The headliner is typically installed starting at the back bow. There should be a short flap sewed to fabric that is tacked or stapled to the front side of the bow with a small amount of tension toward the sides. Be sure to center the material side to side. If it is necessary to install on the rear of the bow then you will need to start at the front bow. Can't nail or staple on the covered part of the bow. Then the next flap is tacked or stapled working toward the front. If the flaps are properly installed the tacks will be on the front side of the bow and there will be a little tension on the fabric. A couple of temporary tacks or staples will center at the front and determine where the back edge is tacked. Once it is hung from the bows then the back is secured and then the sides working forward on each side. The back corners may need some steaming to remove the wrinkles. Once installed then the excess material can be trimmed and side panels, etc. installed.
Hey Steve, I have the complete instructions from my Hampton Coach interior that I purchased in 1980. It is for a standard coupe but the instructions are fairly generic. Covers all parts of interior install, head liner, sides, seats, bllind nailing, tacking,etc. Work slowly and you may do sections over a few times before toy get the proper fit. Will email you if this will help. Randy ThreeWindow
I will add to what chipper has posted. Your headliner should be made for YOUR car. This means that the fastening strips, or listings, should be sewn to the headliner in the same distance as the tacking bows on your roof. The tacking bows are the bows that show all the nail holes on the front side of the bow. As chipper said, you need to mark the center of your bows, center of the listings, and the height of your tacking line around the perimeter of your roof. The tacking line is just below the height of your interior panels. I use white chalk to mark the tack line all around the roof. When stapling or tacking the listings to the bows, you MUST leave the sew line of the headliner about 1/4” below the bottom of the bow! Do not pull the headliner up against the bottom of the bow. Set your staples or tacks so they hold the listing but aren’t driven so deep to allow some moving of the listing when pulling it tight. You work from the center out working each side a little as yo go. Once the first rear bow is tacked in to the ends of the bow, pull the headliner back and tack at the center of the rear above the window at the tack line you marked with the chalk. Tack out about 8” from center to each side but stay out of the corners, those are done last. Tack in the next listing the same as the first, center working out but watch the sew line on the inside of the head liner. You pull forward while keeping the sew line consistently straight while tacking in the listing. Have your dome light wires accessible above the board but you cut the hole as the last process. Once your listings are tacked in and the sew lines are nice and straight, using about a dozen spring clamps, pull the headliner forward to the front header and secure it with a clamp, like the others, work the center out keeping the sew lines straight across the roof. With the clamps in place along the front, tack the sides, again starting about at the center of the side, just below that chalk line. Still stay out of the corners where the roof starts to curve. With the sides in and the front still clamped, pull the center of a rear corner down and tack. Then work to the side and rear out pulling the headliner tight. In most cases you can get all wrinkles out with patience. When all done on the sides and rear, tack between the front clamps making sure the fabric is up against the header. Then trim all extra material away but before doing that, check that all the interior panels cover the tack lines in all areas.
My biggest problem is, I do not have any bows. I don't even know what they are supposed to look like. I could sure use some pictures. Any help would be appreciated.
My biggest problem is, I do not have any bows. I don't even know what they are supposed to look like. I could sure use some pictures. Any help would be appreciated.
Then an original style headliner cannot be installed. Why do you not have roof bows?
