 TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT HALLIDAY
PONY 101
HANG ’EM HIGH
HERE’S THE FIX FOR DROOPING, SAGGING FOX HEADLINERS
WHEN YOUR FOX MUSTANG GETS ALONG IN YEARS, ONE OF THE EARLY THINGS TO GO IS
THE HEADLINER. MOST OF US ARE FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH THE MECHANICAL ASPECTS
OF OUR MUSTANG, BUT LESS SO WITH INTERIOR COMPONENTS SUCH AS THE ROOF
LINER. WHEN IT COMES TIME TO REPLACE IT WE COULD ALL USE A FEW POINTERS IN HOW
BEST TO PROCEED.
Mustang headliners are constructed from a sheet of cardboard that has been precut to fit the dimensions
of your pony’s inner roof line. The cardboard cutout is covered with a headliner fabric that adheres to the
cardboard surface. The headliner fabric is of a two-piece construction, consisting of a felt or vinyl material
with a foam backing. The foam backing bonds to the headliner cardboard via a special adhesive glue. Over
time the foam rubber deteriorates and separates from the cardboard, causing the familiar sagging headliner
phenomenon, which is clearly evident in our 1989 hatchback. Unfortunately, rarely will applying more
adhesive glue to the fabric and/or cardboard will not work. I have come to discover this first-hand after
several failed attempts.
To properly fix this problem, our sagging headliner will be replaced with a new headliner supplied to
us by the folks at Late Model Restoration (LMS). LMS offers a full selection of replacement headliner kits,
available by color and fabric type to match your original interior.
For the installation work we turned to Allan Cohn, owner of Mustang Country in Paramount, California,
and his restoration experts Fredy Jimenez and Juan Ramirez. When it comes to Mustang restorations, these
guys have years of experience doing high quality restoration work, including headliner replacement.
While the installation of this headliner kit is well within the reach of the average do-it-yourselfer, having
it done by professionals like the guys at Mustang Country gives us an opportunity to pick up some helpful
tips and tricks of the trade.
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1. To do the job right, here are the tools you’ll need…
scraper, wire brush, Phillips and flathead screwdrivers,
ratchet with short extension, T-50 bit driver, 11mm
socket or wrench, interior door panel remover tool or
putty knife, scissors or cutting knife.
2. Since our 1989 Mustang is equipped with a factory
sunroof, we begin the headliner replacement by
removing the sunroof and sunroof weatherstripping
from the vehicle. Once the sunroof has been removed,
the weatherstripping is easily pulled from the sunroof’s
outer frame.
3. Next, remove the sunroof latch mechanism. Use a
Phillips screwdriver to remove the screw from the plastic
cover, then an 11 mm socket or wrench to remove the two
nuts that secure it in place.
4. Remove the sun visors using a Phillips screwdriver. If
your Mustang is equipped with lighted vanity mirrors, you
will also have to disconnect the power plug from the visor.
5. To remove the upper seat belt mount, gently pop off
the plastic cover and use a T-50 bit driver to remove the
mounting screw.
6. Remove the interior moldings that secure the headliner
to the ceiling. These include the front windshield, rear
hatch and the two moldings over the door. Start with the
two door side moldings. These moldings are attached on
the back using spring clips that are similar to door panel
clips. To remove, insert the door panel remover tool
between the side molding and roof frame.
7. Gently pry each clip until it pops loose from its hole
in the roof frame. We used a specially designed interior
door panel remover tool, but the same job can be done
using a putty knife. Next, remove the front windshield
molding and use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the
screws securing the rear molding in place.
8. While the rear inner trim quarter panels do not need
to be removed, the screws in the upper part of the panels
do. This is necessary in order to loosen it enough to allow
for the headliner removal. Use a Phillips screwdriver to
remove the screws used to fasten each quarter-panel
molding.
