The headlining in my 1966 Chrysler 300 coupe is in good condition however the stitching between each panel has rotted. The motor trimmer thinks that, if the headlining is removed, he would be able to restitch it for reuse.

I have taken the front and rear screen interior trims off, as well as sun visors etc but cannot figure out how to removed the lining from the interior side rails. I'm not sure even if these rails need to be removed or if the lining can just be prised away and the wire frames then removed. i am reluctant to go any further for fear of damaging the side trim and/or headlining.

Does anyone have any suggestions or has done a headlining replacement and can advise me.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to all replies.

 

There are videos on the web showing how to remove headliners, but most of them are on more modern cars with molded headliners. There are some general principles that apply to all cars though. First remove everything that covers any part of the headliner, like visors, mirror mount, trim all around, coat hooks, etc, etc. Like every part of every car, it was made to go in easy in the assembly plant so look for clips and pop-in things that hold it in place. I believe those oldies with stitched headliners had wire bows arched across the roof. The headliner would have been stitched around the bows and I believe the bows fit into notches or grooves at the edges of the ceiling. Once you get all the trim off you may be able to see how the bows are located by peeking around the ends.
If you can get it out reasonably intact, maybe a canvasmaker can sew up a new one out of new material using the old one for a pattern.
Keep your eye peeled on eBay as you might get lucky and find a shop manual for your car. Odd ones come up every once in a while. Also, there are classic Chrysler sites on the web where you can get good info from people dealing with the same problems on vintage vehicles. (Seems funny talking about a '66 as a "vintage vehicle". My first car was a '60.) Good luck with it.

 

Thanks for this reply.

I have an excellent reproduction Service Manual which says "Using a dull bladed putty knife disengage fabric from side rails retainers........"

The headliner is in quite good condition and will be able to be restitched however I am wary of using even a dull bladed knife for fear of tearing it. I have tried with a flat plastic spatula and the material does not come away so I'm hoping that someone may have done this already and can advise if I just persist with this method or whether there is an alternative. The installation is listed as the reverse of this process and again seems likely to damage the (now repaired or replaced) headliner.

I shall await further replies with interest.