Sam Cogley
Well-known member
I have got to get one of those.
1958 MGA Coupe
- Thread starter bobs77vet
- Start date
bobs77vet
Well-known member
oh yes they are way cool
todays task to fit the coupe headliner door and window panels. Jim Cheatham made them for me, next thing is to do the last cutting of the headliner bow loops for stretching it. i am very close to a final fit.
first we make the hole locating tool
thumb tack
todays task to fit the coupe headliner door and window panels. Jim Cheatham made them for me, next thing is to do the last cutting of the headliner bow loops for stretching it. i am very close to a final fit.
first we make the hole locating tool
thumb tack
bobs77vet
Well-known member
and the last hour and 1/2 today cutting the loops and stretching again
SuperBuickGuy
Well-known member
some is going to be miffed when they cannot find a file clip in their office supply box :2nd:
MYBAD79
Moderator
Really clean install on that headliner, wish I had the patience when I installed my headliner in the KarmannGhia ....
bobs77vet
Well-known member
thanks, i figure if i wait long enough on installing the headliner i will have worked through enough sleepless nights to finally have figured it out.....i am actually not kidding
occasionally i wonder if this will ever be finished at this pace......
add the outlet metal tubes to heater box
the flasher arrived and I tested my extra heater motor to see if the motor was polarity sensitive which it is not (it only spins one way regardless of how the wires are connected)
so I installed flasher and connected heater box to heater shelf
i believe i have found a steamer to see if i can remove those last wrinkles in the headliner and then the plan is it will get glued on, working for a little while each night of next week, i guess you start in the center and move to each corner 8 inches at a time????
occasionally i wonder if this will ever be finished at this pace......
add the outlet metal tubes to heater box
the flasher arrived and I tested my extra heater motor to see if the motor was polarity sensitive which it is not (it only spins one way regardless of how the wires are connected)
so I installed flasher and connected heater box to heater shelf
i believe i have found a steamer to see if i can remove those last wrinkles in the headliner and then the plan is it will get glued on, working for a little while each night of next week, i guess you start in the center and move to each corner 8 inches at a time????
SuperBuickGuy
Well-known member
I thought you steamed while tensioning.... but I am NOT even an amateur so you may wish to google for better results
bobs77vet
Well-known member
I think I have book on interior upholstery now that I think about it.....time to go reference it.
I do know that I want several days of no wrinkles before I glue it.
like I said those are 30+ years of wrinkles so I can wait a few weeks for them to relax out of the fabric with out too much drastic action on my part.
thanks bob
bobs77vet
Well-known member
well i just cant wait any longer and I am not getting any smarter so one last stretch and i am gluing the front.
this is with the flash, in the natural light you cant see any wrinkles
I am gluing the headliner about 7 inches at a time using a 1" brush to put on the glue.
this is with the flash, in the natural light you cant see any wrinkles
I am gluing the headliner about 7 inches at a time using a 1" brush to put on the glue.
bobs77vet
Well-known member
so now i move to the door openings....this gives me the front window and door openings done which allows me to put the vinyl on the scuttle, the mirror and the demister vents and then install the dash board and install the front window....the rear panel can be the last thing i glue down. now all i am waiting on is for my distributor to finish getting rebuilt by Jeff
SuperBuickGuy
Well-known member
I think we may be done about the same time.... fortunately, since mine is a soft top, I don't 'have' to have it done before beating it like the cross-bred, red-headed stepchild it is
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bobs77vet
Well-known member
oh yeah thats sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet, i saw and old style dune buggy that would be fun too
on a coupe the scuttle vinyl and mirror and demister vents have to go in before the windshield and the pillars have to be wrapped with headliner material before the door opening panel goes on.
remove clamps and trim material where necessary
wrap pillar glue both sides
wrap around edge and glue and clamp
this is how i glued it folded it over
install mirror and cut out demister vents
all stainless steel fasteners
lets see about the windshield gasket.....35 yrs old new and never installed
i have to clean off the gasket and lets start the stretch of the old gasket
on a coupe the scuttle vinyl and mirror and demister vents have to go in before the windshield and the pillars have to be wrapped with headliner material before the door opening panel goes on.
