Date:         Wed, 21 Sep 94 11:26:00 PDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         dan@jrs.com (Danny Dayton)
Subject:      Fricking headliner panel installation - 60 bus!!

Howzit!

Well after an hour of sweating and cussing last night
trying to install a cheapo pressboard interior panel
for the roof section above the passenger side in the
cab of my 60 camper, I finally managed to basically
destroy the damn thing.  Jeez, I tried sliding it
into the grooves from the rear, inserting either edge
into one groove and pressing the other side into place,
using a wooden block to hammer the panel (why not?!),
etc, etc.  The pressboard gave in and I finally ripped
off a nice chunky section from a corner, and tore the
thing in two other places.

I bought the bus without any interior panels installed
in the cab, but a set of grey painted pressboard panels
precut (no holes though) came with the purchase.  The
panel for the roof above the driver's side was already
in place.  So I installed the kick panels, and after
many hours of drilling screw holes (22 per side) in the
door panels, I installed them as well.  Last night I
tried finishing the job, but it was just not meant to be.


Two questions:
a) What type of material are the original panels made of and
   should I have even bothered with the pressboard crud?
   The rear is campered out in original wood paneling and I
   was wondering if the same stuff is supposed to go up front
   as well.
b) How does one insert the roof panel above the cab?  The panel
   must torque quite a bit to fit the curve.

My fingers hurt.
Danny D.
'60 bus
(surf is nil in Manhattan Beach, CA today)