Hi All:

I just received an abs headliner for my hardtop 1992 RS Camaro from Rock Auto. I needed to replace the cloth as it was starting to sag. The insulation backing is still in good shape. Do I re-use the backing and bond the ABS headliner to it, or does the ABS get installed by itself? This is the first time I've done a repair like this so sorry if the question is basic. Thanks to all.

 

The ABS liner goes in by it's self. It should already have new fabric glued to it ( unless you bought a cover it yourself​ board ).
post how it fits I need to do the same to my car... What brand is it?
Dave

 

Will do. I'll get more info tonight after work.

 

Strip all the old stuff off the inside of the roof.
Its prb. stinky/soft/crumbly and old!
You could buy new pieces of insulation and glue to roof.
Lay headliner out in the sun so it straightens out and lays almost
flat.
Usually (like mine) no adhesive is necessary.
The trim holds it in place.

I have t-tops so the headliner seemed too loose in spots.
( In the center of the t-tops and between the windsheild)
with the tops off.
I got the chrome screws with washers at the HELP section
at the parts store.

I drilled a couple holes and placed the screws in the loose
areas.
Looks almost like factory and not a cob job.............

I have installed a few of these cloth covered ABS liners.

I have a thread with install pics here...................

 

There are supposed to be clips similar to the A-piller molding clips across the front of the headliner to hold it up, but often they're long gone.

 

I haven't seen 1 ABS headliner that fits/looks good yet. While they are made to cover the proper area of the car, they are always "wavy" and have "humps and bumps" in them after they are installed no matter what is done to prep them - other than pulling out the screw gun - before installing it.

I understand that no one makes the original fiber-board backing anymore which is why folks should do EVERYTHING they can to save & re-cover / re-use the original backing before just ripping it out. You would be surprised what a good upholsterer can do. Even if the original backing is in poor shape - or even in pieces - they can be returned to real good and very use-able condition and will actually fit correctly and look proper compared to the aftermarket ABS stuff. ( I'd pay more $ for a good original fiber-board with sagging cloth as I would for brand new ABS. )

A walk-in bench re-cover job at the local upholsterer will probably be about the same price as a new ABS. It would be a be a bit more expensive if you had the upholsterer remove/recover & replace........

WOW,..... I just looked & $200+ for the ABS now ! ( Times have changed ! ) Pretty sure it cost me $80 EACH the last time I had a headliner done !! I dropped off 2 of them at the time - both T-Top - and that was about 3 years ago.

 

The Syracuse NY area don't have ANY interior/convt. top/custom interior
places any more. Nastri, Rayco, Don Butler are long gone!


Its all DIY around here.

 

I have the ABS headliner sold by Hawks Motorsports. It was finished and ready to install. Fit perfectly well. Front center could use a bit of velco to hold it up to the roof but honestly I forgot about that long ago and never notice.

 

I just picked up an ABS hard top from Summit, but haven't gotten to installing it yet.

 

I've got the ABS headliner installed and there is a huge gap. They are telling me that is intentional so it acts as a last barrier to catch water if your t-teops leak. This can't be normal.

 

John, my headliner basically crumbled apart and broke in the center. Are you saying this can still be recovered by a good upholstry shop?

 

You would be surprised the sins you can hide under rat fur. Had a T-top headliner years ago that was more newsprint and glue than the original fiberboard. Fiberglass resin and strips of glass cloth over damaged areas works even better.

 

I installed my new ABS ttop headliner last summer had alot of issues with sagging and some gabs. My first fix was a pile of velco which held till it got hot then backing glue left go. Second fix and last was a caulking gun and a tube of permatex ultra grey an some 1x2 wood cut to length to hold the headliner in place while it setup over night. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Permatex-Ult...gAAOSwYIxX6xAa

 

Jeff.............
Yea that gap is normal!
The few I HAVE DONE HAD THE SAME GAP.




Again to cure the sagging and being loose in spots a
few well placed interior trim screws w/washers cured that.

 

Normal in the sense that the ABS headliners normally don't fit for #*!%.

 

I wish I would have done more research before purchasing. I'm starting to realize that none of these headliners fit properly. I think I'm going to have to live with this gap. My only problem is, if this gap is normal, why not have the fabric wrap around further to the back side of the panel? You can see in my pic that the cuts of the fabric are all exposed. Looks like $#!t

 

Sure doesn't LOOK normal !

I the fiberboard is in Poor condition than it probably can't be saved, depends on how much skill the upholsterer has. In cases where the fiberboard is in "decent" shape,.... a good upholsterer can usually restore them.

 

My fiberboard was horrible. A little bit of fiberglass cloth and some resin fixed it right up. I had 2 pieces broken off and it went back together good as new. Don't toss the fiber board until you give it a shot at repairing it. Just don't add too much material. It might not stay put with the added weight.

 

I'm not sure if that sort of ridiculous claim makes me want to laugh or cry.

