Headliner For 1972 Suburban 4X4

[Sub 1972]

Hey Everyone,

My Suburban only has one section of Headliner , the rest is missing...

Where is the best place to get them?

I'm also think of maybe using Aluminum perforated Sheet or Stainless Steel Perforated sheet . Ten powder coating the Aluminum or just polish the Stainless.


Anyone hear tried this?

[HO455]

Check this thread out and if you use the search function you will find others. You idea of using perforated or expanded metals is interesting. If one could find a way to bond fabric or some other sound deadening material to the back of it you could have a really trick looking headliner. Good luck.

[LockDoc]

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There are quite a few threads on the Suburban headliners. The best way I have found to find them is to use the GOOGLE search box at the top of this page. Type "Suburban headliner" into the box, click on the circle in front of "67-72chevytrucks.com" and click on the GOOGLE button. Just make sure the thread you are looking at refers to your style of truck. (Hits will include all years)

LockDoc

[unclefreddy]

These guys have a headliner material similar to the original perforated board. http://www.remautoinc.com/contactus.php

[notchbackgta]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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There are quite a few threads on the Suburban headliners. The best way I have found to find them is to use the GOOGLE search box at the top of this page. Type "Suburban headliner" into the box, click on the circle in front of "67-72chevytrucks.com" and click on the GOOGLE button. Just make sure the thread you are looking at refers to your style of truck. (Hits will include all years)

LockDoc

Why don't you promote the board search? Then people can search by sub-forum without getting a lot of replies for irrelevant data, you can even search in a specific thread and searches for user name and "threads started by user"

This is the link http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/search.php

[HO455]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

-
There are quite a few threads on the Suburban headliners. The best way I have found to find them is to use the GOOGLE search box at the top of this page. Type "Suburban headliner" into the box, click on the circle in front of "67-72chevytrucks.com" and click on the GOOGLE button. Just make sure the thread you are looking at refers to your style of truck. (Hits will include all years)

LockDoc

Like he said. That's what I was trying to convey. I must have been tired as I forgot the link I was referencing. Maybe this time I'll get it right.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=432734

[WannaBe68]

Here is a perforated board material really close to the original. The guy on this tread explains what he did and where he bought it from.
http://www.christinecarclubforum.com...eadliner-board

Good luck and let us know if you reach out to them!

[notchbackgta]

Originally Posted by WannaBe68

Here is a perforated board material really close to the original. The guy on this tread explains what he did and where he bought it from.
http://www.christinecarclubforum.com...eadliner-board

Good luck and let us know if you reach out to them!

I saw you post that in another thread. I don't really see how that is useful to us since it is flat and our roofs have curves at the sides and a compound curve in the front at the windshield. That would be near impossible to form and get installed unless you had some sort of form to press it in to make the shapes.

[WannaBe68]

Originally Posted by notchbackgta

I saw you post that in another thread. I don't really see how that is useful to us since it is flat and our roofs have curves at the sides and a compound curve in the front at the windshield. That would be near impossible to form and get installed unless you had some sort of form to press it in to make the shapes.

Good points - Hadn't thought about it in the context of "forming or shaping" it.

[Bigdav160]

Just dampen it slightly and it will take a curve. I had my OE headliner out for a couple years and it flattened out.

I wiped it down and stored it on top of the roof to regain it's shape.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by notchbackgta

I saw you post that in another thread. I don't really see how that is useful to us since it is flat and our roofs have curves at the sides and a compound curve in the front at the windshield. That would be near impossible to form and get installed unless you had some sort of form to press it in to make the shapes.

As far as the headliner material many people have used flat material for the Burb headliners with pretty good success as long as it isn't too thick, and there are threads that document it.... It is up to the individuals as to which suggestion is useful to them.

LockDoc

[notchbackgta]

Originally Posted by Bigdav160

Just dampen it slightly and it will take a curve. I had my OE headliner out for a couple years and it flattened out.

I wiped it down and stored it on top of the roof to regain it's shape.

So, in the link to that post about the place to buy it, it talked about swelling when it gets wet so I didn't think think it is a great replacement for us.

Originally Posted by LockDoc

As far as the headliner material many people have used flat material for the Burb headliners with pretty good success as long as it isn't too thick, and there are threads that document it.... It is up to the individuals as to which suggestion is useful to them...

LockDoc

All the posts about the headliner that i have found and read are working with plastic, and that is easily heated to take the necessary shape. I went back all the way to the first )or last page) of suburban posts and haven't seen any other materials being used. This doesn't seem like a good fit because the other thread talks about it swelling when it gets wet, and my old headboard did not want to flatten out without ripping or even bend slightly without breaking. I just made an observation that it doesn't look like a good fit. Bigdav160 refuted me, I can admit if I am wrong, but it doesn't seem like it will work well.

