headliner board must be taken down, stripped clean, and new material applied. I wish I had a dime for every time someone asked, "Can't you just glue it back up"? The answer is always no. The foam backing at this point has a consistency of gummy dirt. The old material will not adhere.

The process of repair begins by removing the trim molding that surrounds the headliner board. Everything that holds the headliner in place must be removed including your flip down sun visors and dome light. There are vehicles out there that are much more involved but for this article, we will speak about the general process of the procedure. Once all the trim pieces are removed, you headliner board should have "dropped" slightly. If it did not move at all, it is attached to the roof skin by either Velcro or a putty of sorts. Gently pull the side of the board down to see which it is. If it's Velcro, pull the board down to release it. When you pull the board down to see and you find that it does not move at all, that would mean that it is adhered to the roof skin by a putty adhesive. If this is the case, I would recommend that you do not go any further. You can do serious roof damage if you do not posses the proper tools and knowledge to continue. Seek out a repair shop if you have not done so already.

Assuming the headliner is detached from the roof skin, it is now time to move your seats. Adjust your front seats so that they are positioned all the way back. Make believe you are 7 feet tall and you need more leg room! If the seats

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