Wagon Headliner/Interior Paint

Big_John said:
They really cover it, but I found just a general soap and water wash with Dawn detergent will get things started so you can use their products with minimal waste. To make it work, it needs to be really clean and all that Armor-All that sprayed on it over the years contains silicone and that needs to be 100% gone.

My local shop carried a lot of this stuff until they sold out to someone else. What they have on the shelf is a little spotty so I buy it all on Amazon now.
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That’s some excellent insight, I really appreciate all of the tips. Thank you!
 
The little chrome pieces should be in your wagon. Somewhere. Look under seats and all around.

Might have some spares if needed
 
71Polara383 said:
The little chrome pieces should be in your wagon. Somewhere. Look under seats and all around.

Might have some spares if needed
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I have a couple of them, I’ll look closer though. What did you have to do to prep the headliner to install it in the car? I just ordered mine from REM. The sales rep told me that I may have to steam it to get it to bend properly. Did you have to do that with yours?
 
ccdiggs said:
I have a couple of them, I’ll look closer though. What did you have to do to prep the headliner to install it in the car? I just ordered mine from REM. The sales rep told me that I may have to steam it to get it to bend properly. Did you have to do that with yours?
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I did not have to steam mine. But if i did it again I would.
 
ccdiggs said:
Haha, I’m glad that you solved your mouse issue! Did you use any adhesive for the insulation?
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Thanks :-)
I can not really remember that I used adhesive, I think I fixed them with "metal stripes" from left-right. Think.. with a "roof luggage carrier" (sorry, my english) you have holes in the roof and perhaps you need to restore the roof from inside sometimes. It would be a mess if the insulation is fixed with a lot of adhesive. IF, than only on some points. It will be fixed anyway after the carton is fixed.
 
71Polara383 said:
The wagons changed the dimensions of the boards for 1970 and up. 1969 is on its own. I worked with REM to get the correct boards.

I used some stick on sound deadening. The boards are fairly easy to install. Just take your time and make sure its lined up.

Replacement bows are available from a guy on Forbbodiesonly.com
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Interesting. I can not seem to navigate REM's website to see examples of what they sell. It's irritating.

Regardless, I am interested in knowing if you also worked with REM to have them make the sunvisors that wagons had along with their paper-embossed hardboard headliners? My 66 T&C has paper sunvisors that are the same as the hardboard roof panels, and recently I had to rebuild them. Before I disassembled the visors, I thought I could use a spare headliner panel to make "new" sunvisors, until I realized that the visors use MUCH thinner material (same pattern and colour) than the 1/8" thick roof panels. More like 8/64ths or less. They were obviously bent over a form too - with two creases, to create the single piece visors that wrap over the long arm of the visor structure.

Did REM make those as well?
 
Ross Wooldridge said:
Interesting. I can not seem to navigate REM's website to see examples of what they sell. It's irritating.

Regardless, I am interested in knowing if you also worked with REM to have them make the sunvisors that wagons had along with their paper-embossed hardboard headliners? My 66 T&C has paper sunvisors that are the same as the hardboard roof panels, and recently I had to rebuild them. Before I disassembled the visors, I thought I could use a spare headliner panel to make "new" sunvisors, until I realized that the visors use MUCH thinner material (same pattern and colour) than the 1/8" thick roof panels. More like 8/64ths or less. They were obviously bent over a form too - with two creases, to create the single piece visors that wrap over the long arm of the visor structure.

Did REM make those as well?
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I am honestly not sure if they offer that service. I didn’t see the headliner option on their website, so I contacted them via email. Their customer service is excellent. So I recommend that you email them.
 
Apparently the headliner panels ARE available, but I can't find any pics or such on their website. No pics or descriptions of ANY of their products. It's just a list of what they make, no pics, prices, yadda. Kinda useless in my opinion, although their parts ARE excellent.
REM Automotive, INC
 
X2 on the SEM product. I personally like the Bulldog prep adhesive and there is no adverse reactions between the products. Be careful if you intend to sand your plastic parts as you can remove much of the grain. If you must sand use a 1200 / 1500 grit paper lightly! Make sure the plastic parts are super clean, SprayWay's glass cleaner is what I use most. SEM's cleaner is good, but be aware it can soften the surface slightly which is not a bad thing just watch out for fingerprints. My experience with many projects using plastic dye/paint has taught me that a final clear coat is a MUST for durability and scratch resistance. SEM's clear comes in three different gloss levels. Stay away from the higher gloss as it will not match the other factory finishes already in place. Don't get in a hurry when spraying. You WILL need multiple light coats to get the finish you want and to maintain the grain. If your coats are too heavy you will bury the grain. You will probably make some mistakes so if you have a trim piece you will not be using practice on that. SEM really doesn't like cold temps or humidity so choose your work day with an eye towards that. Use saw horses or a couple of trash cans as bases and a piece of plywood to make a work surface, the taller the better as it allows you to spray edges without tilting the spray can and risking spatter. Be sure to allow plenty of space between your pieces. Old spray can lids or pieces of 2x4, baby food jars etc. are good pedestals to keep the work from sticking to your bench. Depending on how many panels you plan on refinishing spread your project over multiple days and don't get in a hurry. Group pieces that are in the same area of your car to reduce risk of color variations which sometimes happens when you change cans or the temp changes. Changes can be slight but if your doing door panels it will be almost impossible to see the differences from left side to right side of the car. If you have items that will abut then do them all at the same time for best results. SEM spray cans WILL spit and spatter as the can gets towards empty. Try and keep the can level to help reduce this and for my projects I change cans when they are about 80% exhausted. Good Luck!
 
