I searched high and low for a thread that had recommended vendors for a headliner and couldn't find anything newer than 2010. I know Legendary has what I need but somepne mentioned something about PUI or TPP having them? Anyway, who has the best price and the best quality headliners? Not interested in a middleman if I can go straight to the source. I also need the sail panels and might also need windlace if anyone carries windlace for 69 coupes. Thanks, Ken
I don't think there IS a difference in quality. I've only used PUI, personally. The REALLY important thing is a good installation. Once it's in and tight, there's no wear and tear on it like seats or carpets. If it's done right it's done forever! One thing to think about though is that if you buy a PUI headliner, it might not match Legendary seats colorwise, or your original visors. Unless it's black...then you have no worries. Like I told Larry, colors suck for matching!
I ordered mine from Cars. The headliner is then shipped from the manufacturer. They have one of the best prices out there. It was $70.00 and came with the sail panels and extra material for the visors. The quality is excellent. My installer was impressed, particularly with the sail panels. He said they almost never line-up with the holes in the body where the clips attach. These sail panels fit perfectly! I'm VERY pleased with it all.
Frank - Yeah I have black interior. Nick - That's good to know. $0 including the sail panels is a good price. Did you guys have someone install yours or did you do it yorselves? ---------- Post added at 02:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:21 PM ---------- I'm looking at the cars website and for 68-69 they have Tier Grain, Star, Ribbed, Perforated. WTF? My headliner has been gone for decades I have no idea what the pattern was. I'm thinking ribbed but are there really that many choices? Edit - Oh sorry, I forgot basketweave. It looks like it only comes with the material to cover the visors, it doesn't say it comes with the sail panels. http://www.oldbuickparts.com/catalo...adliner-1968-69-buick-2dr-ribbed-p-22797.html
Right. That's what I thought. In fact, I called CARS and asked about sail panels and he said they don't carry them. So when the headliner arrived I was pleasantly surprised to see the sail panels were included. I'm not sure if it was a mistake by the manufacturer or if CARS doesn't know that they are included. At any rate, i'm glad I didn't have to hunt down any sail panels and saved some bucks to boot. As far as installing it, I had a pro do mine. It cost $300.00 but it was well worth it. He came to my garage and spent 6 1/2 hours doing it. The results are stunning. It's absolutely perfect!
I've used PUI for the most part. Several years ago an upholsterer friend told me that Acme had the best headliners, so the next car I did I went with one from them. I found there to be no difference in quality at all.
Ken, I do the headliners myself, but I've done a few of them. My 1st years ago came out way better than average, but I'm very patient + fussy. I did a couple more and now they come out as good as it gets. I hate doing them, but it saves good $$$. I would recommend having a pro do it if it's affordable, or it's a show car. If it's a DD it might be worth a try, it DOES take all day, I recently wrote a lot of info on here about installing one. I was quoted 500.00 around here at a resto shop to do one + material. The one thing is, as interior parts go, 70.00 is cheap! If you mess it up, you are only out 70.00...or...it will only cost you 70.00 to try again. That's a lot less than paying out 3-500.00 !
Frank, I have little patience and am somewhat of a perfectionist so that's a bad combo. :grin: Everywhere I look, for my year, It's $99 for a headliner. Everyone is saying $45, $70 etc. I'm not understanding it. $100 to me is not worth messing up, I'd rather have a shop do it. Plus, that's a HUGE difference in labor, one guys says $300 and another $500? Almost double? One guy told me $200 on this board. I can't believe the variation, it's amazing to me. ---------- Post added at 08:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:43 AM ---------- Acme? I never heard of them. Like the Acme that Wile E Coyote uses for weapons against the Roadrunner? p ---------- Post added at 08:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:45 AM ---------- I would venture to say that CARS probably did not know they are included. So you're saying that the actual sail panel "boards" were included in the kit? That's amazing.
The reason install prices vary so much...it depends on what they charge per hour...and how busy they are. One person, even Houdini, could not finish this job start to finish in less than 4 hours. Two peeps can do it faster. Do the math, going rates around here vary 50. 75. 100. an hour. It also depends where in the country you live, East Coast resto prices are higher than Central US.The difference in headliner cost, is probably because they bought them a long time ago! That's my case, I haven't bought one in a while and they have probably gone way up. I recommend you go to a few places and get prices for installation. Try to steer wide of anybody who gives you only a per hour fee W/ no time limit. A good installer knows how long it takes, they should be able to give you a price. Maybe ask on hear for a good upholstery shop in your area.
Anyone who even thinks of installing a headliner themselves needs to have their head examined. I had a seasoned pro come to my house. This guy and his family are very well known and used to have a shop here in Mass. The guy now only does it part time and will travel to you. I watched him put mine in and it took 7 hours!!!!! it took 2 hours to thread the rods through the thing. They do not go over the bends in the rods easy. it has to go about 1/8" at a time. I got sore fingers watching him. He needed to heat the plastic clips with a hair dryer to get the rods with the headliner into them. He did a ton of stretching and pulling. The results were worth it. I would have ripped it up and thrown it in the trash. I used Legendary and got sail panels and visors. It looks nice but what a pain.
Dave, That's good advice. I think I've heard all I need to hear, I am no way gonna install it myself. 7 hours for a pro, that would equate to 4 days for me including cutting it up and throwing it away. It's worth $450 just to be able to have my weekends back. How far does this dude travel? I'm certain he would not travel up by me, so he's out.
Ken, Where are you in Maine? Do you want me to ask him? Maybe you could arrange to bring the car closer?
in 2009, I purchased the headliner from legendery. I then had a pro install it and the vinyl roof. money well spent.
Right, if it's done by a pro, it's done probably forever. There's no wear + tear on them. I did my vinyl roof on my Olds myself, too. I only do stuff like that because I get pro results + it saves me big bucks. You would probably never get satisfactory results on your first try. And...1 mistake and either item is toast.
Ken, who's headliner did you go with?. How did it turn out? I'm in need one as well and was thinking legendary. The good thing is I have a great apolstry guy. Cheers, Don
