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Suggestion on new headliner

 
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killerbeem



Joined: 01 Aug 2005
Posts: 496
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:09 am    Post subject: Suggestion on new headliner Reply with quote

The previous owner decided to use a lot of "glue" on the original headliner, and it looks like crap.

I found the material @ Pelican Parts for cheap by the yard. And I can get the spray on adhesive, but I am sure there is a best practice way to install the headliner, especially with the sunroof.
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Henry



Joined: 03 Apr 2001
Posts: 2878
Location: NYC

PostPosted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 4:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Suggestion on headliner...

My headliner sagged as the original glue dried out. I went to a specific automobile reupholstery shop, here in Santa Fe, NM. He had a really nice dark gray, thick nap headliner material. I left the sunroof untouched. So, I have a light gray and dark gray mixture and it looks absolutely stunning.

Total cost for headliner replacement, labor and materials included: $160-.

I did the same with the doors. Removed the exterior panels. And for 30 bucks a piece he replaced the crapola original material with new dark gray material. It looks fantastic.

Problem with thin material, I am told, is the glue can seep through. Therefore, I like the thicker gray with a nap.

Solved the problem for me 100%.
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killerbeem



Joined: 01 Aug 2005
Posts: 496
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 2:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's the direction I was thinking, I even called a local guy my BMW shop recommended, but sadly, he blew me off, so I am looking into buying all the material from Pelican Parts, for a grand total of about $60 with shipping, and doing it all myself.

My biggest issue is some of the underlying plastic pieces (around windows, I call them bezels, but I'm not sure the true name) have been forced on and off in the past, so I have to reconstruct the clip mechanisms by being creative, or keep watching the Bham junk yards for new e36's for parts I can steal.

Then, I'm going to learn myself how to re-upholster the ceiling. I also had NO material on the sunroof, so I had to scrape off all the old material, which has left me with a black sunroof. Kind of neat, but I still want fabric, mainly for sound dampening.

I'll update once I get everything ordered and replaced, as well as post pictures.
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Currently looking for a good e30 to rebuild
1994 318i - Jeni (sold)
1991 325i - Lynn (Sold)
1984 325e - Rachel (Sold)
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Whitdog



Joined: 15 Nov 2006
Posts: 90
Location: Evansville, IN

PostPosted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have redone several sagging headliners and it is not a hard job. The sunroof is a different story since it needs to be taken out to recover. The headliner board comes out pretty easy once you remove the A, B and C pillar covers. There are several tutorials on the internet on how to do it.

If your headliner is not sagging, you can go to an auto body paint supplier and get fabric spray. They can put it in a spray can for you. I did that for the sunroof liner and it looks okay....not great, but not bad....just okay. It did cover some ugly spots which saved me from removing the fabric. Now if your fabric is gone....then ouch.

Whitdog
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killerbeem



Joined: 01 Aug 2005
Posts: 496
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 10:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well,

All done on the headliner. It ended up being all about patience. I will post after pictures this weekend, I forgot to take before pictures, but just know that it was falling everywhere.

The base notes I can bring as a take away:

1. Shop around for material. Although I looked online everywhere, and found some good deals, my best find was that I found a local shop that sold the material (also online here: http://www.bondsbrothers.com) and allowed me to color match almost to the original color. I got a yard of it for only $7.95 (bought two yards) plus tax. The trim adhesive I used (3M, black bottle) was more expensive than the material!

2. PATIENCE - the adhesive needs a couple of minutes to set before you join the base to the headliner material, otherwise it can saturate the headliner material. TAKE YOUR TIME. let the glue start to get tacky, then apply pressure.

3. Bind in sections. I found it best to separate the adhesion into sections, and I glued in two directions (horizontal sprays on the base, vertical sprays on the headliner's foam backing), then as I applied pressure after joining the material, I used a white cotton t-shirt to push/ rub the materials together. This created a uniform look across the adhesion.

4. PATIENCE. Did I already mention this?

5. Cutting. I used a combination of material shears from Hobby Lobby and a razor knife to cut out the sections that needed cut out. Be patient here as well, and limit how big you make the holes for screws/ etc.

6. A clean work area. yes, this is probably not the first thought in most of our garages, as I am sure we are mostly meticulous cleaners, but with the way my garage faces, the wind whips around and brings in leaves. if it wasn't for my need to have a super clean area, I would have been done sooner, but I kept stopping to sweep (OCD anyone? Smile )

So, again, as Whitdog mentioned above, it's not really difficult, even though Pelican Parts installation guide online makes it sound hard; it is just all about patience.

I think the most painful part for me was getting the completed headliner back INTO the car. And I kick myself for not taking out my sunroof and relining it, but I kind of like it black...

MK
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Currently looking for a good e30 to rebuild
1994 318i - Jeni (sold)
1991 325i - Lynn (Sold)
1984 325e - Rachel (Sold)
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Henry



Joined: 03 Apr 2001
Posts: 2878
Location: NYC

PostPosted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 11:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You guys have more patience than I. So…I'll take my i-phone camera and show you what the headliner and door panels look like. Didn't touch the sun roof. Of course my mechanical aptitude is ummmm basic. However, a sun roof removal is a job…so I envy those who have a facility with this type of thing.

I've slightly over a quarter of a million miles on my car and am grateful for each and every yard it's traveled. Carried me safely through some hairy situations. It's not for sale. Smile
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