Headlining reupholstery complete

[Mr Blue]

One of mine needs this treatment. Very nice! So lets get this right - No issues with this glue even with the heat?

I guess people have issues when they don't scrap off the old bits properly?

[Steve_B]

Mine has shown no signs of sagging after 2 months, not been that hot yet though. I did sand down the headlining board to get rid of the majority of the old glue, enough so it looks and feels like a decent surface to bond to.

[scottishpedro]

One of mine needs this treatment. Very nice! So lets get this right - No issues with this glue even with the heat?

I guess people have issues when they don't scrap off the old bits properly?

Mine has been fine since I did it months ago.  This glue is said to be fine in the heat unlike most others.  Also I think it helps that the acoustic carpet is pretty light so less likely to be a problem.

[scottishpedro]

what a brilliant guide!!! Thanks for posting this,

my headlining has come away at the back and starting to come away at the front, it's a bit saggy in the middle.  I'm hoping to use the original material, I'm psyching myself up to take this on. 

If i take it out and it take me longer than expected to complete it, is the car still driveable with this removed? (is it legal?) maybe a silly question, but just to check whether to put it off road until completed.

I assume I can just use the original material or is this likely to rip when removing it?

Is there anyway I could just spray glue in and flatten all down without removing it all and only removing the areas I need access to?

sorry for all the questions, I was just hoping to be better prepared before I started,

Hi, before I wrote the guide I tried to stick mine back up with no success. The problem, as mentioned above, is the headlining material will have seperated from the foam backing.you could potentially stick it back after removing the headlining from the car (not too daunting a job if you have a helper) but it could be difficult to get a perfectly smooth finish with the vinyl after the foam has been scrapped off.  The acoustic carpet I used was good because it reinforced the fibreglass headlining and so any repairs will be better supported and perfectly secure.  Regarding legality of driving round without the headlining, I guess this wouldn't be a problem however you would need to refit the seatbelts, rear view mirror etc which would be a bit more work.

If you have the trim fix and new material (or if you're going to have a go at sticking up the old stuff) you could probably do the whole thing in an afternoon with a helper)

Pedro

[Mr Blue]

Noticed you guys have cut a piece that crosses over the sunroof winder handle. 

I retrimmed mine in the same way using the same products. I really like it.
Tip - Worth putting some foam backing or leave the original material on the sunroof panel because it has shapes in the metal.

Worst part is the sunroof seal bit. What a chore to get it sitting nice

[rob.043]

Just changed my headlining, with a mint replacement from a car being boken, out of interest, whats the going rate for a genuine headlining? I reckon £20 was ok anyway...

Couple of notes I wanted to add to the how to:-

Front seatbelt/ B pillar trim removal-

1. The belt height adjuster knob pulls straight off, but can be very tight. I applied leverage with a screwdriver behind it. 
2. once the 17mm bolt holding the seat belt is removed, the trim slides UP and off, dont pull it stright off or the hooks on the back will brake. This allows complete removal of this piece, easing installation of the headlining.

Rear seatbelt/ C pillar trim removal-

1. I removed the parcel shelf supports to again allow complete removal of the trim pieces. These ones do just pop off.

One or two helpers is essential to help support the headlining on removal and refitting to prevent cracks/breaks.

[scottishpedro]

Just changed my headlining, with a mint replacement from a car being boken, out of interest, whats the going rate for a genuine headlining? I reckon £20 was ok anyway...

Just checked this thread for the first time in a while.  Yes £20 seems like an excellent deal!  When I was looking there were only a couple for sale in the UK and were costing around £115 posted!  That is the reason I reupholstered it myself

The headlining has remained in perfect conditioned by the way, the glue has been fine and there is no sagging.

Cheers

Pedro

[jimmydub]

excellent guide pedro, has given me the confidence to attack the job myself on my mk3.

I've been looking at different materials and i'm thinking about using matt black vinyl. the plan is to stick some upholstery foam to the headlining followed by the vinyl.

just wondering if anyone has experience with vinyl, how adhesive it is, what it will and wont stick to etc...
I've looked through the forum for info on vinyl but can't find too much about it.

cheers

[Sgt_Lemon]

I have been doing this today, little extra tip so others don't follow my mistakes. The central pillars do not just slide down, they need to be unhooked which means pushing them upwards first then pulling them towards you. Trying to pull them down once all fastenings have been removed leaves you with a broken central pillar like me.

[notenoughtime]

Great guide, may do this to mine if the headliner dops down again,

good works