The windshield post fabric glue is failing on both driver and passenger sides. I tried heating the old glue with an iron and it worked for while but now the glue is failing again. I have an earlier suggestion that I need to "pop" off the plastic facing of the posts, clean off the old glue and re-glue new fabric. The big question: Does anyone know of a source for light gray napped fabric for this replacement. Also I understand there is a tool available to snap the plastic covers off? Any idea where I might find one of these? My windshield posts are really getting ugly. Thanks!

 

The pillar covers just snap off. No tool needed. Now they will still be tethered to the car. This is so when the air bags go off the A pillar covers are not blown into your face. You will damage the clips if you remove the tethers so it will be better if you can do the repair with them hanging inside the car. It's a bit tough but it's the best way to go to minimize damage to the car.

Is the fabric still in one piece? My were a bit loose but they peeled off pretty easy and I just re-glued the factory fabric back on. Used 3M spray glue.
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Any decent automotive interior & ragtop refurbishing shop will have a good selection of fabric for you to choose from. I've always been able to find near-exact matches regardless of the age and make of the vehicle....

 

The fabric on my '01 separated from both pillars too. So I thoroughly taped off all surrounding areas using blue painter's tape, newspaper and cardboard; then sprayed a contact cement designed specifically for car headliners onto the pillars and the back of the fabric. You should not use too much as saturating the cloth can stain it and make it look nasty.

Then using a flexible 4" putty knife, I gently pressed the fabric back onto the pillars. It worked like a charm, and I didn't have to remove the pillars, although that might have made the job even easier.

The contact cement is sold at Pep Boys.

 

the stuff my upholsterer uses is ADOS F2 by CRC .
you have to let it tack dry before contacting the two surfaces.

 

Good suggestion but my fabric was wrapped around the corners so I needed access to the backside to spray the glue?

Did you push the material in the behind the covers with the putty knife?
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+1
I should have mentioned that I did have to wait a few minutes until both materials tack dried before bringing the cloth back onto the pillars.

You only get one shot at it as contact cement bonds permanently on contact. So take your time with slow and meticulous use of the putty knife, using it like a squeegee up and down the material so you don't get any air pockets.

 

Yes, the thin metal putty knife was flexible enough to allow me to tuck the loose edges back behind the pillars. I also used a credit card where I couldn't get the 4" knife blade.

It wasn't perfect but it looked a hell of a lot better than it did before. Had I known the pillars come off easily I'd have pulled them off and done it the way you did it.