Interior: Head liner

[wuga]

1962 Lark 4 door wagon. I just removed the old head liner to install the wind lace and new head liner and have encountered something rather strange. There are 9 metal barbed strips of various shapes and sizes. 7 of them present no problem, but the two located over the rear side windows have the barbs pointed down whereas all the others are bent up to grab the head liner material. Bent down, the barbs perform no function. Are all wagons like this or should I form the barbs to point up?
Thanks
Warren

[clarkwd]

The barbs on my 56 point wagon point down.

[StudeRich]

If you are talking about the 1/4 Panel or Cargo Area Windows, the retainers there do not retain any Windlace only the Headliner, so that would be the only reason for the difference that I know of.

[StudeRich]

I deleted my Post, it was on the wrong String!

[wuga]

The head liner is retained by 9 pieces of metal strap. One over the front passenger door, one over the rear passenger door, one over the cargo area side window, a small curved piece in the rear corner, one between the hinges, another curved piece in the left corner, another over the cargo area side window, one over the driver side rear door and one over the driver's door. These have nothing to do with the wind lace which is held by bent tabs in the actual body stampings. These strips are screwed in separately. The lower edge of each piece is barbed with the barbs bent up and in to grab the material as it is pushed in. The two pieces above the cargo area side windows have not had the barbs bent up but rather point straight down thus unable to grab the head liner material. Is this done on purpose or was it an error from the factory?
Thanks
Warren

[JoeHall]

I have no experience with Stude station wagon headliners, but have installed headliners in two GTs. Some of the barbs had bent down while plucking the old headliner out, but I could see they had originally bent upward. So I re-bent them all upward. I can think of NO reason for them to point downward, so your theory of factory defect seems to have merit. In the 1980s owned a 64 Commander Wagonaire that had a mismatched piece of trim above the left rear door (blue/green instead of tan). Having bought the wagon from the original owner, I have no doubt it left the factory that way. So factory defected barbs is no surprise. Unless 2-3 other 1962 wagon owners pipe in here and say theirs were pointed down, I'd bend them upward, but that's just me.

[wuga]

I just talked to Rene at Southeast Studebaker. He checked a wagon he has in the shop and his retainer strips are the same as mine. I guess I will find out how it works when I install the new head liner. Just wanted confirmation that there were other wagons like this.
Thanks
Warren