New custom bow headliner created for a chopped 1948 Ford pick up. The sun visor had to be cut down to only 3 inches deep because the original covered the entire drivers view.

Darren,
The tension on corners can be relived by making small cuts in the seam allowance. The bulk does not always give enough and this will cause the material to pucker.

You can also apply some heat to the area to help relax the vinyl. Steam is the safest way, but you can use a heat gun if you are careful and do not overheat the surface of the vinyl causing it to get shiny.

Cody,
One suggestion - I find it would be a good idea to cover the displayed thread with some clear vinyl to keep the dust from settling on the spools and soiling the thread.

It is a matter of chemistry- ABS plastic and other PVC plastics will omit solvents and gases as they age. This will react with the glue and vinyl that would be applied to the panel causing the new material to eventually lift off the surface of the panel.

Just as dissimilar metals will react to each other and fuse together- ie. aluminum and steal. The felt underlined acts as a buffer and eliminates the problem of the applied vinyl failing to adhere to the panel.

I have l always used lacquer thinner to clean and de-grease plastic panels. Once they are clean the question becomes "What material are you going to wrap the panel with and what type of adhesive are you going to use?"

If you are going to wrap the plastic with vinyl, then you should use a soft fabric under liner material (felt) on the plastic first. The vinyl will not securely bond directly to most plastics. The under liner will bond to the plastic, and the vinyl will bond to the under liner. The under liner material will also give the piece a slightly softer look and feel.

I also recommend using the Weldwood HHR contact adhesive. Spray both surfaces and let them tack good before applying. You can carefully use a heat gun to help soften the vinyl to go around corners.

This headliner was custom made for this 1950 Cadillac. I used ply-grip just above the windlace and it turned out just like the original would have.


One thing to note- ply-grip works the best when the headliner material is light weight like the foam backed or brushed cotton. Vinyl material would have to be less than 20 oz. to be held in place without stressing the ply-grip.

I concur that this would be a three day project for someone that has the experience to do the install if there were no complications or other issues with the wooden sub structure of the car.

Charging a customer for trial and error is not professional or fair, but knowing before hand that you are learning makes the project viable and if it takes a day and a half longer then that is what you would "eat" as a learning expense.

Time is relevant to you. I am older now and it takes me longer to do things. I also do way more work on a project than most, so time has never been a factor for me, I do what needs to be done. Quality and performance of the finished project is what I strive for.

I read that all baseballs are hand stitched. It takes about 13 minutes for a new cover to be put on. I only wish that I could work that fast.

Keep up the great work. It is all about the little details that make an interior special.

The level of difficulty all depends upon the result you are after. Restoring the roof to the correct appearance is not hard, it just takes time and basic skills. If you are using non-original materials, then they will present their own issues and may produce some unpredictable results.

There are some kits available with all the materials necessary. I suggest that you do the research and then decide if it is a project you want to take on.

Things that are done out of board-um I would expect . . .
It was in the late 1960's a car owner brought their new car back for service because of an unidentified rattle. The service tech could not find the cause and dismissed it as a picky customer. After several attempts to get the problem resolved it was just accepted as nothing. Many years later when the car was having the rear quarter window worked on, a coke bottle was found inside the rear panel of the car. A note inside the bottle read. "You finally found me."

It is always about the stretch when wrapping panels. If you go the wrong way it is a fight, but it still can be done.

And thank you for your kind words about the book, I hope it helps you and advances your career.

Vinyl will stretch more one direction than the other. It is best to have the stretch go parallel with the curve. Also a little heat will help the vinyl conform to the panel with less effort.

Try not to over stretch the vinyl as it will develop stretch marks that will not come out. Simply work the material slowly and reapply contact cement and allow it to tack up after lifting the vinyl to reposition it.

Do not give up. You learn by sticking with it and finding the limits of what you can do.

Thank you for posting your results. Not everyone follows through when the begin a post and it leaves us all wondering what the solution was.

Again, Thank you.

Weldwood glue will usually spray from the standard cup gun.
Things to check for:
1. Air Pressure should be about 80 to 90 PSI
2. The vent must be kept clear for the glue to be drawn through the gun properly
3. Over spray needs to be cleared from the air cap and nozzle to get an even spay pattern.

I get my denim from Fabric Supply Inc.
3434 Second Street North, Minneapolis, MN 55412
Phone: 1-800-645-9998
Ask for Tammy or Stephanie.

Albright's Supply also has denim available.

Listing material should be soft and light weight, yet strong enough to hold the seat cover in position without tearing out.
If the material is too heavy the seat cover may distort and not lay correctly on the foam/cotton cushion.

In 45 years of trimming, I have seen many different materials used for listings and nothing is out of the realm of listing material.

Most often listings are made from upholstery denim. Strips are cut to the required size and then folded in half. The headliner listing material is usually too light weight for seat work.

From my understanding, the snaps were added to the top and frame to help hold the top down and prevent the top from buffeting when driven at higher speeds.

The replacement top would then be made with the snaps on the inside reinforcement band or they were added later on and are visible.

You can contact me if you need any further assistance.

A wise man once told me, "Just because you can doesn't meant you should".

Call an attorney. The fact that you have ask this question should tell you that you should not make these alterations to the safety equipment.

Just because a customer wants something doesn't release you from any future liability for doing it. If he makes the alterations himself, then the liability falls on him.

This was the final result of the 1950 Cadillac seat build.

The new company name is SolderWeld and the product that you are looking for is called Multi Sol.
This amazing product is designed to work on pot metal and dis-similar metals to create a secure bond. The low melting temp of the product allows you to repair delicate metal without melting it away.

The company owner Is Lance,he changed the name of the company to take it international.
I met Lance in person at SEMA last year and he was very helpful. I bought the product along with the flux and a jar of the Hot Block, which is also amazing.

SolderWeld Inc. • SolderWeld Europe • SolderWeld Australasia
1.800.356.8449 • infoatsolderwelddotcom

The procedure to restore a door panel like this is explained in detail in this book.

Be very careful when thinning adhesives. The chemical imbalance can cause the glue to loose its ability to bond like it was originally designed.

If you try adding some fresh adhesive to the old, it may help solve the problem of spraying. Otherwise just use the older glue with a brush and only spray fresh adhesive.

Do not always assume that the supplier is dishonest.

If the supplier is reputable, you can measure the hide back at your shop. If you find that the goods are not what you paid for, then return them and tell the supplier why.

The supplier may not know that the marking was incorrect or they did know - either way you know and should stand up for what is right.