48 coupe- headliner questions

Bolts

Bolts

Well-known member
My car has no headliner and the interior is completely shot.
I want to use the LaBarron-Bonney made headliner and do my own installation as well as install the LaBarron-Bonney made seat covers myself.

I'll be replacing the window rubber before I get to it, but right now I have a few questions about how the headliner goes in at the rear of the door pillar and also if the material comes down to the dash at the front of the door.

I would appreciate seeing any pictures you might show of these areas as well as the interior in general.

Thanks
 
I am in the beginning throes of installing a head liner in a 46 coupe. If you like, I can let you know how it goes. I have done numerous 39 & 40 Fords so have a good grasp of the basics of installation. Still, a 46 - 48 is not a 39 - 40.
I trust you realize the windshields, both front and rear, as well as the quarter windows must be removed to install a headliner. Yes?
 
Kube, I'm not sure, but I think the windshield in the 46-48 can stay put as I believe the headliner is glued to the metal over the windshield and covered by the garnish.
I do know the rear windows have to come out.
I studied my car and a couple Youtube videos showing cars with bows in the headliner and have a partial understanding of what to do, but a little knowledge here is probably dangerous ground.
I would be very appreciative to know how you manage with it.
The videos show the tech using a staple gun to attach the lacing and portions of the headliner. One question I have is what length staples are used there?
I am also wondering if the headliner comes with the window cutouts roughly removed or if you have to work blind around the windows and cut the material away after the headliner is glued up in place.
 
Bolts said:
Kube, I'm not sure, but I think the windshield in the 46-48 can stay put as I believe the headliner is glued to the metal over the windshield and covered by the garnish.
I do know the rear windows have to come out.
I studied my car and a couple Youtube videos showing cars with bows in the headliner and have a partial understanding of what to do, but a little knowledge here is probably dangerous ground.
I would be very appreciative to know how you manage with it.
The videos show the tech using a staple gun to attach the lacing and portions of the headliner. One question I have is what length staples are used there?
I am also wondering if the headliner comes with the window cutouts roughly removed or if you have to work blind around the windows and cut the material away after the headliner is glued up in place.
Click to expand...
Perhaps I misspoke in regard to the front windshield and one can leave the glass in and only remove the moldings.
Typically a new headliner does not have an opening for the rear window. Personally, I would rather it didn't.
I use 3/8" staples. On occasion they may be too long but will 'fold" as soon as they bottom out against the inner body.
 
If anyone has pictures of the inside of a 46-48 coupe showing the headliner at the windshield and the door pillar, I would appreciate seeing them.
Thanks
 
Headliner in my '47 sedan coupe was replaced by previous owner. See attached incidental photos. Can take close-up photos in desired.

At pillars, headliner ends just under the bottom edge of pillar light fixture cover; it is folded back under a piece of cardboard-like material to make a smooth edge/termination; The pillars are covered by a narrow strip of upholstery stretched over the cardboard-type backer and retained by the garnish molding of the quarter window and a hidden two-sided self-adhesive strip along the door edge.

At windshield, headliner passes behind the side and overhead windshield garnish molding and the upper corners of the dashboard; can not see how it is anchored.
 

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I haven't gotten that far on my 46 coupe but would like to know how it attaches to the side rear windows. I have some two metal pieces, one above the door and the other on the B pillar but nothing around those side back windows.
 
Drbrown, Thanks for the photos. Would you mind showing a close up of the headliner as it comes down from the top and runs down to the dash (that real narrow strip next to the windshield garnish)? Thanks.
 
waterboychuck, I believe when you take the rear window garnish screws out, the window comes out with it. I think the headliner glues to the metal around the window and then the window garnish covers the area when it is re-installed. Not totally sure here, but pretty sure.
That metal strip over the door has sharp points formed into it so that when the headliner material is stuffed up under it with a putty knife, the little points grab the material and keep it tight.
 
waterboychuck said:
I haven't gotten that far on my 46 coupe but would like to know how it attaches to the side rear windows. I have some two metal pieces, one above the door and the other on the B pillar but nothing around those side back windows.
Click to expand...

Would you mind showing the metal piece that goes on the B pillar?
Thanks
 
Bolts and waterboychuck .... when I removed the interior rear side window garnish molding to install my seat belts, I think I remember that the glass and it's channel SS trim are held in-place by the upper and lower pivot hinges which attach to the car body. I also remember the headliner was held in-place by small metal teeth around the window opening. In all of this, remember however that my car had been reupholstered and some details may not be original i.e. some use of an industrial-grade double-stick tape.

Re around the door, I have not looked at how that is/was done.

Re my B pillar, on the inside you see about a 1 inch wide body flange at the door opening side, a similar body flange on the rear window side, and there is about a 3/4 inch vertical gap between the two. Those dimensions may vary because I have a sedan coupe, but the design should be similar.

Re upholstery at door-windshield post, I've not had that apart but the fabric just disappears behind the windshield garnish molding and is wrapped tightly over the upper corner of the dash board. I can take a closeup photo, but if you enlarge my photo of the dashboard scene, and although a little hard to see, what you see is about it.
 
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Here is the photo that I promised. The first one is in the car and then I decided to take the piece out, cleaned it up and took another photo. That curved part does have the teeth in it to hold the material.

Could you please take photos while you are doing this to help the rest of us with that process.

Chuck
 

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Got it. Thanks for the picture.
I have those pieces also. They're for the interior light fixtures. You can see part of the old headliner sticking out from under it in my car. The piece of material I saved was under the fixture shown. You can see the impression of the light fixture in it and some glue, but I don't know what the glue was glued to exactly.
 

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If it helps, LeBARON BONNEY sends illustrated instructions with their kits. I think they would send a copy of them to you to read if you ask.
 
When I purchased my car it was a basket case. It did come with a Le Baron Bonney headliner still in the box. I opened it this morning and sure enough there are the instructions, four pages. I've tried attaching them here but for some reason I do not see them in my preview. If you send me a email with the subject being headliner and I'll send them to you.
 
Chuck, thank you for emailing the instructions to me.
John, you are right. Nothing like knowing what to do before you do it.
Thanks to all the contributors to this thread.
 
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