[WannaBe68]

Originally Posted by notchbackgta

So, in the link to that post about the place to buy it, it talked about swelling when it gets wet so I didn't think think it is a great replacement for us.



....This doesn't seem like a good fit because the other thread talks about it swelling when it gets wet...

Actually if you read the other thread - The guy was asked if the new board was comparable in thickness to the original. The guy's answer was that he thought is was close, but his original board material was swollen due to being in an open vehicle for many years. So the "swollen" comment in the other thread really had nothing to do with the new material.

I think I'll order some and do a test on how if getting it moist (not wet) will help or hurt its ability to be shaped...then report back. Stay tuned!

[HO455]

You might want to check out the 48-54 side. The headliners in those are a fiber board material that comes precut and flat and during installation you wet it and bend it to fit. The compound curves in those trucks are more extreme than anything in our Burbans. I know there are some tricks to putting one in that may help with this product. I don't know for a fact but I would bet that the headliners in those late fifties Mopars are curved to. Maybe a call to the supplier would answer some of the questions. Let us know how you do.

[notchbackgta]

Ugh, there is no sub-forum over there so the search sucks, a lot of the threads are about the trucks. I will have to read into the build threads

[Sub 1972]

Wow. Thanks for all the responses and tips, will update so I decide which way we are going ....

[GPearson]

Don't know what kind of budget you're on or what the services run in BC, but I just got a quote to redo my entire headliner for $200.

Of course, I'm in Texas, so my guy isn't an option for you. Just something to consider. Guys that do headliners seem like a dying breed. Most are pretty talented.

[HO455]

Originally Posted by notchbackgta

Ugh, there is no sub-forum over there so the search sucks, a lot of the threads are about the trucks. I will have to read into the build threads

I found this set of instructions. I ruined two headliners before I found a local guy who did it in about an hour for fifty bucks. Money well spent.

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/he...cardboard.html

[HO455]

Originally Posted by Sub 1972

Wow. Thanks for all the responses and tips, will update so I decide which way we are going ....

Let me know if you go the perforated route. I'm not ready to do my headliner yet but will be by spring. When the time comes and you go this route I'm pretty sure I have all the parts to my original to use as patterns if your interested. They were sagging a lot due to the PO gluing speaker fabric to them and then stuffing foam rubber behind it. Half of it was stacked in the back when I got the Burban and the front piece polished the top of my head on the way home.

[vectorit]

Simple answer, is that no one make them.
You will have to fabricate the head liner yourself.
The fabric headliner sold from some of the vendors looks weird, and takes a lot of work from an experienced upholstery shop guy.

Best results I have seen from past builds are with fabric covered foam board, or using sections of FRP board from the local home builder stores.
(Despite what people may think, the "plastic" or FRP materials do NOT form easy).

I myself went with the FRP route.
It came out ok, and is better than nothing.
Do a little research, and a little experimentation.

[djolley]

Headliner solution, '72 Burban. Inspired by post-war woodies. A boat-load of work, but worth the effort.

[CG]

I always thought that would be a cool way to do a "headliner". I even have a folder with a bunch of older vehicles with the wood like that. If thats yours, great work on your part. Any pics of how it was laid out and done?

[Beach-Burban]

Originally Posted by djolley

Headliner solution, '72 Burban. Inspired by post-war woodies. A boat-load of work, but worth the effort.

Amazing solution...this concept has been on my mind as well, and is why I've "slowed my roll" with regards to changing my headliner. Photo attached shows my best thought to date for the Beach-Burban theme...but maybe combining the "woody" look with the palm trees peeking-through the wood slats (with them spaced out a bit more) might be the way to go for me! I really appreciate the photos you posted!!!

Woody

[djolley]

Love the palm trees! The headliner I installed has a perforated vinyl from Brothers peeking between the slats. The vinyl is a bow-type headliner, but such a disappointment to install by itself - not a custom fit, very generic, and hard to get right without sagging everywhere, even given the original bows. So I went with wood slats screwed thru the vinyl to the roof braces. A lot of holes to drill, but luckily nothing went thru the roof!

[djolley]

Originally Posted by CG

I always thought that would be a cool way to do a "headliner". I even have a folder with a bunch of older vehicles with the wood like that. If thats yours, great work on your part. Any pics of how it was laid out and done?

I'll upload pics of the install, as soon as I figure out how to do it. New to the site/forum, and still working out the bugs!