Questions about resecuring headliner where it is coming loos

[99blackautobahn]

Does anyone know a good technique for reattacing and tightening up the headliner cloth on the pillars and main headliner? Or have any ideas> Also any experiences reattaching loose carpeting into original location where it has come loose along the top edge. Thanks a bundle

[guy48065]

This is something I'd like to know, too. My 3rd brake light cover has a sag that has gone from tennis ball size to football in 3 months.
Will a warm iron reactivate the glue so the fabric will stay up?

[tigger]

Jun 15, 2014 15:12:37 GMT -6 guy48065 said:

Will a warm iron reactivate the glue so the fabric will stay up?

Very doubtful, though I haven't tried it. Heat and humidity seem to be the enemy from what I've read, I'm in the same boat with you guys. Been looking for a "matching" headliner fabric(cloth on foam) for about a month. Best course is just to pull it all and start over.

[boldsmobile]

I used 3M Spray Mount Adhesive

[guy48065]

Jun 17, 2014 10:31:23 GMT -6 boldsmobile said:

I used 3M Spray Mount Adhesive

That's what I was considering--but you have to peel it back to spray the backside. I'm not sure if the saggy part is stretched and will end up wrinkled so I'll probably have to do the whole thing so I can give it a little stretch.

How long ago and is it holding up?

[sall]

The fabric pulls away from the foam backing and the foam backing becomes brittle. There really is no fixing it without recovery.

[boldsmobile]

Mine was sagging pretty bad, I was able to spray behind it.

It's been a while, not even sure how Long.

[davidb]

Mine has sagged all the way. I tried removing the 3rd brake light and spraying 3M. It held for about 30 minutes. Now I figure I will have to pull the whole thing and replace. Any threads on how to remove/replace the headliner? I have read something somewhere that said it's too big to remove without creasing the board. That the factory installs them through the windshield or rear glass.

[Hurricane87]

Don't know if you have a Classic or 2G, but I had someone redo mine a couple months back (for $65--it's one of those things like a $20 oil change--why do it yourself when someone else can do it just as cheap?), and he got the board out without creasing it. He probably turned it 17 different ways,and did not do it quickly, but he got it out. It helps that the back doors open almost 90 degrees.

[tigger]

Oct 29, 2015 12:56:24 GMT -6 Hurricane87 said:

He probably turned it 17 different ways,and did not do it quickly, but he got it out. It helps that the back doors open almost 90 degrees.

And that the seats recline waaaay back! LOL!

It can be done... And it does take quite alot of maneuvering.

[human]

As others have said, once the foam layer is deteriorated, the headliner fabric is pretty much toast. The only way to replace the headliner fabric is to remove the cardboard headliner from the car, scrape it completely clean, and then attach the new fabric with spray adhesive. Make sure you cut the fabric generously enough to fold over and secure onto the back of the cardboard at least one inch. Let the spray adhesive dry according to the instructions on the can and reinstall in the car. The procedure is pretty straightforward but you need to be patient and take your time because the adhesive isn't terribly forgiving. For smaller pieces, it might just be easier to replace them with parts from a junkyard donor car. I took this shortcut with the the driver's side A-pillar cover on my '95 Aurora and both the C-pillar covers on my dad's Olds Eighty-Eight.

As a side note, I was very glad when I got my Impala to see that GM had finally come up with a better headliner material. I wonder how the newer headliner material would look in our older cars.

Daily Driver: 2011 Impala LT
Weekend Toy: 1995 Aurora