 

my factory headliner came out ok. it broke in a few spots. im going to spray fiberglass resin over the entire thing to strengthen it, and rebuilt it. Then ill recover it..should be good to go.

 

glad I read this, I was planning on buying the abs headliner without even trying to work with my existing one. I guess I can try to take mine out before I go and buy a replacement

 

Surely there are other vehicles out there that have restoration headliners...Are we the only one that has to put up with ABS as the only option? Is fiberboard that expensive to manufacture?

 

The board? No.

But my guess is that, like with the hood pad, the material is cheap, but the large steel form to press it into shape under heat and pressure (?) is expensive.

 

Anyhoo..............

If you guys out there with a failing or missing headliner don't be afraid to
get one of these ABS units. Once installed they look darn good for less
than $200 bucks even tho they have a few faults.

Just ignore the "purists and bum-out nancies" who get their panties in
a wad and snivel about these replacement units.

They are about our only repair choices...............

 

I don't think it is about being a purist. There are many issues with the fiberglass headliner. Invest a little time in fixing your old one and you don't have to settle for an ill fitting piece of garbage.

 

Time well spent,..... At least give the old one a chance before buying an ABS headliner for $200+ that's;


For those that don't care much for $$ and don't care about how the interior looks, go for it. Just be prepared to have all the same problems that have been described and pictured here. & please; re-visit this thread once your new ABS Rain Guard - I mean headliner - is installed to show us pictures of how "well" the new headliner fits & looks in your ride. (Take pics BEFORE you drill a dozen screw holes thru it to hold it up properly. )

 

This mentality is why s--t doesn't improve (for almost everything). Granted, it's the consumer that drives quality into the ground and beyond by being a tight-ss and wanting the highest quality for next to nothing. Quality loses out to cost every time. You want to b---ch about low quality parts... guess who caused the problem... you... who didn't want to pay the premium for quality.

If you think $200 is what you should accept from a steaming pile of hot garbage, you're causing the problem.

You can get technology (aka a smartphone) that allows you to take pictures, browse the inter-webs, solve your financial problems, buy food, etc... FOR FREE!!... that you'd bitch night and day about if the service was to slow.... ... but a Sh-t made piece of ill fitting plastic with some cloth is OK for $200??.,.. because well... 'it is what it is'.... amazing. Isn't it amazing a complicated smartphone can be made less than pennies on the dollar but a simple proper fitting headliner... WOAH!!!... this isn't NASA!!!... we don't have that kind of skill or equipment to make simple large parts fit right...

I'm not a 'purist' but, if I'm holing myself to a quality standard for my work.... and I'm spending good money I had to break my -ss working for... it' better be of some sort or quality that justifies the price.

I've been through the search for a better than ABS headlinder before... even then, paying the premium, didn't help get a quality product. ...
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/afte...ks-custom.html

 

Has anyone installed the pre-covered ABS t-top headliner from Classic Industries?

 

It seems the T-top crowd is very unhappy with the ABS headliner while the hardtop guys are very happy. Probably worthwhile to make that clarification for people that are shopping for headliners.

 

5.0.................

My t-top ABS covered unit was made by Acme Auto and I got it thru Rock
Auto for less than $150 delivered with FREE shipping.
Shop around as it is delivered in a big box and shipping alone from most
suppliers was $50 extra.
SOME suppliers have free shipping.
It was drop shipped from Acme Auto according to the shipping manifest.

I have done three of these units and they all seem to be the same even
tho they were ordered from different suppliers.
And YES they DO have a few fitment issues...............

If your sick of having NO headliner and looking at the bare ceiling or
having your crumbling factory unit raining on your head these units
are our only choice.

SURE you could go to a upholstery shop (like a few of the "purist/experts")
are crowing about but be prepared to shell out some BIG dollars.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

Can u describe the the fitment issues you had?...were they exceptionally bad?...I tried recovering the original board and it didn't go well at all!

 

We did try to help. You don't like our advice. Mine cost me no more then what you spent to fix the original. I fixed the backer board myself and had a local shop recover it for a buck fifty. Fits like original - because it is the original.

 

5.0........

Check out my original headliner install thread and pics:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...headliner.html

 

so from what it looks like to me is- if you can save the original do it, it will fit better because that's where it has been it's whole life. BUT a lot if not most of them fail/break due to age or poor quality fiberboard or whatever. so our only other option (other than trying to source a good one from another car) is the ABS, and they may not be the best but they look decent and they're better than a goucho blanket or confederate flag on the ceiling of the car.

 

Kind of incomplete at the link provided. Do you have any completed pictures of the install? Did you get any shoulder belt retractor plastics and did they fit in the headliner?

 

rgauder..........

My crummy camera didn't many good shots of the complete install
just bits and pieces.

