Pick Up Headliner

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HotRodPC

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Anyone ever see a headliner in a SB pickup??? They are a bit more rare than you'd think, but they do exist. I thought all Silverados had headliners. Maybe they did, but of all of my Silverados, like 7 of them, only 2 had headliners, and those 2 were parts trucks and were the wrong color for my other trucks.

So it appears you can buy one for $200.
http://www.classicparts.com/1973-87-Headliner-REPRO-Deluxe-Cloth-Medium-Blue/productinfo/21-821L/

Or, you can do your own for about $30. Go to Pull a Part and find a truck with the headliner insert. Doesn't matter the condition of the cloth because you are going to recover it anyway. Just make sure your base is in decent shape. It doesn't even have to be perfect since you are going to cover it, and it you have to use some duct tape on it, or make a patch, that's fine too. You can use spray foam or whatever you need to use. That should be about $10 at Pull a Part.
 

HotRodPC

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To get the headliner out, just remove the sun visors, the dome light assembly and all the trim pieces, then it falls down into your hands. Its that simple.
 
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HotRodPC

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Sorry, I don't have any pics. I wasn't on a forum when I did this project so I never thought about it.

Once you get the headliner backing, go to a local fabric store and they will have the foam backed headliner material in several colors. Pick your color and get a yard of it. A yard is about just perfect for a pick up. Actually if you can get them to cut it just an inch or 2 extra would be good too. The old bitch that cut mine, actually cut me short about 1/2 inch of a yard and it still worked but it was sure close. It cost me $14.99 + tax for the yard.
 

HotRodPC

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Remove any loose dirt and junk for the headliner backing of the old headliner material. I just used my hand and rubbed anything loose away, then blew it off with about 30 psi airgun since I didn't want to blow a hole in the backing.
 
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HotRodPC

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Then I went to a Heat and Air / Plumbing supply house to buy the adhesive. Why spend $20-$25 on heavy duty headliner material??? I spend $5 on a can of KingCo Duct Liner Web Spray Adhesive. What this stuff is for, is adhereing insulation sheets to the inside of Heat and Air Ducts. If the stuff can hold up to the changing temps of hot and cold, and forced air from a commerical heat and air blower unit, it can hold up to headliner material.
 

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But, before you apply the adhesive. You first want to cut your fabric to fit the headliner backing. Cut out for the sun visors, and cut out for the dome light. I'd leave a 1/2 in or so if you have it to spare all around the edges.
 

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Then spray the adhesive on the backing. AND, also spray the adhesive on the back of yoru headliner material. Both must get sprayed or the stuff doesn't work. Let is stand for a couple to a few minutes to get tacky. I'd read the directions on your paticular adhesive that you are using. Once tacky, then lay your fabric on the headliner backing. 2 people doing it makes it much easier since the stuff bonds fairly quick. Once you do that, its now all about pressing and patting it down pushing it over the contours real tight and firm. I kept doing this for about 5 minutes. Then I let it sit for about another 30 minutes or so to dry somemore and let the bond take place real good.
 
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Then its all about taking down your trim, sun visors and dome light. Have someone help you hold it in place and start putting your trim back up. Its that easy. Even a cave man can do it.
 

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So, since I already had the backing out of a parts truck, it cost me $14.99 for the fabric, and $5 for the spray adhesive. Its been up now for about 7 months and seems to be doing fine.
You wouldn't think, but it does make a differance on the noise level, and especially when driving in the rain. Much quieter in the cab. Also makes a difference in the stereo sound beleive it or not.
 

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Here a couple before and after pics.

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RetroC10Sport

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1976 was the first year for a headliner, standard on Silverado, optional on others, even Custom Deluxe.
 

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Anyone ever see a headliner in a SB pickup??? They are a bit more rare than you'd think, but they do exist. I thought all Silverados had headliners. Maybe they did, but of all of my Silverados, like 7 of them, only 2 had headliners, and those 2 were parts trucks and were the wrong color for my other trucks.

So it appears you can buy one for $200.
http://www.classicparts.com/1973-87-Headliner-REPRO-Deluxe-Cloth-Medium-Blue/productinfo/21-821L/

Or, you can do your own for about $30. Go to Pull a Part and find a truck with the headliner insert. Doesn't matter the condition of the cloth because you are going to recover it anyway. Just make sure your base is in decent shape. It doesn't even have to be perfect since you are going to cover it, and it you have to use some duct tape on it, or make a patch, that's fine too. You can use spray foam or whatever you need to use. That should be about $10 at Pull a Part.

I've got a headliner in my truck but it didn't come like that. I bought mine from LMC.
 

89Suburban

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Good how to HP. Good way to save money on buying a new one, especially for Burban owners. :High 5:
 

HotRodPC

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Good how to HP. Good way to save money on buying a new one, especially for Burban owners. :High 5:

That is exactly why I tried this. The 1 and only interior problem my Burb has is a sagging headliner. So I thought I'd try this process on the smaller scale of doing the pick up first. It seems to work well, so I'll be doing it do my Burb too. I thnk I might take 4 yards of material and about 3 cans of this adhesive. But, for $75 and have a completely new headliner in a Burb is cheap.
 

HotRodPC

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1976 was the first year for a headliner, standard on Silverado, optional on others, even Custom Deluxe.

That sucks. So most of my Silverados then have had the headliner taken out of them. Of 6 Silverados, I only had 2 with headliners.
 

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