Headliner Shell Fabrication

[GaryS]

My latest project is not an A-body, but rather a '56 Plymouth that will become a mild custom. There are so many creative folks on this site, that it just seemed the best place to get ideas. I hope nobody minds.

In place of the bows to secure the headliner, I'd like to fabricate a shell and glue a modern headliner fabric onto it. I'll probably use fiberglass for the shell, but I'm curious if anyone has ever done something like this before, and if so, what did they use for a mold?

I've been thinking that blocks of Styrofoam glued together and formed with an electric knife and a rasp might be one way to go, but I'm open to better ideas. Of course, the Styrofoam would have to be covered with plastic, or sealed some other way to keep the fiberglass resin from dissolving it. Maybe a layer of modeling clay on the Styrofoam would serve to seal it and also allow more detailed forming of the mold.

 

[ssba]

Yes, you are correct fiberglass resin will melt Styrofoam.
Urethane foam will hold up and cuts and sands just as easy.
I glued the urethane foam blocks together with liquid nails.
Aluminum furnace tape can be used also where needed.
I did a model a ford headliner in the method your planning many years ago. I don't remember it costing much as far as the materials but it took a good deal of time.

 

[ntsqd]

The guys who built the buck to make the mold for Chico State's Human Powered Vehicle fairing used styrofoam. They then coated it in latex paint to keep the resin from eating it. Worked well.

I've pondered this project. I think that I'd use non-corrugated cardboard. Cut it to shape and fit, Glue any seams and use tape to hold it while the glue sets. Then paint it with polyester resin after removing any tape. As the resin starts to kick paint on some 2 oz. cloth and continue to laminate until thick enough.