[HWYSTR455]

I've done headliners 5 times in 68-72 A-bodies, and I can tell you, it certainly is not something you learn from the first shot. A lot of the result is a matter of the headliner you start with, it has to be a quality item to begin with, those things are not flat.

I had to start over twice on the 442, the first headliner was no way going to fit right, just wasn't cut right from the manufacturer. I would get all bunched up in the sail panel areas, and no matter which way I pulled, it just got worse.

Ordered the second one, and it was right, but I burned it with a heat gun. 3rd one I got as close as I could and just lived with it. It has some puckers in the sail panel area, but it's a driver quality build anyway (or so I try to convince myself!).

Part of the reason the 442 was such a bear was because from the factory, the shoulder belts are held in place with these crappy plastic sleeves, and I switched to the Pontiac style clips. So the way the headliner was cut in that area was part of my problem.

The LeMans I did twice, the first one had minor puckers, and didn't ever heat it. The second one I got really close with, you have to look hard in the corners to see any issues, and looks great unless you're looking hard. My success was partially due to the fact that I had no windshield or rear glass installed when I did it, which allows you more room to move around.

I used a soap bar to mark the lines where the bow retainer cloth was to get trimmed, and you can use thread or string taped to the roof as a guide. That controls the 'cup' of the headliner.

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