Hard top Headliner question

Hey guys, Ive got a few holes in my hard top that need cutting out and patched. Whats the best way to take the top off. I'm afraid I will buckle it.

Have any of you guys built a headliner for your Commando(1970) and if so how did you go about it??? Mine didnt have one in it when I bought it to use as a guide.
R)
Project update: The good folks at Summit finally tell us we should be getting our Proform HEI next week(Its been on order since the first of Nov.). We plan to fit it and then do the engine install. Plan to start body work and paint when it warms up a bit and finally stops raining.
Thanks for your help
Vhatt:v6:

 

Two or three good men can lift it off no problem. Not real heavy, but akward for one person if you're by yourself. Ropes and pullies over a beam or rafter works too. Can't help with the headliner.

 

Thanks Pack Rat, I will get three of my buddies to come by and help me lift it off when I'm ready. I guess I will try some thin masonite wrapped with headliner material, it looks like I might be able to fab it up in three sections, the top and two for the sides. I think it will look kinda square and boxy but I dont know what else to do.
Thanks
Vhatt :v6:

 

JMO - unless you have to have a headliner, I'd suggest you do without. Any weight added to the top will affect handling - I know it's not much weight in human terms, but it's placed at exactly where it will make the most difference. Masonite is cheap but fairly heavy for its strength.

 

I rolled bedliner in the one I had a while back. Took out some of the din but it was black and made it hard to see until I painted over it with spray bomb white, don't laugh it wa still on it last time I saw it. You can get white bedliner I'd start there.

 

Lynn, what type of styrofoam are you talking about and where can I buy it?? I can get the poly insulation board easy enough but I dont have a clue where to buy headliner styrofoam. How would you attatch styrofoam to the roof??

 

In mine I'am going to try the foam they use in tracter cabs ,I hope this will help with insulation and any extra wind noise

 

What is your goal for the headliner? Insulation from sound, heat, cold? Appearance? That could affect the direction you go. For sound, "Dynamat" makes a product that's designed exactly for that purpose. You could also use spray on bedliner, or even the stuff muscle car restorers use, I think it's trade name is "lizzard skin" or something like that. The only problem with those ideas is that their appearance may not be to stylish. For that, I've heard of people using neoprene seat cover material purchased directly from places like "Wet Okole" and had upholstery shops install it in their Jeeps.

I'm in the same boat with my CJ-6, which has a steel hard top. On rough roads it's like sitting inside a drum! And on cold days, when the heater gets going, it starts to rain inside!

 

For my hard top, I used a spray adhesive with the high density subwoofer box carpet. It dampened the sound a good bit, and follows the contours of the top very nicely. I bought a 72x72 piece from an audio store and cut it to fit.

I have only done the ceiling portion of the top, I will get around to the sides soon enough...

 

OK guys, thanks for all the ideas. When I get it done I will post some before and after pics so you can see how it turns out. I'm still not decided on which route I will take.
Vhatt:v6:

 

One of the good things with Dynamat is that you can polyurathane coating right over it. The paint does stick to it, I was going to use it on my floor in my jeepster after I got the rust removed. It works three ways, one as a sound proof, two as a heat shield and three, with the smooth polyurathane coating, easy to clean There is a company that has 10 different SMOOTH coating called "Durabak" www.nonslipcoating.com. Also it sticks to EVERYTHING! they sent me a piece of tin with the coating on it and the frist thing I did with it, was to fold it in HALF!!! It did not chip or break.