Just dropped the headliner- YUCK!

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Bonnewagon

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What a mess. Foam residue all over the insides now. The cloth literally fell of once I unfastened the side trim. The cardboard/foam shell is pretty trashed too. I was just on my way to drag the shop vac out to vacuum up all the crap when I figured I would ask- is there a replacement headliner shell for wagons? Or am I SOL? The last time I did the headliner I taped up the shell as best I could and a shop recovered it. It looked great for 10 years and fell down last summer when it was 100° in July. I really would prefer using something more durable than this GM crap.
 
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Bonnewagon

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I'm sure Jack will chime in. I vacuumed up all the crud and I am looking at the way the shell is molded. I wonder if your standard foam board thet they use in school projects can be heated with a hair drier and formed into something like the shell.
 
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Texas82GP

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airboatgreg

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You can get the shell. Mine was good so I had a local upholstery shop recover it
 
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Bonnewagon

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Greg- for a wagon? Where?
 

Longroof79

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Hey guys,
Trying to find a new wagon headliner board is like the proverbial quest to find the holy grail. Usually we try to repair them the best way we can, whether it's by using fiberglass cloth. or matting, duct tape, whatever. I do recall a member using a type of corrugated plastic board. He claims to help conform the shape with a heat gun. It sounded like he was pretty successful in achieving that goal.
Mark, I do like your suggestion about using foam board, and again using a heat gun to achieve the shape.
Most guys that have pulled their headliners down found that they were in pretty rough shape. I have heard of aftermarket replacements made from ABS, of course not for a wagon. However, I have heard negative feedback about them. I too would like to make a new headliner board. The rear smaller headliner still seems to be in decent shape. Perhaps we can come together to find a viable solution.

I wonder how difficult it would be a make a form or buck, and mold one using fiberglass cloth, much like building a fiberglass boat hull. I realize fiberglass resin and cloth isn't cheap, but it would be a permanent fix.

Even if someone in another state, etc, had one, it would be virtually impossible to ship without destroying it.
 
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Bonnewagon

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Hi there Jack. Yes, it is the holy grail of wagon owners. Your comment on fiberglass is interesting. But it is very unforgiving with bending. It can be very brittle and to get it stiff enough makes it heavy. I am ready to just glue some Pilate mats to the roof!
 
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Longroof79

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Hi there Jack. Yes, it is the holy grail of wagon owners. Your comment on fiberglass is interesting. But it is very unforgiving with bending. It can be very brittle and to get it stiff enough makes it heavy. I am ready to just glue some Pilate mats to the roof!
Mark,
It's almost too bad that we couldn't utilize materials like Luan or Masonite. I recall doing a headliner board on my old '64 Econoline van using Masonite covered in fabric. That was about 50 yrs ago...gulp!
Excess weight can be a factor, I agree. I wish I would've bookmarked the thread with the guy using that corrugated plasticized board. Apparently it's sold at Lowes. It does sound like it has a reasonable amount of flex in it.
 
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Bonnewagon

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corrugated plasticized board. Apparently it's sold at Lowes.

I'll check that out Jack. I also did a goofy job on my old 1965 VW bus. I used a sheet of that wood paneling stuff that was everywhere in the '70s. It bent and actually fit pretty good. EDIT: This? https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-14-in-x-18-in-Corrugated-Plastic-Blank-Sign/1000977226 or https://www.lowes.com/pd/PLASKOLITE-T-x-W-x-L-White-Corrugated-Plastic-Sheet/3381288 or https://www.lowes.com/pd/Coroplast-...n-L-White-Corrugated-Plastic-Sheet/1001469518
 
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