63 headliner restoration ?
so is there anyone that restores original headliners. I am not even sure if mine is original ? how to tell.? thanks
-
-
Re: 63 headliner restoration ?
If it has the original, slightly pebbly texture then its almost certainly original; Al Knoch is making the only one close to the right pattern, materials and fit and that is only recently. If you get the headliner out and place it interior side up in the sun you'll note a very subtle sine wave pattern (in rows) to the texture -- NOBODY reproduces that; then if you flip it over the backing will no doubt be the old sort of laminated paper type and not a plastic shell. Restoring them is a pure PITA....most have had water damage or developed creases in them that are the dickens to cover up (meaning - you can't really do it). There may be some text (numbers ?) across the back as well. Here is my original headliner in my SWC.
If you want to tackle it then cynoacrylic thin glue (super glue) can be poured on the back edges that have delaminated and turned flimsy...the material will smoke for a bit and then get rock hard (second picture)...don't use more than you have to and only WHERE you have to. A trick I learned from an "old school" restorer.
Corvette America interior dyes can do a nice job of restoring color but you have to almost mist it on to avoid filling up the distinctive pebble texture. Now if you are really anal (and brave) and the texture is bad in places...you can do a blend with some of that textured spray paint with sand in it under a correctly colored top coat - I did that in a couple of spots and it was undetectable when the piece was installed. All that has been done in the third picture.
However, my original had creases in the front above the sunvisors that just couldn't be masked so its stored and I went with the Al Knoch repro (last picture).
Comment