DIY - recovering headliner

[bodhi_tree777]

I finally found a DIY car mod that the wife is in to and wants to help with. Ever since I fell into my MK2 Golf, the Vibe has basically been her car. I detailed the heck out of it the other day (pulled the center console out, pulled a bunch of dash stuff off and went at everything up there with q-tips and a lot of patience). Now we want to re-do the headliner.I want to put up a nice DIY when I do it, but I had a few questions before we get started. Primarily, is the rattle can 3M spray decent enough, or should you really go all out and get some industrial sprayer? (I've found both methods recommended on here). Next, how flimsy is the headliner? I know some older cars can get pretty brittle and I tend to break things in this car (refer to my past DIYs, I pretty much snap something every time).thanks..I'll post up some pictures when we finally get around to doing it (need a day off )

[Kari]

The headliner in ragingfish's 03 stood up against the car just fine when he took it out, I think in 05, for a GPS antenna install.

[keithvibe]

getting the headliner out can be a real PITA! There are lots of parts the need to be removed so it will slide out the back hatch.They are very sturdy IMO.As for the glue, if you have the access to the industrial glue and a spray gun. Use that. If not use LOTS and LOTS of the 3m. coat both sides of the pieces. I've had good luck with the 3m, but I used a lot of it to be on the safe side.

[06pvibe]

We did my wife's previous Saturn headliner a coupla' years ago and it wasn't bad at all!! It came out rather nice and we did use the 3M product on both surfaces. Be sure you have an old sheet or a lot of cardboard to lay down first though 'cause the stuff gets everywhere... more than you might guess.And NO wind, or the new material will blow around everywhere... that is everywhere you don't want it to go.

[bodhi_tree777]

Thanks guys .. I'm going to assume that you need to peel off the old matieral first. Is it much of a chore to get off?

[bodhi_tree777]

Also, does anyone know the actual dimensions off hand? Just so I know what size piece of material I need to plan for.

[06pvibe]

Quote, originally posted by bodhi_tree777 »Also, does anyone know the actual dimensions off hand? Just so I know what size piece of material I need to plan for.

[bodhi_tree777]

Quote, originally posted by 06pvibe »I'm a lazy man who mostly reads this forum at work, sans car or tape measure. I need to be coddled

[06pvibe]

Hahahahahahah!!!Sorry. After seeing that post I just couldn't resist.And yes, the old fabric should come off. If it's already weak and/or falling down, most of it will come off easily. Some will still need some coddling to remove it.If the fabric is tight and you just want a different look, you can probably get away w/putting the new over the old.We got some rather heavy felt-like fabric that worked great and looks good too... practically like the OE only heavier and IMO, nicer.You will have to buy it by the yard anyway, so there will likely be some waste... good for recovering sunvisors, or making a dash pad.

[scherry2]

I would leave the material on.

[06pvibe]

Quote, originally posted by scherry2 »I would leave the material on.I agree, but only if it's strong now.However, there could be additional problems by leaving it on:1) It's 7 yrs old, soon to be 8, I believe, so the glue laminating the material to the backing (fiberglass mat) may be giving out already (sagging, or about to sag) and the fabric itself weakening. We could easily put our fingers right through the old material on ours.2) The weight of the new material over the old may cause it to de-laminate that much faster causing both to come down prematurely.3) The new material combined w/the old may make refitting the headliner to the body and under trim more difficult. I had some trouble w/this when we did the Saturn because the new material was so much thicker than the original, and we did remove the original.It's not usually that hard to separate the old fabric from the backing because of the pressed fiberglass it's attached to. It will likely peel off pretty easily, though it might take some of the "glass" with it. Plus that will give you a cleaner substrate for the glue and new material to stick to.Now that's what I know about replacing headliners in modern cars. It's up to you, Bohdi, to figure out the best way to proceed from here.

[scherry2]

i remember doing ragingfishes and I thought the material was thin on foam on a back. i just thought the material might not remove cleanly from the back.heck getting one from the junk yard might even be an idea. I remember the headliner being pretty sturdy though.

[audiovibe]

The only thing I don't like about the 3M stuff is that it does not like heat. When I did my sound dampning and ensolite install I bought a few to many cans of the V&S adhesive and have been hooked on everything I have used it for. It hasn't failed and is designed for headliners, plus its a lil cheaper then the 3M stuffhttp://www.aircraftspruce.com/...m.php