Help me please headliner gurus

[Nick1979]

Hey guys started work on the interior of the 82 Malibu grocery getter because it's my daily and I'm sick of the road noise and the evicted mouse hotel residue. I have no idea what to do with the headliner, I have 1 of the pieces that go in the middle and the front and back one but I'm missing the other 2. I'm not shooting for an expert job just something that keeps the roof heat out and not to rough on the eyes. I started to scrape the factory deadener on the roof and painting the metal black with some Rust-Oleum I'm brushing on. Sticking some new sound deadener on it too in between the braces as a band aid but it'd be nice to get some material up above the brain holder and hear the one working speaker. Examples would be nice let me see the diy headliners thanks folks

 

[L05edSS]

i'm not a headliner guru but here's an idea. last i looked mikes montes has the headliner fabric rolls. if you can get some large enough cardboard boxes you can cut boarding and maybe glue on some small neo magnets to help support it. many yrs ago i watched my headliner get new fabric they used a aerosol glue. last sept i bought a new headliner from mikes at a $300+ cost for my ss.

 

[TonyO]

I’ve always thought I’d like to try to coat the factory headliner pressed board backing with fiberglass resin. That would make a nice smooth surface for the adhesive to bond to rather than flakey board.

 

[Nick1979]

I’ve always thought I’d like to try to coat the factory headliner pressed board backing with fiberglass resin. That would make a nice smooth surface for the adhesive to bond to rather than flakey board.

I'd definitely use the old one as a template if I had it, headliner was gone before I got it

 

[TonyO]

I'd definitely use the old one as a template if I had it, headliner was gone before I got it

Ah yeah I guess that wouldn’t work. Sorry if I missed that part in your post.

I’ve made many fiberglass panels and speaker enclosures from scratch in cars. I’ve always wondered if something like paper machete would work to make a form? Maybe use that and make it in sections, pull it and use it for a start on a fiberglass backing. I also wonder how spray foam would work, you’d have to cover the ceiling in tape first. Foam it and shave that to what you need. Probably a bad idea.

 

[Longroof79]

Nick,
It looks like you have no headliner board at all. When I redid mine I added sound deadening to the roof between the beams. I recommend it highly.
I take it you have no headliner at all? Where are you located? The reason I ask is because I know of one in the Atlanta area. Shipping a headliner board is disastrous wherever it's shipped to. The sound deadening I used in my wagon is called Bonded Logic. It's a shredded denim fabric with a foil backing.

 

[Nick1979]

Nick,
It looks like you have no headliner board at all. When I redid mine I added sound deadening to the roof between the beams. I recommend it highly.
I take it you have no headliner at all? Where are you located? The reason I ask is because I know of one in the Atlanta area. Shipping a headliner board is disastrous wherever it's shipped to. The sound deadening I used in my wagon is called Bonded Logic. It's a shredded denim fabric with a foil backing.

I'm up in Pittsburgh PA so shipping would definitely be a mess. I thought about some ideas using a thin plywood/Masonite board and fastening it to the roof some how and glue a fabric/padding to it but I know that may not be the best to do. I did do the sound deadening between the beams I just don't have any pics of it yet, definitely made a huge difference in the ride just doesn't look the best. Parts are definitely a pain to find for wagons compared my squarebody you could buy everything for those

 

[Nick1979]

Some more interior/roof pictures

 

[pagrunt]

I'm up in Pittsburgh PA so shipping would definitely be a mess. I thought about some ideas using a thin plywood/Masonite board and fastening it to the roof some how and glue a fabric/padding to it but I know that may not be the best to do. I did do the sound deadening between the beams I just don't have any pics of it yet, definitely made a huge difference in the ride just doesn't look the best. Parts are definitely a pain to find for wagons compared my squarebody you could buy everything for those

Shame this is about 20 years too late cause if the upholster that was on Babcock Blvd not far from McNight Rd was still open you could of had them make you a bow style headliner.

 

[Longroof79]

I do remember a member making a board using corrugated plastic board that can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot? It is somewhat flexible and using a a heat gun carefully you might be able to get into the contours and curves of the roof. Definitely worth a shot.
I feel your pain about finding wagon parts these days. It's gotten a lot harder.