Headliner & Sail Board help needed please!

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Joined
Feb 12, 2016
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Location
England
My Car
1972 Mach 1 351 2v Auto
Hi all

I recently bought a Mach from California and I am waiting for it to be shipped to the UK, so I cannot physically see it in the flesh.

I know it needs a headliner, bows, sound proofing & sail boards, by this picture I have been sent below.

I am told the plastic edge trims are in the car as are the seat belts

20160214_104124.jpg


Im trying to get all the parts together, to put in the car before its shipped (as it will save me a fortune in shipping & duty costs), is there anything I will likely need looking at the pic???

The local Mustang dealer close to the shipper deals in Scott Drake parts! Are these headliners/sail boards etc any good from Scott Drake or would another manufacturer be recommended instead?

Also the Scott Drake catalog that I have does not list the bows!! Are these available and from whom?

Sorry for all the questions & thanks in advance :)

 
Hi all

I recently bought a Mach from California and I am waiting for it to be shipped to the UK, so I cannot physically see it in the flesh.

I know it needs a headliner, bows, sound proofing & sail boards, by this picture I have been sent below.

I am told the plastic edge trims are in the car as are the seat belts

20160214_104124.jpg


Im trying to get all the parts together, to put in the car before its shipped (as it will save me a fortune in shipping & duty costs), is there anything I will likely need looking at the pic???

The local Mustang dealer close to the shipper deals in Scott Drake parts! Are these headliners/sail boards etc any good from Scott Drake or would another manufacturer be recommended instead?

Also the Scott Drake catalog that I have does not list the bows!! Are these available and from whom?

Sorry for all the questions & thanks in advance :)
The bows are only available used

Hard to see in the picture but it looks like you are missing the metal mounting strips that go under the headliner - these are also a used item

 
Greetings!

Your best bet is to check with one of the vendors listed here who have some of the parts you'll be needing from their parts cars. Ohio Mustang Supply, Motor City Mustang, and Bill's 71-73 Ford Parts might have some used and/or unobtainable pieces, while CJ Pony Parts pretty much has new items.

Check out this article for some quick 'n' dirty How-To instructions. They're pretty good, actually.

http://www.mustangandfords.com/how-to/interior-electrical/headliner-install/

The things I can think of that you'll need:

  • rear bow retaining wires (located near the back window - 2 pieces of wire hanging down - Don't Throw Them Away if you have them)
  • bows (in order - measure them and the holes form side-to-side if the colors are rubbed off)
  • insulation
  • tack strips (pictures of them are in the linked articles)
  • windlace or other clamp-like fasteners (for holding the edges in-place on the window frame pinch-welds)
  • headliner adhesive
  • fasteners for all trim pieces, visors, etc.


This is best done with the glass removed. Also, you'll need to remove the rear deck and quarter panel trim from the inside - the sail panel tucks in underneath those pieces. If your car has the windshield and rear glass installed, you might want to have a professional shop tackle the project.

A few things I learned when I did mine:

Install some Dynamat (or similar, I used RAAMat) followed by the factory style insulation - tap on the roof and it sounds solid as a tank now. ;)

First install the tack strips and all fasteners for the trim pieces, sun visors, dome light, etc., and leave them sticking out slightly so you can feel them through the headliner once it's in-place - makes it easier to find the precise locations to make small incisions that will be hidden after everything's installed.

Cut the spare windlace into 1"-2" strips (or have a LOT of small clamping devices - kind of like chip-clips, clothes pins, document clips, etc.) and have them ready for when you apply the adhesive to the edges around the windshield, door frames, and backlight openings.

Use the tallest holes for the bows as possible.

Hook the rearmost bow into the retaining wires - they help create & maintain fore & aft tension on the headliner.

Pretty much just follow the directions on the Mustang Monthly article and don't cut anything until you have it all in-place and/or are absolutely sure you're making the cuts in the right places (can't go back if you cut it too short).

I think you should have everything, as long as you have the tack strips and rear bow retainers along with all the rest of the other stuff you mentioned.

 
The bows are only available used

Hard to see in the picture but it looks like you are missing the metal mounting strips that go under the headliner - these are also a used item
He's probably also missing the rear bow retainers and possibly the dome light as well (can't see in the pic). Have to check toward the back of the rear window openings (not seen in the pic) to make sure he's not missing the sail panel/package tray trim brackets (since they're removable)... as well as possibly the brackets underneath the missing fastener where the quarter trim meets the package tray trim.

 
Thanks for the advise :)

I certainly will be using the sponsers of this website in the near future ::thumb::

So im now on the search for bows & retainers :chin: I have found some bows in California but they wont ship to the UK which is a shame :huh:

The light may well be missing as well, but I have been told there are parts in the car, I guess I will have to wait until it arrives so I can have a good look to see exactly what im missing :)

But whilst im waiting, is there a preference to the best quality headliners, sailboards & seat covers??

Cheers

 
I got a deal on a headliner from another member on this site, but purchased the sail panels, windlace, insulation pads, and other things needed for installation from OMS. I pulled the rods out one-by-one and numbered them, and kept my rear bow retainers, as my original headliner was complete, but just old, dirty, and the seams were failing. I was lucky enough to have pretty much everything and could restore was wasn't replaceable.

As for upholstery, it kind of depends on what you want. I wanted something a little more modern and 'restomod,' but I really like the 'look' of the OEM Mach 1 seats, so I got my seat covers, foam, burlap, hog rings & pliers from CJ Pony Parts, because the Sport Seat upholstery was perfect for what I was wanting... (until TMI Products released the new Pro Series seats in a '71-'73 Mach 1 pattern, that is). The TMI Products upholstery kits are quality as well.

OMS has stock upholstery by Distinctive Industries, which I've heard are very quality products as well (otherwise OMS wouldn't sell it).

The headliner really was not that tough to install - you'll do fine.

The upholstery, on the other hand... let's just say I have a whole new respect for professional upholsterers, having done mine myself. They came out nice enough - my first time, even... not "100-point show car perfect," but they definitely look and feel good, I saved money by going the D-I-Y route, as well as can say I've done it myself. It would be easy to get to a point to hand it all off to a professional, which nobody would blame a guy for that - trust me.

So, you kind of just need to look around to see what you can get.

I'm pretty OMS and CJPP ship overseas, as well, since I think I remember them having ebay items out there before.

 
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