what color headlinner??

98 cherokee sport with grey/charcoal interior. im replaceing the headlinner. but i dont know what color i should get.
http://www.wlsheadliners.com/cherokee-explorer-s10-blazer-ramcharger-headliner-kit-p-10.html

thinking of 1904, 2173, 1883 i dont member how dark it was.. its been so long since i have had a headlinner in there....

unless you know of a diffrent company that sells them cheaper.. this is where i was going to get mine from.
thanks.

The lighter the better if you ask me. Makes the interior feel more open

Your local fabric stores probably sell headliner BTW. You can see what they look like in person there.

I'd pick one up from the junkyard personally. My local yard charges 15 bucks.

i live in a college town.. there are not many junk yards anywhere around here.. but i didnt even think of a fabric shop. are you talking like joe-ann fabrics? cant really think of any other places.. but thanks for the idea!!!

its840 said:

i live in a college town.. there are not many junk yards anywhere around here.. but i didnt even think of a fabric shop. are you talking like joe-ann fabrics? cant really think of any other places.. but thanks for the idea!!!

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Yeah, Jo-Ann and places like that. I know because I had to go there a lot to buy vinyl for a soft top project.

You can use materials other than headliner too... They make vinyl that looks like baseball glove leather, orange stuff textured like a basketball, etc. I guess if you wanted to use something else you'd still use a layer of foam for the insulation.

I bought the fabric to do my overhead console from Jo-ann fabrics actually.

I think I was probably the only guy in the whole store...

kastein said:

I bought the fabric to do my overhead console from Jo-ann fabrics actually.

I think I was probably the only guy in the whole store...

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You have to hit on the high school girls buying fabric for their cheerleading uniforms, just so no one thinks you're gay

kastein said:

I bought the fabric to do my overhead console from Jo-ann fabrics actually.

I think I was probably the only guy in the whole store...

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You obviously haven't seen my wife dragging me through! Last time, I chose to sit in the car. That's how I found the blown speaker. The new speakers needed a new radio. One to work with her Ipod. A radio with sub-outs needs a sub. If you ever hear an Outback thumping in front of Jo-Ann Fabrics, just be kind!

Ken, as a side note- Have you had any luck with re-covering anything in a car? After a while, especially in hot, humid weather, it all just wrinkles up like an old prune. Last trip to Harry's, my son just ripped the headliner fabric out of a donor. Good, cheap source. And, we won't cut up a good one. I just put a '98 headliner in the '92. Twenty bucks, because it still had the speakers in it. Works great. Just make sure to properly phase the speakers, as the later ones have reversed factory clips on them.

Go into Joe's all the time. Lady there that does the cutting always asks me what i fixing on my car this time.

only done 3 headliners so far. figured im the only guy buying the mat so she knows me

also, check the paper. joans usually has a 40% off coupon, can get new material for $20. (btw, you need 3 yards, and will end up with a bit left over)

lol... So here we are, a bunch of "Manly Men" talking fabrics and going to a place called Joann's.

Got my headliner there too. And some speaker fabric.

BTW: The cheerleaders laughed.

i bought my material at wal-mart

SWAMPMAN said:

i bought my material at wal-mart

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Um..yeah ya did!

I have done about 20 headliners in the past 3 years. Here is the cheapest way to do it. Go to JoAnne's website and sign up for the mailing list.
You will start getting 50% off cut fabric coupons in the mail. If you dont think ahead you can go to the store and there is a line of heavly bedazzled cat ladys. These ladys sign up on the mailing list multiple times. Start chatting with the old ladys and telling them how nice the snowman sweater is that they are wearing, blah blah. Then ask them if they have a extra "50 off cut" they will all dig thru that 40 gallon purse and start throwing them at you. you need to have 3 1/2 yards cut for a xj and the visors (it gives you some extra if you screw up a visor).

Then swing by advance auto and get 2 cans of the $10 PERMETEX spray glue part # 27828 in the 20oz orange can...gasket maker isle on the bottom shelf next to the roll of cork gasket crap.. I have used the $20 cans of 3m and get the same results, so I dont waste my money.

Works out to be 40-45 bucks. My first one was done 3 years ago. It still looks great even with the florida heat and humidity beating on it.

Im doing one in the morning if you want a full write up. I have learned all the little tricks, that make it go quick. About 45 min if its not to hot out and then doing the visiors in the living room in front of the tv takes me about 30 min each (I like to make sure they are perfect, or I get pissed looking at them every day).

its840 said:

i live in a college town.. there are not many junk yards anywhere around here.. but i didnt even think of a fabric shop. are you talking like joe-ann fabrics? cant really think of any other places.. but thanks for the idea!!!

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I have done several headliners using the stuff from Jo Ann fabrics. IIRC it ran less than $20 for the material. Use a good quality spray adhesive and don't skimp. I like Dupont 77 but there are other good ones. It really helps if you have an extra set of hands to spread out the fabric after you have sprayed the liner.

Hey Old man. Just lay the fabric over the shell and make sure there is proper overlap. Then grab the front edge and pull it back half way. So now its kinda folded in the center. Spray the front half of the shell and the half of the headliner foam thats exposed. let it tack up for 5 min or so. Then stick your hand inside the center and work it to the front. Once its down with no waves, flip the back side up and do it again.

Quick, and painless. VERY little room for error.

spat70 said:

Hey Old man. Just lay the fabric over the shell and make sure there is proper overlap. Then grab the front edge and pull it back half way. So now its kinda folded in the center. Spray the front half of the shell and the half of the headliner foam thats exposed. let it tack up for 5 min or so. Then stick your hand inside the center and work it to the front. Once its down with no waves, flip the back side up and do it again.

Quick, and painless. VERY little room for error.

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That is how I did it but invariably it is windy out or too hot out and the glue dries too fast. An extra set of hands so you can have one person on each side and then smooth it out as you go makes it SOOOOO much easier.

What do you guys do to get the remnants of the foam padding off of the shell? I fought this battle for years with my '78 Firebird. I'd do as good a job as I could, but the crumbs and dust of the old foam seemed to absorb the adhesive, and soon it was rubbing your melon again. The headliner in my '92 failed recently, and I replaced it with one from a '98. What I noticed was that the shell, although thin, was more robust than the old one. Seemed as though it was fiberglass, as opposed to the pressed paperboard of the old one. Next time I see the fabric fallin, I'll definitely head for a later one. Hope it's no time soon, though.

I used a stiff scrub brush on a long handle.

The OHC in my '96 is starting to wrinkle, especially on hot, humid days. Smooth it out, sometimes it looks OK. Sometimes it sags right away. We're about to do the soundbar in the '95, so I'll scrub it real good, and maybe the material will stick. I gotta talk Junior into that wicked camo.....

heyhar said:

What do you guys do to get the remnants of the foam padding off of the shell?

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I go to the dollar store and pick up a handfull of cheap scrub brushes.
With the shell on its back on a flat firm surface (driveway) scrub the hell out of it, when you think you got it all you can use a shop vac. That takes to much fime for me so I use a leaf blower. Scrub again, blow again. Do this until there is a smooth clean surface. Some time there is a tear in the paper, use some CHEAP masking tape (The good stuff wont stick) to cover and make a smooth surface.

This method takes about 5-7 min if the foam in nice and crumply. Oh make sure you close the doors on the jeep and check down wind. That crap goes everywhere with the blower. However you clean the entire area with the blower and have a nice clean work area to start with.