I know many have said to replace one rather than clean it. But mine is in excellent shape, firm and soft rather than brittle with age. It is just dirty. Is there no way to clean one without damaging it? I find it hard to believe I will have to spend the money to replace it. Of course, were I to do that, I might go with SMSs suggested grey one. It would be very nice. The headliner should not be too expensive. But please advise if there is a way to clean a good, well kept headliner.
Thank you.
Randall,
You didnt state what material it was made of. If it is of the vinyl type try a product called Simple Green. Look at the pictures of mine on the MCLC site. It came out great. After 14 years of storage it was pretty dingy.
Now if its cloth, try one of those little hand held steamers. Maybe test it on the top side of a sun visor first as the fabric could be getting brittle and the steam would most likely disintegrate it.
John
There are a zillion good cloth type fabric cleaners on the market. Get one suited for your type from your local parts store and follow the label. My Delta has the same crushed velour (its like new after 30 years!) on seats and headliner, same 3M product (forgot which) cleaned them both. I used an old and very soft shoe brush.
Now we are talking ... I know I can find the 3M product (I know it, just cannot remember the name). Now the material is a soft fabric, like cotton but heavier ... almost like gaberdine. SMS sent me a sample in grey, and the headliner on the car feels just as strong. I suspect since it was garaged most of its life, it was spared excessive heat. On the other hand it might have been replaced in the 90s which would explain why it is not the grey SMS said it should be. I rather like the white.
So, I think what might work is a dry, chemical cleaner using a soft brush as Rhino suggested. There are panels on the door that are the same material that need cleaning as well. The vinyl on the door pulls and seats can be nicely handled by ColorPlus.
Thanks guys! Keep suggesting things ... I will let you know what works!
If it is a white vinyl headliner used in the late seventies Eldorados, forget about cleaning it. The stain is caused from the aging glue. It is a yellow color stain.
Randall,
You might also try a spray bottle filled with HOT water and Oxyclean. Make sure you dissolve the Oxyclean powder thoroughly and spray on.
You can carefully blot off any excess moisture with a soft cloth. Heavy stains may take several applications, waiting 15 minutes or so in between.
David
I had not thought of Oxyclean. Strange since I use it in the wash. I will give that a try!
Thanks!
Although not a solution for every situation, there is another option if your head liner will not clean up or is too thin to use some of the other methods. The head liner on my 61 Series 75 was looking pretty bad, but when I tried to clean it a small tear developed because the head liner had become so thin. Somebody at a show recommended that I try spray paint. As unorthodox as this may seem, I felt that I had nothing to lose since the estimate that I received to replace the head liner was approximately $6,000.00. Not willing to part with that kind of money for a new head liner, I tried the spray paint. Although the result was not show quality, it was much better than what I had before and certainly acceptable for a “driverâ€.
6 Gs for a headliner? What were they going to use? Spun gold?
I may be out of touch with reality sometimes, but not that far out there.
John
www.supercar.com has headliners starting at $ 119 , 55-76.
I removed the mouse infested one from my 67 CDV, not a bad job to install a new one.
Porter
I thought the $6,000.00 quote might generate a few responses. Yes, the quote was $6,000.00 and that was over a year ago. When I reacted the same as you, it was explained that because the way the head liners were installed in this car, he would essentially have to gut the interior of the car. You should keep in mind that this is a series 75 limo with divider. That means that the divider, seats, wind lace and some of the interior trim would also have to be removed. He also said that as long as I had the seats out, I should have him refinish those items also. I have had the front seat out seat out of the car so I know that the task of removing the divider is not as difficult as I first thought. So, I am probably wrong in saying the head liner would cost that much since that quote also included refinishing the seats. When done I would basically have a new interior. I have now replaced the front seat with a leather covered seat I purchased at a junk yard, so that would reduce that expense.
No, Porter, it isnt all that hard. I have read through the manual and it seems easy enough ... famous last words. :/ But maybe I should check out a new one ... problem is then I will have to use the same material on the visors. Anyway, I think trying to clean it is the best bet first, then if I screw it up, I can and should replace it.
As with any cleaner, try a test spot before you go hog wild.
Is it fabric, vinyl, velour? Which car is it in?
It is a soft cloth, and it is in the 1956 6219.
YEah I thought I should probably be careful before blasting it with anything! LOL
Very true.
The stuff does work wonders...even totally takes out a full glass of merlot on carpet.
What needless expense is incurred in these interior makeovers, when just a little imagination can save a bundle. Lets say you have a big fat rusty brown blotch on your headliner from some ancient leak. Instead of replacing the whole liner, mix up some acrylic paint to match the stain and put blotches everywhere. Then raise the nap with one of those brass suede shoe brushes. Do the same to the sun visors. Now youve got genuine fake fur giraffe skin. Youre the great white hunter on safari, the envy of all your friends. And the astounding thing is that you did it all in an afternoon on a shoe string!
Ooooookay. Sounds like a plan. You can go with that motif by adding faux tusks to the sides of the seats, and leopard skin on the door panels. Call it the Bawana Edition.
LOL! And lets not forget the speakers on the horn circuit with multiple mode sound effects, including (but not limited to) a bellowing elephant, a roaring lion and an agitated baboon.
What about the all-important hood ornament? A Ubangi? Marlin Perkins taking careful aim in prone position?