66 hardtop headliner reuse - is it possible?

[Bruce M.]

The 66 is a certified Survivor and regional top flight that I want to keep original as possible. I've done a due diligence thread search and found nothing but failures for attempting to re-adhere the vinyl liner to the fiber board shell. I removed all traces of disintegrated padding, cleaned the vinyl well and used 3M 80 spray adhesive as directed. The fiber board seemed to absorb the glue but the vinyl remains tacky after a month. Of course the vinyl pulled loose after a day or less.

There must be a way to reuse the original vinyl - I'm thinking some kind of paint product would seal the board and allow the vinyl to stick. Since everything is factory original, I want to avoid ruining the fiberboard or vinyl and keep them in place. Anybody with a 66 or 67 have a success story?

Bruce

[Joe R.]

Re: 66 hardtop headliner reuse - is it possible?

Bruce,

Shoot another rather heavy coat on the fiberboard and let it dry. If it coats well go ahead and use the 3M as directed. If the fiberboard seems to absorb the 3M shoot another coat and wait to completely dry. Then use the 3M as directed not letting either surface to completely dry before joining them together.

JR

[Bruce M.]

Re: 66 hardtop headliner reuse - is it possible?

Thanks JR. Have you done this with long term success? I'm surprised no one else has had a good experience with this problem. My other thought was to add some type of gasket material to pinch the liner tight at the perimeter with the trim pieces and let sag.

[Joe R.]

Re: 66 hardtop headliner reuse - is it possible?

Bruce,

Yes, the adhesives that 3M makes today are much more advanced than those of the 60's. Just be careful and don't try to apply the vinyl when the contact cement is too wet. Follow the instructions carefully.
Using contact cement is part art and part practice.

JR

[Frank D.]

Re: 66 hardtop headliner reuse - is it possible?

I've done some messy work in that area. IMO - the adhesive failure is exacerbated by the breakdown of the materials in the backing... Often you'll see some of the backing material stuck to the vinyl covering when the system fails. Putting more glue on the aged backing doesn't really fix the problem. There is prob no downside to giving it a shot as suggested above but just don't be surprised if it doesn't work out...

You have to be real careful of globbing up the glue during the application as well so a heavy coat might be better for adhesion but just watch how it lays down......I also use a 2" wide rubber roller to gently go over the vinyl while the glue is curing....lightly so you don't booger up the vinyl but with enough pressure to ensure adhesion and smoothness... Stores that sell wallpaper usually have the rubber rollers.

[Bruce M.]

Re: 66 hardtop headliner reuse - is it possible?

The second attempt was more successful with some other unexpected issues. The adhesive seemed to shrink the vinyl to the point where I now have a tight bond with about 1/4" of backer exposed at the perimeter of the ragged vinyl edges. This could be due to the loss of coverage from the original foam backing, but I doubt it.

What I learned: when using 3M 80 on the old vinyl, make sure the adhesive dries long enough to remain on the vinyl when you touch with a finger, but not much longer. Instructions say 4 minutes but for me it was closer to 6. Also, mask 1/2" of the vinyl edge so you can grip and stretch without mucking up your fingers. Have a short roller ready to apply necessary pressure to secure the bond on the concave surface. The wrinkles worked out easily but only with pressure. Lastly, if working alone, lay the vinyl in place dry and fold the front half back, spray both surfaces, bond and repeat with the back half being careful to fold the "ears" under for last. The "ears" are tricky due to the compound curve and gooey mess in a vertical position.

At this point I know it's original vinyl and backer board, and judges would probably appreciate that in itself. The hardtop is only installed for judging and hangs dutifully from the ceiling in it's hoist. Lessons learned the hard way as usual!

[Gerald C.]

Re: 66 hardtop headliner reuse - is it possible?

Question on the vinyl material on a 66. Is it the same as the 67? I can purchase that vinyl at an auto top place near me. The car is not being judged. Thoughts???