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MG MGA - Coupe Headliner Kit Advice?

I recently returned my Moss headliner kit because it wasn't made correctly. (They gave me a "store" credit even though I had it two years). The Moss kit included the covered trim pieces but I also did not like the cardboard material they used...and the covering was already starting get stiff and to curl at the edges. Now I have to decide who to buy from. The Scarborough Faire kit does not appear to include the trim pieces with their kit, but provides material to recover the old ones. I have my old trim pieces (and headliner), but not all are in good condition.
Those who used the SF kit, did you recover your old pieces or make new ones? Was there enough material to do the dash and package shelf as well? How is the material holding up? Are the trim pieces or patterns available separately? Any advice in this area? The archives don't really seem to have much this issue. I've seen Bob West's name mentioned regarding headliner/interior trim but I'd really rather not deal with the logistics of getting parts from England if I can avoid it. Maybe I can't.....
Thanks,
Gerry
G T Foster

Hi Gerry.
i have ordered my headliner kit from SF and have receive part of it only, Thanks to Canada post , a little slow but you always get them. I received the head liner (material) and the front trim pieces which really looks great but it's not installed yet. I have check with Cecilia when i ordered my kit and the trim pieces around the winndows comes with the kit. I also received the material to cover some trim pieces but not sure if the trim pieces around the windows will be already covered. Should have my last box this week and i will let you know. To date what ever i ordered from S.F. was of great quality.

Jean Marc
1960 coupe
Jean Marc

Go for the UK approach. They have a Post Office that kind of works, and I get packages from the UK all the time. As them to use Swiftair and it,s pretty good.

The logistics are easy with a credit card in hand, and Bob West is completely trustworthy.
dominic clancy

Gerry,
I'm glad Moss took your kit back after 2 years. I had the same problem and I should have returned mine, but I didn't think they would take it back after so much time. I had my local upholstery shop sew in new pockets and the result is a little baggier than I'd like. Talk to Cecilia at Scarborough Faire, she is a fountain of knowledge on the MGA and certainly not reluctant to share what she knows.
The dash and parcel shelf are not covered with the same material as the headliner.
Bill
Bill Boorse

Gerry,

I am in the process of installing a new/old SF headliner kit in my '58 coupe. It is an old kit, goes back to the early 80's. Not sure if it is the same as the kit they now offer. It came with the car when I bought it as a project 1 year ago. The top material went on wonderfully, the bow sleeves were very well made. I used the technique of a good strong all-purpose glue (not rubber cement, as everyone says to do) and also used the office-style black clamps everywhere the material could get a bite on the metal edges. I used wooden paint stir sticks between the clamps and the material to avoid the marks the clamps by themselves might leave and also spead out the contact area. For the side and front fillets, I used the bulk material in the kit and stretched it over the heavy pressed-board material that you can find at Lowe's or Home Depot. I think this stuff is used as underlayment for linoleum floors or something like that. This colored brown and is about 1/8 in. thick, maybe 3/16. It is much better than any cardboard, and very close if not the same as the original. It flexes just enough. I used the old fillets as a partial template (the front legs were broken off and missing), and fabricated the rest of the new fillet by trial and error. I used a scroll saw to cut it out. The nice part of this material is that you can trim the shape very easily with a disc sander, getting the edges nice and smooth. I fastened the material to the board using a combination of rubber cement and shallow staples. It is probably a good idea to use both, but be sure to allow plenty of material around the edges of the board to deal with the stretching. Yes, they should be stretched a bit to get a nice finish. Be sure to test this before cutting them out. Don't do your dash top or package shelf with this material. That should be the same stuff you use for the dash face or the seat upholstery or the door panel tops. However, the bulkead just below the rear window should be covered with the headliner material. There is probably not enough space below the windshield to worry about covering. At least I didn't.
Tom Balutis

Thanks Guys, for all your responses.

Tom, thanks for the idea about using the pressboard. I like it. Although, based upon what Jean Marc said, the SF kit (yes, that's the way I'm leaning)may now come with the trim parts. Guess I'll have to call Cecilia and confirm.
Interesting comment about the dash and package shelf - thanks. I bought my interior from Moss and I don't remember addtional material being provided. However, I see, in their new sale catalog that it is provided. Guess I better check what I received... a mind is a terrible thing to lose......

Regards,
Gerry
G T Foster

I have also read that the inside of the coupe map pockets were lined with the same material as the head liner- Gary
gary starr

Gerry,
Tom's suggestion to use the office spring clips is important. I found them to be one of the most valuable tools I had in installing my interior. I put my headliner in place using clips approximately every 3" all the way around. Then beginning at the front center, I pulled off a few clips at a time and glued the material down. I used contact cement to fasten the headliner so I only had one shot at sticking the material down but the clips allowed me to adjust the headliner as I progressed to remove sag. One problem I had was locating the holes for the mounting screws on the trim strips. With a new headliner and new material for the trim the old mounting holes are pretty much lost. Drilling new holes is easy except at the bottom front end of the side trim. At this spot the dash prevents drilling squarely into the metal and the drill walked off the mark and tore a small section of the trim covering. Over all it was a very rewarding project for me. Good luck with yours.
Bill
Bill Boorse

I'd like to make a few additional notes. Yes, Bill is correct about drilling new holes for the fillets. I cannot see any way to re-use the old ones. I am now at the stage of re-installing the glass. Tried to do it myself but it is absolutely a 2-man job. I was able to find a local glass man who was willing to do the job, with me as a helper. He told me that it is best to fold the headliner material over the lip of the metal flange, and glue it in place. This was contrary to what I did in some areas. I cut the material in line with the edge of the flange. He told me what I did was okay, but it is better to fold it over. The window rubber will still grip well. Also, be sure to install the bright trim before setting the whole assembly into the body. Even if you are not using the original trim, as I am not. I'm using the mylar kit. By the way, this is what the factory recommended, anyway.
Tom Balutis

Tom and Gerry,
Installing the glass is definitely a 2 person job, but it's pretty easy if done correctly. I placed the rubber around the glass, inserted a piece of nylon cord in the channel that fits over the body, lubed the channel with a little dish soap, placed the assembly over the bottom lip and with one person on the outside carefully pushing in I just pulled the cord out of the channel from the inside of the car. I installed the cord with the midpoint at the top center of the gasket and the ends at the bottom center and pulled the cord out about 10" in each direction as the window went in. We did the front first as it seemed to be the easier assembly to do and it took about 5 minutes to work it into place. Since we were more confident with the back window I think it took less than a minute once we positioned it, to do the final installation. I cut all my headliner and dash upholstery even with the flange edge and had no problems with the installation.

Installing the metal trim was a tedious job. I didn't install the trim until after the windows were in place and it was difficult to get the contours of the trim to line up with the window rubber. I bought a set of plastic tools designed for sculpting clay for about $1. They came in a variety of sizes and shapes and worked great for finessing the trim into the rubber. Since the back window assembly is somewhat flexible I'm not sure the trim would have stayed in place while the assembly was being installed. I don't know if the mylar will be easier to install than the metal. Let me know how you make out with it.
Bill
Bill Boorse

Hi Gerry,
I talked to Cecilia yesterday and she confirmed me that the trim around the windows are already covered, ready to install.

Jean Marc
Jean Marc

This thread was discussed between 15/02/2005 and 19/02/2005

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