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Have an intriguing problem that I hope somebody is able to help me with . . .

My Club Sedan came in pieces with parts from other (4-door) cars. Amongst my parts are six (3 for the RHS and 3 for the LHS) Headliner Retainers. The Parts Book definitely says six required for a 2465 Club Sedan - Front, Centre and Rear pieces on each side. These are the metal strips with teeth that hold the headliner tight.

The two Front pieces are a good fit on my 2-door. The other 4 pieces don't even look like they could fit. I haven't re-shaped them, and even if I did they look like they're more likely for a 4-door car. But the real problem goes deeper. . . .

There are holes that match perfectly on the LH and RH front pieces and they fit AOK, but looking at the roof rail towards the rear of the car, there are no holes there, PLUS IMO there is not enough depth on the rail to drill holes and mount any retainers. See photos. The rail thins out, so no place to drill / screw any retainers at rear.

Seems possible that's why they are missing from my bits and pieces, because maybe the Rear and Centre retainers were never fitted to Club Sedans.Maybe only the Front ones were.

What I do see is around six or eight tacks each side, hammered in up and under the flexible glass channel. For the reason mentioned above, it seems like these tacks were the method Packard used to get the headliner tight and held in place at the back of the car. The tacks go clear through the metal! I think they must have been fired from a gun. They look original, I doubt that the car was ever re-upholstered (but can't be certain about that).


Front retainer fits perfectly
[img width=450]<a href="http://s829.photobucket.com/user/Larry51_2009/media/Packard%20Project/Headliner%20and%20Retainers/P1000060FrontpiecesfitAOK_zpsebee41b2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz218/Larry51_2009/Packard%20Project/Headliner%20and%20Retainers/P1000060FrontpiecesfitAOK_zpsebee41b2.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo P1000060FrontpiecesfitAOK_zpsebee41b2.jpg"/></a>[/img]

Screw Holes line up OK for the Front retainer
[img width=450]<a href="http://s829.photobucket.com/user/Larry51_2009/media/Packard%20Project/Headliner%20and%20Retainers/P1000061ScrewHolespresentandlineupwell_zps51bb9aa3.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz218/Larry51_2009/Packard%20Project/Headliner%20and%20Retainers/P1000061ScrewHolespresentandlineupwell_zps51bb9aa3.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo P1000061ScrewHolespresentandlineupwell_zps51bb9aa3.jpg"/></a>[/img]

Rail towards rear thins right down, no room to fit retainers?
[img width=450]<a href="http://s829.photobucket.com/user/Larry51_2009/media/Packard%20Project/Headliner%20and%20Retainers/P1000067cannotseehowthiswouldfit_zps12a67a52.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz218/Larry51_2009/Packard%20Project/Headliner%20and%20Retainers/P1000067cannotseehowthiswouldfit_zps12a67a52.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo P1000067cannotseehowthiswouldfit_zps12a67a52.jpg"/></a>[/img]

If this was the correct Retainer there's no room to screw it onto roof rail
Seems like tacks were used instead?



Any ideas appreciated thanks.

I can believe tacks might have been used as there were several used on my 47 in various spots -- and those have proven somewhat reluctant to come out. Can't see enough detail in the photos as to their location but the tacks might have held retainers -- or in my case, strips of cardboard.

I can't quite picture how they could have installed the tacks directly holding the headliner sides and still have tacks hidden under. I think there must have been a retainer -- unless the entire area in question is covered with some kind of finish molding and tacks were exposed on top of headliner. Any chance the tacks could be pulled out and the 4 door retainers bent to use the holes again -- or if just the headliner -- held with very short -- maybe 1/4" long sheet metal screws

Thanks Howard. I'll see if anyone can say for sure if there were retainers made to fit the 2465 and 2495 cars, but like you say, maybe there can be a work-around using self-tappers or some other method.Will post what I find, and another pic of location of the tacks.

My upholsterer will hopefully have some universal 'retainer' strip which can be used, will see him today and ask. Not at all keen to glue or even tack the headliner, in case it becomes slack and needs to be tightened. BTW, always appreciate your assistance, it's becoming legendary!

Talked with my upholsterer today and explained the problem to him. He says there'll be a couple of ways for retaining the headliner, so not anything to worry about.

I am still very keen to find out if there was a 'non-standard' way used at the factory on the coupe cars like mine. Did they use tacks as I suspect? Or are there actually retainers made that can be fitted somehow?

So few Club Sedans around nowadays that it's difficult to find someone who knows about these or can check to find out.

I've emailed a friend with a 52 club sedan. Hopefully the car is accessible and his headliner is still out so he can take some photos or at least tell us how they did it. Not holding my breath for an immediate answer but if it comes will post his reply.

Thanks - appreciate your help. I will take a couple more photos today of the area and post them.

Here are some photos from a 1951 Club Sedan parts car.
There are no retainer strips used for the headliner above the rear windows. It looks like the headliner material went under the weatherstrip channel for the window and the window moulding would also havew helped to hold it in place.
There is a strip of felt material about 1/2" wide by 1/8" thick between the headliner and the body metal to provide a cushion.

The first 3 photos are the right side and the last 2 are the left.

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Thank you Brian, very helpful for me as I get ready to fit my headlining. You've saved me a lot of time because I would have been wondering what to do.

So it looks like the Parts Listing is wrong, and Packard didn't bother to correct it even as late as my edition which is June 1954. Starting at page 571, all six 'Retainers - Headlining" are listed for the 2465 cars (- and 2495 & Business Coupe as well).

Your photos also show how the pillar was trimmed, and that was another area that I was unsure of. From your pics it appears the cloth extended down the pillar and was also tacked into place rather than being glued to a piece of board. I think I'll opt to use board though, which seems a better / more 'quality' way of trimming the pillar!

Mentioned that I would post close-up pics of the area above the rear windows of Coupe. Here are two that show a tack hole where the headliner was tacked to the metal under the window (glass) channel. There are a few more holes but photo didn't pick them up.

First pic is general area, and I have pulled the glass channel out of the way to expose the tack hole. Second pic shows the small tack hole plus the screw hole where the garnish trim is attached to the frame.

This might eventually prove helpful to someone else who is wondering how Packard solved the headliner attachment problem in '51 2-door sedans.

General area, with glass channel pulled aside



Showing tack hole (one of several). The larger hole is for garnish trim retaining screw.

It should be very similar to my '54. Take look at my blog pics. Across the top is that metal upholstery retainer with the little teeth. Down the b-pillar is and some of the other places (top of windscreens) is a fiberboard tacking strip. The screw heads need to be fairly shallow so they don't show through the headliner.

Your fiberboard strips are missing. The windlace needs to go in first. Headliner is installed over that. The B pillars have a panels are upholstery wrapped panels (similar to door panels) and have these nails that stick out in the middle of them that press into the holes in the middle of the b-pillar.