Suggestions for replacing Suburban Headliner

[72ArizonaBurb]

I have a 72 Suburban and the head liner is shot. I would like any suggestions / pictures of how you guys did yours and what materials you used. Thanks.

[72BlckButy]

Welcome to the board.

Let me shoot this thread over to the Suburban section to try and get you some help.

[72ArizonaBurb]

Originally Posted by 72BlckButy

Welcome to the board.

Let me shoot this thread over to the Suburban section to try and get you some help.

Thanks for the help. I still learning my way around here.

[CG]

Several threads here on this in the burb section ... try a search, you will find some cool ideas.

[vectorit]

Welcome to the board!

Here is what I did for my burb headliner.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=410459

Not totally in love with it, but it's better than nothing. Still open to better ideas on material to use, but what I used worked pretty good.

Oh, and put up some pics of your burb! Us burb folks are even more nosey than the PU crowd, since there are not that many burbs on the road along with us burb lovers out there.

[HighlanderBrad]

I used the shower surround material also. The brand I used was from Marvin's Building Materials. The brand at Lowe's was too stiff. This kind was easy to cut and bend. Could make real tight bends with heat if needed. I used the same material and made side panels. Used a product called "bull dog", an adhesion promoter and painted them. I used the original Suburban headliner ribs and edge rails. See what you think....

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/f...n/DSC07007.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/f...n/DSC07006.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/f...n/DSC07079.jpg

[72ArizonaBurb]

Originally Posted by HighlanderBrad

I used the shower surround material also. The brand I used was from Marvin's Building Materials. The brand at Lowe's was too stiff. This kind was easy to cut and bend. Could make real tight bends with heat if needed. I used the same material and made side panels. Used a product called "bull dog", an adhesion promoter and painted them. I used the original Suburban headliner ribs and edge rails. See what you think....

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/f...n/DSC07007.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/f...n/DSC07006.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/f...n/DSC07079.jpg

WOW that looks great! Nice and clean it really pop's against that red paint. Thanks for the advice.

Keith

[72ArizonaBurb]

Originally Posted by HighlanderBrad

I used the shower surround material also. The brand I used was from Marvin's Building Materials. The brand at Lowe's was too stiff. This kind was easy to cut and bend. Could make real tight bends with heat if needed. I used the same material and made side panels. Used a product called "bull dog", an adhesion promoter and painted them. I used the original Suburban headliner ribs and edge rails. See what you think....

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/f...n/DSC07007.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/f...n/DSC07006.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/f...n/DSC07079.jpg

Thanks for the pics. Looks great!

[72ArizonaBurb]

Originally Posted by vectorit

Welcome to the board!

Here is what I did for my burb headliner.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=410459

Not totally in love with it, but it's better than nothing. Still open to better ideas on material to use, but what I used worked pretty good.

Oh, and put up some pics of your burb! Us burb folks are even more nosey than the PU crowd, since there are not that many burbs on the road along with us burb lovers out there.

I have a long history with 71 and 72 model trucks and suburbans. About 15 years ago I did a complete frame off restoration of my Great Uncle's 72 Chevy Cheyenne. Then I bought 72 Suburban Ambulance and cut the roof off it and returned it to Suburban. Bought another 72 Ambulance and just drove it for while, then bought a 72 Short Bed and painted it. Realized one day that I had a ton of money tied up trucks that were so nice I was afraid to drive them. Sold them all got married, had kids and have not done a project in 13 years. I came across this rust free 72 Suburban with front and rear air, tilt and had to have it. Now I am back in full force, I took the front cap off, pulled all the air ride suspension, pulled the motor, gutted the interior, pulled all windows and regulators and am waiting on the parts to come in to put the suspension back to stock. I have some pictures of my old projects but not many. Digital camera's were just taking off so I didn't get many digital pictures. I will see if I can figure out how to post them. Thanks for asking. It's good to be back!

[ole red]

Not to steal the post but highlander how did you do the side panels?

[HighlanderBrad]

Ole Red....sent you a PM.

[rsavage]

I used original panels and crossbars that I bought off the parts board here. My Burb never had a headliner, so I needed the header front, rear, and side brackets. The old stuff is very brittle.
""

[72ArizonaBurb]

Originally Posted by rsavage

I used original panels and crossbars that I bought off the parts board here. My Burb never had a headliner, so I needed the header front, rear, and side brackets. The old stuff is very brittle.
""

Looks good. I'm going to try to doing the same thing.

[Mr. 250r]

Here's mine although out of a 91' burban, but i had a guy down the road from my dads shop who's been doing interiors forever redo them, he used a spray glue i think and i picked the color of the material it was 40$ for both halves. just a thought ask some interior people if you can

[72ArizonaBurb]

Originally Posted by Mr. 250r

Here's mine although out of a 91' burban, but i had a guy down the road from my dads shop who's been doing interiors forever redo them, he used a spray glue i think and i picked the color of the material it was 40$ for both halves. just a thought ask some interior people if you can

This looks great. I was wondering if the interior from a newer Suburban will fit. I'm going to check the junk yards and see if I can find one. Did you get the front half installed yet?

