In his latest article for The Shop, veteran auto upholstery professional Harry Weimann teaches rookies how to properly replace a foam-back headliner.
Headliner replacement is one of the very first skills taught to auto upholstery apprentices and even shop helpers. The reasons are obvious: It’s relatively easy to do (especially on older-model vehicles), quick to complete and offers decent profit margins.
But, like everything else in our craft, it takes study and practice to master — especially since no two models are ever exactly alike.
Harry’s article, “Looking Up: Top Quality Headliner Repairs,” does a fantastic job of outlining the basic process and even provides some photos to help guide readers. The article isn’t meant for pros, but most know someone who’s just starting out in the craft and could use the help — so please share it!
To read the full article, skip to page 22 in this digital copy of The Shop. Of course, we’ll also let you know when Harry’s next article – tackling bow-style headliners – is published.
Unfortunately, where I am at least, the simplicity of this type of headlining has brought about many people who aren’t trimmers that do only this work, and of course, for next to nothing. I rarely do these any more, the profit margin is all gone.