As far as the shoulder belt retractor plastics fitting back in place
after the liner install.
They DID fit thru the headliner slots and went into place correctly
BUT whoever tore out the factory liner (done BEFORE I got the car)
broke the tabs off the plastic so they wouldn't clip in place and stay
put.
I was gonna whip out the fuzer and glue them but thought better.

The factory belt retractor plastics are still in place and hanging
If I ever had to remove the liner cuz once you use that body
shop grade 2 paRT FUZER its together forever!



Whats funny even with the minor fitment issues even without the retractor
plastic in place the fitment around where they mount is tight and you really
can't notice where they clip in and the split in the plastic and fabric is
tight so its almost unnoticed. ( i thought i had a pic).

Will take some pics with the kids new $pendy camera phone gadget
and post.

 

Sounds like you and a few others had good luck with the abs liner in a t-top car, it's the fiberglass that is not fitting well.

 

Not sure why sonjaab is being such a **** about this. The cost of the ABS unit, years ago, made it a viable solution to not having a headliner, or not wanting to take the time to attempt to fix the original backer board. But, the new cost of $200 is ridiculous to pay for a part that doesn't fit right and looks incorrect.

For those looking to do a headliner, call a local upholstery shop and ask how much it costs to recover. I had mine redone a few years back and decided to pay more to fix mine than it cost for the ABS unit, but when I paid $160 for headliner, sail panels and visors, the ABS unit for $200 is too much. I'm sure the costs are more now, but if you can recover the existing backing board, visors and sail panes for the same $200, wouldn't you?

 

I went back to the stock headliner and reinforced it a bit,the ABS was just not right, too much of a gap where it curved at the center.

 

Manta .......
I see that you have the "clips" on that original headliner.

The couple other headliner replacements I have done I have never
seen the clips when I took out the old liner.

I hear ya about your HONEST comments (from someone who
actually bought one) about the ABS fitment but me and others
had NO choice in a replacement.

This is what I had in my car:



I wish somebody would produce a fuel tank vent valve that a lot of folks
are looking for:

 

Hey Manta,


Did you reinforce it with fiberglass resin? That's what I'm thinking of trying with mine...

 

Yes I did

 

If you have a very damaged section, use some fiberglass cloth. It will be a strong repair. I had water damage, broken pieces, and soft spots. The resin and cloth fixed it and probably made it stronger then it was originally. Just be careful not to add too much resin and cloth because the added weight may be a problem if it gets too heavy. Also, I only added the cloth to the back of the board to avoid changing the shape of the front of it, or making it lumpy. I put a coat of resin on the entire front of it though.

 

.

 

Mine is broken in two between the visor mount and the middle of the car. I'll do a strip of cloth on the inside of that. Thanks

 

I used fiber cloth also,makes it nice and stiff.

 

Just know that the fabric side of the backing board needs to be as smooth as you can get it. You'd think the foam headliner material would be forgiving of an unsmooth finish, but it isn't. When glued down. the foam will contour to every imperfection, so if the original backing board gets a layer of the cardboard removed when you remove the old foam, you need to fill that void and smooth it out for a beautiful finish.

 

Look, you should open up your view a little bit. Not everyone lives in these cheap regions of the world. Here in Switzerland, in the heart of the European continent, such an upholstery job of an headliner costs over 800. The highest offering I had for my hardtop headliner was 1300!!!

I bought an ABS Headliner from 1Auto. This piece fits absolutely perfect. No warping, no sagging and has a beautiful black finish! The shipping to my door was still expensive but in the end it was more than half the costs of a restoration where you even do not know how it turns out.

I just wanted to mention this here as it is really important that not all ABS Headliners are crap! My ABS unit even gave me a little bit more headroom as it is thinner as the old one.

 

Yes , yours is the hardtop model, yes? The reason you gave more headroom is they made the mold from the back side of the original headliner which is a different shape from the front. The hardtop headliner is very simple and easy to replicate or fix any gaps.
The t top headliner is a very complex shape that they also molded from the back side, hence it's too small and doesn't really fit.
The hard top headliner is super easy to recover. Anyone can do it on the hard top.
The ttop is hard even for upholstery guys, complex shape with deep curves.
I worked in a resto shop that did upholstery. We recovered hard top headliners in second and third gens for about $200 including a little board repair. I never had a ttop in while I worked there.
Many of the high quotes for headliner recovering are due to the labor involved in removing the headliner to recover it. Several interior panels have to come off to r/r the headliner. Many upholstery shops are very wary of doing this on older cars as they know they will probably break a mounting tab or something and have to fix or glue it up.
If you repair the board yourself and take the board to the shop separately, almost any shop would do it for about $200 , less for hardtop.
However, it's true that in many places there are Few or no auto upholstery shops.

 

Just for the record, my quoted price of $160 that I paid included me removing the headliner, sail panels and visors and delivering them to the upholstery shop. I didn't want them taking things apart and damaging something.