remove clamps and trim material where necessary
wrap pillar glue both sides
wrap around edge and glue and clamp
this is how i glued it folded it over
install mirror and cut out demister vents
all stainless steel fasteners
lets see about the windshield gasket.....35 yrs old new and never installed
i have to clean off the gasket and lets start the stretch of the old gasket
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bobs77vet
Well-known member
my rope measurement says i need 119" of circular gasket length, which incidentally is exactly what i have its just under tension and not relaxed lets see what a couple of days of Virginia sun does to loosen it up
bobs77vet
Well-known member
what a PITA this is turning into.....
the gasket does not want to stretch over the glass in a one person work environment.....tonight I might put 3 other sets of hands on this
tried for over an hour and it just did not work. there is significant difference between my new rear window seal and the NOS front window seal in there flexibility and stretchability
and now I am stretching the rear glass one also...goal this weekend all front/rear glass and dashboard in..
the gasket does not want to stretch over the glass in a one person work environment.....tonight I might put 3 other sets of hands on this
tried for over an hour and it just did not work. there is significant difference between my new rear window seal and the NOS front window seal in there flexibility and stretchability
and now I am stretching the rear glass one also...goal this weekend all front/rear glass and dashboard in..
SuperBuickGuy
Well-known member
I bought a brand new FJ40 windshield seal. Couldn't use it because it was too soft and the wrong size.... don't know what to tell you about why the stock one won't fit, though. The solution for mine was generic rubber seals.
Sam Cogley
Well-known member
Does Steele sell a windshield seal for the MGA?
bobs77vet
Well-known member
I WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
different ball game today.....two of us one extremely stronger then the other....little joe: 23yrs old. 6'3 210+ lacrosse player and old soft me....i can tell you we needed the muscle
the stretch did the trick.....put the one end side on first taped it down so it would slip off and then moved to the other end, it was obvious from the start the gasket was more flexible. it still was a chore and we tried putting the rope in the glass slot so when we rolled the gasket over the glass from the bottom we could pull it out....that and the Popsicle sticks from Michaels did the trick. i am not sure the rope gave us anything but once or twice it clearly provided a benefit.once we got the second end done we taped it down an moved to the long sides....about 30 minutes of pretty intense work. mostly cause the old gasket was so stiff. the stiffness is dramatically different then
the new gasket for the rear window
I am going to let it get use to the window for a while in the sun and then as soon as i get another helper it will get installed today.....
different ball game today.....two of us one extremely stronger then the other....little joe: 23yrs old. 6'3 210+ lacrosse player and old soft me....i can tell you we needed the muscle
the stretch did the trick.....put the one end side on first taped it down so it would slip off and then moved to the other end, it was obvious from the start the gasket was more flexible. it still was a chore and we tried putting the rope in the glass slot so when we rolled the gasket over the glass from the bottom we could pull it out....that and the Popsicle sticks from Michaels did the trick. i am not sure the rope gave us anything but once or twice it clearly provided a benefit.once we got the second end done we taped it down an moved to the long sides....about 30 minutes of pretty intense work. mostly cause the old gasket was so stiff. the stiffness is dramatically different then
the new gasket for the rear window
I am going to let it get use to the window for a while in the sun and then as soon as i get another helper it will get installed today.....
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bobs77vet
Well-known member
well it is what it is......read on
finished headliner install
glue top first then side panel
glue side panel
next is the back panel
photo of glued bottom
seam
install parcel shelf to act as a "clamp"
finished headliner install
glue top first then side panel
glue side panel
next is the back panel
photo of glued bottom
seam
install parcel shelf to act as a "clamp"
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bobs77vet
Well-known member
win some lose some.....
add the string for seating the gasket over the window flange
pull out rope and it seats itself well sort of...
work both sides evenly
freaking looks awesome
not so shabby if i must say so myself
well except for that.....
I never should have tried to use the old gasket or maybe the dead blow hammer either, oh well $185 for the windshield $80 for the gasket
add the string for seating the gasket over the window flange
pull out rope and it seats itself well sort of...
work both sides evenly
freaking looks awesome
not so shabby if i must say so myself
well except for that.....
I never should have tried to use the old gasket or maybe the dead blow hammer either, oh well $185 for the windshield $80 for the gasket
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