1. Daniel Hurtado of Bell Auto Upholstery installed his first headliner at age 15 with his father’s guidance; he’s lost track of how many he’s installed since.

Interior Decorating

By Ron CeridonoPhotography by Brian “Tuck & Roll” Brennan

ell Auto Upholstery is remarkable for a variety of reasons; they not only handle projects from high-end show cars but also daily drivers with the same level of care and quality. Started by Manny Hurtado Sr. and his three brothers, Bell Auto Upholstery has been in business for over 60 years. Today, Daniel Hurtado and his brother Manny Hurtado Jr. carry on the family tradition.

Recently, our cub reporter, Brian Brennan, stopped by and found Daniel installing a headliner in a 1970 Chevy Nova. With his trusty box camera in hand, Brennan followed along, only occasionally getting in Daniel’s way.

Typically, headliners are given their shape with metal bows inserted into channels sewn into the material with the edges secured with some sort of trim. In that regard, the Nova shown here isn’t unusual as it uses curved steel rods for bows and a combination of metal trim at the front and rear glass and plastic trim for a finished look and to secure the material. Of course, contact adhesive is also used to hold the headliner in place. A replacement vinyl headliner was installed for this application as it duplicated the pattern found in the original material.

To the casual observer, installing a headliner may look like someone trying to erect a tent from the inside, but with Daniel’s experience, the steps involved look easy and make sense. The end result was a smooth, wrinkle-free installation—this is interior decorating at its best.

3. Typically, headliners are shaped by metal rods, or bows, that extend from one side of the passenger compartment to the other. Note the roof of this car had been sprayed with an acoustic/thermal insulator.

5. Here, all the bows are in place, and the curve at the ends of the bows follows the contour of the roof. Look closely and you’ll see a line indicating the center of the headliner.

7. Daniel starts the headliner installation with the center bow; with the headliner centered on the support in the roof, the bow is hooked to the body on both ends.

9. Here, the center bow has been completely installed. The wires for the dome light also clipped in place again using adhesive.

11. The trick to installing a headliner is first pulling it tight front to back removing the wrinkles.

13. With the front and rear of the headliner secured, Daniel turns his attention to the sides. First, he trims away the excess listing to prevent wrinkles.

15. To make the material more pliable while pulling out any wrinkles, heat is carefully applied.

17. Once the vinyl is pulled tight and wrinkle-free, the excess material is cut off.

19. With the headliner properly located and secured, the holes for the dome light wires and screws are carefully located—no time to make a mistake.

21. Relief cuts were made in the vinyl so it would wrap smoothly around the edges of the hardboard panel.

23. The trim’s design allows it to push into place easily and follow curves, but it grips the material to stay in place.