Hi All, I bought a 50 Ford shoebox tudor sedan that was chopped but the interior wasn't finished. I bought the headliner bows from someone that got them from a 1951 Ford shoebox tudor and labeled them. When I installed the bows, #1 (front) is nice and tight, #2 I can fit my pinky between the box and the roof so probably 1/4 inch gap, #3 (by door pillar) I have 1/2 inch to 3/4 gap. The #7 bow (very last one in the rear) has a couple inches of gap. Is this what I should expect for my situation? I can understand how the #7 bow would have a gap given the roof was stretched out in the back to meet the trunk and flow correctly but the #3 box confuses me since in that region I don't think the chop should affect anything. Any suggestions on what I should do? I thought about doing the headliner myself but I have no idea how to fix this issue. If I took this to a shop that does auto upholstery I imagine they would face the same issue?
You will have different gaps between the bows and the roof, depending on where the bow is. Put the bows in and run a piece of masking tape from front to back to get an idea of where the headliner will be. Note that the headliner is hung from pockets that the bows go through, so it will be about 3/4" lower than the bows. If it looks good with the tape it should be OK with the headliner. If not modify the bows.
Thanks I can try that with tape. My intuition says its likely the bows need to be lengthened so they are tight against the roof. I think the headliner would be too low if the bows are already 3/4" lower than the roof in some spots and then the headliner sits 3/4 lower than that.
Having put the headliner in my chopped 49 Buick I would not have the bows tight to the roof. It makes it hard to slide the pockets left and right to center the headliner and get the wrinkles out. Leave about 1/8" gap to the roof at a minimum or more depending on how the tape looks/flows.
Thanks! Is it easy to modify the bows if the gap is too much? I imagine its adding material to the middle to length them?
Then you’d need to straighten them perfectly or the headliner would be bumpy. If you just lengthened the ends to make the bow taller, your weld area would be covered by the part of the fabric that is stretched to fit into the grabber strips.
Thanks I thought about that too, initially I was thinking it would require welding and grinding them smooth so its all seamless. Adding material to the ends is likely to look better though or at least be easier of a job. For my 50 shoebox I only have tack strips for the front they pretty much cover just the door area.. I wonder if there's supposed to be tack strips for the rear portion too. hmmmm
The windlace goes around the door first, then the grabber strips are screwed on. The headliner is stretched and tucked under them over the doors. Over the side windows the window moldings will cover the edge.
Oh ok thanks, so does one use a spray adhesive to glue to the body panels and then cover that with the window mouldings? I imagine in the back to the sides of the window you glue there as well and the rear side panels (upholstered ones) mate up to that?
Some cars have tack strips in the body made of a thick fiber board. Some just glue to the metal. I’m not positive what your model came with. I recommend looking and asking the owner of a 50 Ford, and poking your head in his car to see how it works. Take lots of closeup pics.
Thanks there's also some of these cars for sale and on youtube sometimes and they take tons of photos so I might be able to find some clues that way.
tweak em , bend em , lengthen them , massage them till they all flow front to back....tie them together at the center and ends with string ...measure front bow to windshield , measure back bow to rear glass...remove bows .start sewing....
Find the box that is the longest, even if it comes from another auto and install it in the rear and than work your way forward, cause you know that the first bow, "fits like a glove".
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