[Mr. 250r]

im not sure if a newer one will fit mines held by a middle bar and the rest gets held in by the top trim and I haven't got the front in because I gotta scoot the back piece back and that's hard to do alone
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[sub-purbs]

I need to do the head liner on my 72 burb too. I see that all of you have a screw in the middle between each rib. What are you screwing in to? do you run strips of wood first?

[rsavage]

The screw goes into the metal roof reinforcement cross bars. The metal headliner crossbars do not go in the same place as the roof reinforcement cross pieces. They are held up/hung by one screw on each end at the panel trim side piece above the side windows.

[sub-purbs]

i see. that makes sense. thanks for the info. i need to find a set of ribs now.

[jeffg1010]

Mine is made of Luan and covered with modern headliner fabric (available at any Joann fabrics for about 7 bucks a yard). It really quiets things down with fabric up there to absorb some sound.

By using the Luan (a form of panel board available at Lowes), you have a more solid surface to get custom with, meaning you can actually mount stuff in your headliner. I got rid of the front and rear (metal) rail supports and just use the two side rails to hold the headliner up. The Luan isnt flexible enough to make the shape bends, but it will hold its own radius with no problems. I asked a custom shop what they were building headliners out of and they gave me that idea as a very affordable option.

I built a overhead center console with a drop down section for my stereo unit. It also has LED dome lights and a 12.1" flip down TV/DVD combo.

Needless to say... I wasn't going for the "stock appearance".

But, this is my daily driver and I wanted it to be practical (I have 3 kids.)

Behind the 2nd row of seats, there is two 6x9 speakers built into the headliner, and at the rear doors, there is two 5 1/4" speakers built into the headliner.

All said and done, I have about $400 bucks in my headliner (including the flip down TV/DVD -$50 on ebay)

I need to take some better, more updated pics, I took these with my phone the day I was installing it in back over the summer. But, this gives you the idea.

[Grimpala]

Originally Posted by jeffg1010

Mine is made of Luan and covered with modern headliner fabric (available at any Joann fabrics for about 7 bucks a yard). It really quiets things down with fabric up there to absorb some sound.

By using the Luan (a form of panel board available at Lowes), you have a more solid surface to get custom with, meaning you can actually mount stuff in your headliner. I got rid of the front and rear (metal) rail supports and just use the two side rails to hold the headliner up. The Luan isnt flexible enough to make the shape bends, but it will hold its own radius with no problems. I asked a custom shop what they were building headliners out of and they gave me that idea as a very affordable option.

I built a overhead center console with a drop down section for my stereo unit. It also has LED dome lights and a 12.1" flip down TV/DVD combo.

Needless to say... I wasn't going for the "stock appearance".

But, this is my daily driver and I wanted it to be practical (I have 3 kids.)

Behind the 2nd row of seats, there is two 6x9 speakers built into the headliner, and at the rear doors, there is two 5 1/4" speakers built into the headliner.

All said and done, I have about $400 bucks in my headliner (including the flip down TV/DVD -$50 on ebay)

I need to take some better, more updated pics, I took these with my phone the day I was installing it in back over the summer. But, this gives you the idea.

Not to hijack, but what vehicle are those seats out of?

[jeffg1010]

Originally Posted by Grimpala

Not to hijack, but what vehicle are those seats out of?

Just noticed this reply.

I have all three rows of seats out of an '05 Suburban. They mounted perfectly and look real good installed. Just make sure you get the third row seat mounting brackets out of the donor vehicle. I also took the entire seat wiring harness out (which is a friggin' rats nest, but it made "hooking up" to my electrical a breeze)

[Grimpala]

Originally Posted by jeffg1010

Just noticed this reply.

I have all three rows of seats out of an '05 Suburban. They mounted perfectly and look real good installed. Just make sure you get the third row seat mounting brackets out of the donor vehicle. I also took the entire seat wiring harness out (which is a friggin' rats nest, but it made "hooking up" to my electrical a breeze)

Did the middle seat mount up to the 'ledge' fairly easily so that it still folds down all the way?

[jeffg1010]

Originally Posted by Grimpala

Did the middle seat mount up to the 'ledge' fairly easily so that it still folds down all the way?

WELL... no, they will flip and slide forward, but they wont fold flat. And it is a bit tight. I have considered modifying the rear brackets to make more room, but they will flip and slide forward enough for an adult to access the third row seats. And there is more room in the 3rd row than there is the 2nd.

In fact, when I had the 'Burb down in Miami in January, I tried to convince the Miami dolphins cheerleaders at a car show to let me show them how much leg room there was in the third row. But they said their boss would fire them all. BUT ... there is PLENTY of room.

[cojnit]

looks like 2002-2009 suburban or tahoe seats with the integrated seatbelts.

The luan came out great. I would love to see more of these pics....