[sammons]

After some serious studying on the headliner,  I have a better understanding (I think ) of how this should go. So I spent the day pulling stitches, i'm starting all over.

[62131]

Sammona the head liner is looking good, I guess by now you have it figured out

[chopper526]

After some serious studying on the headliner,  I have a better understanding (I think ) of how this should go. So I spent the day pulling stitches, i'm starting all over.

Sammons, NO WAY!? It's that bad? No question you know what you want and what you are doing. Keep us posted. Sorry.

[62131]

Sometimes it takes two to three times to get it right, that's what gives us experience and desire to get it right

[sammons]

That's right 62131.  Chopper, i'm going to tear it apart and do it again and again till it suits me. Everytime it gets better!

I've figured out some, take it one panel at a time. It's a pain in the ass, sewing on the listing and hanging it up each time to measure/ relocate the bows. I've added one more bow up front (next to the front header), that helped a lot.

Here is where i'm at tonite.

[62131]

Sammons  That's looking good, I believe you just about have it, the wrinkles should go away when you start to stretch it  place.

[chopper526]

Sammons, that looks incredible!! I know what you mean, get it right the first time, otherwise, eveytime you get in the car it will haunt you. What's the plan for the sail panels?

[sammons]

Thanks chopper, it isn't done yet but it's getting closer. The sail panels will get sewn in with the rest of the headliner,  and will run down to the cage cross bar (where the shoulder harnesses mount.) Regular vinyl upholstery from there down.

 I let the aluminum insert on my '57 dash slide (no biggie) but it drove me crazy every time I looked down at it. Didn't have the money to replace it, (now they don't cost that much.)Yep it's my last go-round so it's got to suit me I won't beable to re-do it later.

I'm sure glad I'm tackling this now and not after paint. I have dropped tools all over the car. It would be a chipped up dented mess by now.

[chopper526]

Sail panels sewn into the headliner???!!!!! You are a glutton for punishment! You will have had that headliner in and out 100 times by the time you are done.

[62131]

After you sew in your sail panels and put it back in, I see in your picture a metal strip around the belt line of the roof is this how your going to attach the bottom? 
I learned a trick from an upholstery guy here that helped me on the installation of my headliner. He told me to attach my wind lace to the door opening the make some metal strips about 2" wide  the same contour of the body and attach that just above the wind lace then get some door edge guard and slip over the edge of the metal so that when you tucked the head liner under it  would not cut it.

[sammons]

62131, that strip you see is where I mask off  before shooting the sound deadner. I've still got to weld in the rear sheetmetal panels there.
     
That's a good idea on the tucking/windlace. My plans are to glue the headliner around the perimeter of the door opening then the windlace. Then cut the metal retainer (like you said) only it will be about 1" wide and covered in upholstery, and trim screwed in place.

Is just the good fitting windlace air tight, or do you need additional weather stripping?

[62131]

The wind lace is air tight, but my 38 has weather striping also.
 If you install the wind lace first then the metal strip with the edge guard just above the wind lace you can tuck the head liner under the metal strip and you will get a cleaner look with less work.

[sammons]

Knowing what I know now, I should have just ordered the material and started from scratch. The material would have been plenty long enough ( and a lot cheaper). I didn't have a grasp on how one was really made untill now. You are right on a cleaner/ simpler install and i like the idea. But, as you can see by the pic, the Mustang headliner is not wide enough to tuck. I don't think I have that option now.

[62131]

You're right there's not enough material around the door opening for you to tuck. So now I understand why you are going to make a trim panel.

[sammons]

Well with Christmas over, and everybody gone, I got back to work. My niece's bofreind gave me a hand bending the angel brackets, and poprivet'd them in for my rear lower inner int.panels.  I got the taillamp buckets built and welded in today, what a pain.

Spotted a cage work for fiberglass street beast bodies, liked the door crash bars in them. With limited space in the doors I think this will work, maybe two rows. Luckily my buddy Tom had taken these out of his stock trailer when he filled in the windows.

Oh, got my Vintage Air heat/ac gen ll ordered today.