66/440 said:
X2 on the SEM product. I personally like the Bulldog prep adhesive and there is no adverse reactions between the products. Be careful if you intend to sand your plastic parts as you can remove much of the grain. If you must sand use a 1200 / 1500 grit paper lightly! Make sure the plastic parts are super clean, SprayWay's glass cleaner is what I use most. SEM's cleaner is good, but be aware it can soften the surface slightly which is not a bad thing just watch out for fingerprints. My experience with many projects using plastic dye/paint has taught me that a final clear coat is a MUST for durability and scratch resistance. SEM's clear comes in three different gloss levels. Stay away from the higher gloss as it will not match the other factory finishes already in place. Don't get in a hurry when spraying. You WILL need multiple light coats to get the finish you want and to maintain the grain. If your coats are too heavy you will bury the grain. You will probably make some mistakes so if you have a trim piece you will not be using practice on that. SEM really doesn't like cold temps or humidity so choose your work day with an eye towards that. Use saw horses or a couple of trash cans as bases and a piece of plywood to make a work surface, the taller the better as it allows you to spray edges without tilting the spray can and risking spatter. Be sure to allow plenty of space between your pieces. Old spray can lids or pieces of 2x4, baby food jars etc. are good pedestals to keep the work from sticking to your bench. Depending on how many panels you plan on refinishing spread your project over multiple days and don't get in a hurry. Group pieces that are in the same area of your car to reduce risk of color variations which sometimes happens when you change cans or the temp changes. Changes can be slight but if your doing door panels it will be almost impossible to see the differences from left side to right side of the car. If you have items that will abut then do them all at the same time for best results. SEM spray cans WILL spit and spatter as the can gets towards empty. Try and keep the can level to help reduce this and for my projects I change cans when they are about 80% exhausted. Good Luck!
Click to expand...

These are some fantastic tips. I will definitely be referencing your write up when I plan to start painting. Thank you so much!
 
66/440 said:
X2 on the SEM product. I personally like the Bulldog prep adhesive and there is no adverse reactions between the products. Be careful if you intend to sand your plastic parts as you can remove much of the grain. If you must sand use a 1200 / 1500 grit paper lightly! Make sure the plastic parts are super clean, SprayWay's glass cleaner is what I use most. SEM's cleaner is good, but be aware it can soften the surface slightly which is not a bad thing just watch out for fingerprints. My experience with many projects using plastic dye/paint has taught me that a final clear coat is a MUST for durability and scratch resistance. SEM's clear comes in three different gloss levels. Stay away from the higher gloss as it will not match the other factory finishes already in place. Don't get in a hurry when spraying. You WILL need multiple light coats to get the finish you want and to maintain the grain. If your coats are too heavy you will bury the grain. You will probably make some mistakes so if you have a trim piece you will not be using practice on that. SEM really doesn't like cold temps or humidity so choose your work day with an eye towards that. Use saw horses or a couple of trash cans as bases and a piece of plywood to make a work surface, the taller the better as it allows you to spray edges without tilting the spray can and risking spatter. Be sure to allow plenty of space between your pieces. Old spray can lids or pieces of 2x4, baby food jars etc. are good pedestals to keep the work from sticking to your bench. Depending on how many panels you plan on refinishing spread your project over multiple days and don't get in a hurry. Group pieces that are in the same area of your car to reduce risk of color variations which sometimes happens when you change cans or the temp changes. Changes can be slight but if your doing door panels it will be almost impossible to see the differences from left side to right side of the car. If you have items that will abut then do them all at the same time for best results. SEM spray cans WILL spit and spatter as the can gets towards empty. Try and keep the can level to help reduce this and for my projects I change cans when they are about 80% exhausted. Good Luck!
Click to expand...
I like to use those scrub pads that are like Scotch-Brite, but thinner and more flexible. My local place doesn't carry them and I haven't found another source.

I never thought about using clear!!! That's interesting. I have to touch-up a couple bits in my car and have to look about that.
 
Big_John said:
I like to use those scrub pads that are like Scotch-Brite, but thinner and more flexible. My local place doesn't carry them and I haven't found another source.

I never thought about using clear!!! That's interesting. I have to touch-up a couple bits in my car and have to look about that.
Click to expand...
The Gray Scotch-Brite pads are the same a #00 steel wool. I have seen them on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/3M-Scotch-Brite-Ultra-7448-20-Count/dp/B01N4TKTOL?ref_=ast_sto_dp
 
Big_John said:
I like to use those scrub pads that are like Scotch-Brite, but thinner and more flexible. My local place doesn't carry them and I haven't found another source.

I never thought about using clear!!! That's interesting. I have to touch-up a couple bits in my car and have to look about that.
Click to expand...
The durability of the finish is greatly enhanced by using the SEM clear coat. I have a couple vehicles that I color changed 13 or 14 years ago, and they still look great. The extra durability/hardness really is a plus.
 
I hope this is not a repeat, but all 69 T&C had off white headliner panels. My parents bought a new one with a black interior, they were the off white color.
Mark
 
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