This post has been moved to the "Hudson" forum (from the "suggestions and comments" forum).

Get a headliner from Kanter. They will send you color and fabric samples, and order the one for your car.

[quote="Bruce Dunmall" post=3279]Hi everyone. I am new to the Hudson world so please bear with me if I am asking an ignorant question. I need to replace the headliner in my 52 4dr wasp. There is a company that sells 53 headliners. Is there a difference between the 52 and 53 headliner? Thanks There is an outfit in California that sell to local trim shops called Acme headliner in California. Have one ordered from your local trim shop and pick it up locally. To answer your question about the 52 and 53 headliner being the same, they are. BTW the only 'stupid' questions are the ones you didn't ask.

SMS fabrics did nice work

[quote="Carl Shank" post=4089]SMS fabrics did nice work[/quote

I agree. Bought from them and recommend their products.

I suspect Kanter gets theirs from SMS

Several years ago I replaced the headliner in the 49 super six I had at the time. If you are handy with a sewing machine it is not hard to do yourself. I bought material at a local fabric store, removed the old headliner, traced out the old panels and sewed the new panels together. If I remember correctly I think the headliner is all one piece, memory is not all that good anymore. You have to keep the bows in correct order. Installing it was a bit of a challenge, just be patient. I did it as a fun project and it came out good. Cost of material was about $25.00 and I had fun doing it. Richie.

That's a LOT cheaper than buying a commercial one!

However, if someone does opt to buy theirs ready-made, I believe the Acme company's headliners are well thought of. I was present during an installation of an Acme headliner on a '54, at a tech session sponsored by our local chapter. I think Acme only sells via distributors, though. You cannot buy them direct.

Apparently, the SMS ones are also recommended.

And, as Richie says, you can always make them yourself and save some money!

What kind of material did you buy at the local fabric store?
Thanks,
Ed

Ed, I'm trying to attach a few pics. I haven't done this on this forum yet so not sure what will happen. I took a sample of the old headliner to Hancock Fabrics and found a material that was pretty close to the same color and texture. I removed all the insulation and sanded the inside of the roof and then put all the insulation back. Richie.

Richie,

That looks great! How much time did it take you to complete the job? I have a 1941 coupe that I need to replace the headliner. What equipment do you need to complete this job? A regular sewing machine? What else?

[quote="Tim Hubler -- West Richland, WA" post=4137]Richie,

That looks great! How much time did it take you to complete the job? I have a 1941 coupe that I need to replace the headliner. What equipment do you need to complete this job? A regular sewing machine? What else?

Thanks Tim, the actual installation took about a day but the prep took about a week. I went on the net and found instructions how to do the job. There is a sequence to follow, like front to back, then side to side and so on. The hardest part was going around the back window. No special tools were needed. Like I said, I did it for fun and to learn.
Doing a coupe would be a bit easier I would think. Take your time and enjoy doing it and it will come out just fine. Richie.
And yes I used a regular sewing machine. Practice sewing on scraps until you get the hang of it.

Thanks, if you have any suggested websites/instructions to look at, that would be great.

Tim

That really does look great. Do you happen to remember the material identification number at Hancock Fabrics.
Thanks again,
Ed