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9. Disconnect the dome light plug by working the
headliner loose from the two rear inner quarter panels
and lowering it enough to access to the top side. Use a
flathead screwdriver to gently separate the two clips from
the plug and pull it apart.
10. Now remove the headliner from the car. This is
most easily accomplished by two people, but with a little
patience and care one person can manage it.
11. With the headliner removed, place it top side up on
a well-lit flat work surface. Peel back the old headliner
fabric from the cardboard, taking care to remove both
the fabric and its rubber backing. Thoroughly clean
the surface in preparation for the new material. Use
a wire brush to scrape and remove any remnant of
the rubber backing and adhesive glue. Do not use any
type of solvent, and wipe down with a clean dry rag. It is
important that all of the old glue be completely removed
from the cardboard surface before starting to apply the
new liner.
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12. Take special care when removing the dome light, and
be sure to mark its original position on the cardboard. This
will ensure it can be reinstalled in the correct position.
13. Once the surface has been properly cleaned, position
the new headliner fabric over the cardboard. It is best to
glue one half at a time. First, peel back the fabric halfway,
and then apply adhesive glue to both the cardboard and
fabric. In our case, a special spray gun was used that was
specifically set up for this job. For do-it-yourselfers, the
same results can be achieved by using a 24-ounce can of
3M adhesive spray (PN 080088).
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14. Be careful to apply the glue evenly to both the
cardboard backing and the headliner fabric surfaces. It
is important to avoid touching the glue once it has been
applied, otherwise the fabric will not adhere properly and
bumps may appear in the new headliner.
15. Starting in the middle and working towards the far
end, evenly press the new liner onto the cardboard. The
glue has a drying time of between three to five minutes,
so it is also important to apply the headliner fabric to the
cardboard within that timeframe.
16. With the new fabric adhered to the cardboard, the
next step is to cut it to shape. Use a sharp pair of scissors
or a knife to cut away excess material, including the
sunroof and sun visor holes. With the sunroof opening,
be sure to leave enough excess material to wrap over the
sunroof’s weatherstripping rail (see captions 24-27).
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17. Use an awl or other sharp pointed tool to punch holes
for the sun visor screws. This will ease the reinstallation
by clearly marking the correct placement for each screw.
Last but not least, remember to reinstall the dome light.
Our newly covered headliner panel is now ready for
installation.
18. To position the headliner properly positioned, work
it into position above the two rear inner trim quarterpanels. This is much easier accomplished with two people
since one can steady the front while the other works the
rear of the headliner into position.
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19. Do not forget to reconnect the dome light before
reinstalling either the front or the two side door
moldings.
20. When reinstalling the rear molding, use an awl or
other sharp pointed tool to punch through the fabric and
locate the exact position for each of the screw holes.
21. Where needed, use a shape-cutting knife to enlarge
the hole within the headliner fabric for each sun visor.
22. Use an awl to easily locate the screw holes for each
sun visor.
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23. Using the T-50 bit driver and Phillips screwdriver,
reconnect the seatbelt upper mount and plastic cover.
24. With the headliner properly positioned, the next
step is to adhere the headliner fabric to the sunroof’s
weatherstripping rail. Start by applying adhesive glue to
both the fabric and weatherstripping rail.
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25. Next, use a knife or scissors to make side cuts into the
fabric so it can be rolled over the weatherstripping lip.
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26. Roll the material over the weatherstripping rail,
pressing firmly to ensure the fabric has completely
adhered to the rail.
27. Use a knife or scissors to trim away excess material
around the bottom of the weatherstripping rail before
reinstalling the sunroof weatherstripping.
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28. With the new headliner installation complete, it is
easy to see what an awesome improvement it makes to
the interior of this Mustang.
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SOURCES
Latemodel Restoration Supply
(866) 507-3786
www.50resto.com
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Mustang Country International
14833 Lakewood Blvd.
Paramount, CA 90723
(562) 633-2393
www.mustangcountryintl.com
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