Does anyone have tips/tricks to fixing or replacing the headliner in a car? Mine's sagging some - not bad, but it's viewable in my rear view mirror (doesn't obstruct much, but still...). I've got a friend who said he'd be able to help, but is out of town until next month and I forgot to ask him how he fixed the headliner in his vehicle.

 

It's a DIY job. Plan on a full Saturday.

In a brief nutshell....

-Remove visors, overhead console, and all trim along the side.

-Lower headliner down

-*Carefully* fold headliner enough to *carefully* manuever it thru the passenger side front door without kinking the board. Recline the seat fully for more room.

-Remove old headliner and use stiff brush to remove remants and dried-out adhesive

-Use 3M spray adhesive to attach new headlining material. Work in small sections to avoid wrinkles and bubbles


I bought the materal from a local trim shop for $42 but there are outfits online as well

You'll want a second pair of hands to help

I didn't replace the sunroof section. Doing so may add to the complexity of the job.

Others will chime in with variations on all the above.

Cheers
DD

 

Or, if you're terribly cheap / in need of a temporary fix (delete as appropriate!), get some of these and plan on about 5 minutes... It's obviously not the 'proper' way of doing it, but if you have as little free time as I do, it'll do for now! Actually looks fine - although I was careful to plan and measure rather than just sticking them in at random.

 

There is a vendor in California that sells thumb tacks upholstered in Jaguar headliner colored fabric for this very application. You push them up into the board to secure the material and they blend pretty well. Cheap, fast, but not a true fix.

 

There are many various threads on sagging headliners c/w how to fixes, where to buy the materials etc etc.

Try using a simple search and checking out the many threads that cover removal / where to purchase / installs with pics & videos.

Good luck

 

if you crease the rigid headliner, mask off the crease when you spray the glue, so the material doesn't stick and the crease, and it shouldn't show through.

 

Do yourself a favor get it for like $50 online, it will take you literally under an hour to replace it yourself. I got mine from headlinerfix.com because they also offer live headliner repair phone support while you're fixing up your car. As far as the tips and tricks goes you can use the guide that comes with their headliner replacement kit but I found their online video a lot more helpful. Good luck

 

An hour?! I'd be amazed to see someone get the old one out in that time, let alone complete the job...

 

Ziggy! Do you have picture of the final result, or could you post or email one? I'm curious about the way it looks, and time is really pressing me right now, budget's pressing as well...

 

I just used some small fabric, push-pins that can be found for a few dollars at most supermarkets or pharmacies. I laid them out in a grid across the ceiling and I haven't found a single one that's budged in about a year of driving so far. I did the entire ceiling up to the front visors just for consistency. Maybe its just me, but I think it actually looks really good and adds a nice touch to the plain headliner.

 

Doug, in my research (as our S Type liner is starting to sag) I have read more than once to use a "high heat" spray adhesive rather than the regular old 3M spray adhesive.

I have found the specialty spray adhesives online, but haven't gotten around to doing the fix yet.

Rick

 

I replaced my headliner some time back and posted the process and results on here, with pics, before and after. A search should unearth it. Good luck and go for it!

 

Dougs advice is pretty dead on but I went through the driver side back door. The headliner is very resilient, you can bend it pretty good. I'd have a professional install the fabric on the headliner and you install it. It does help having a 2nd hand as well. Good luck.

 

I've not taken one, but I can do! TBH the only people that have noticed them have been very complimentary

I'd like to find some fabric caps for the twist pins (I'm assured that such a thing does exist!), but as long as they stay secure I honestly doubt I'll ever get round to doing the job 'properly'...

 

Hahaha, well, I don't have the time to do the job properly anymore, and budget for it is not there anymore either, since I purchased Andy's bracket That's why I'm asking for pictures of temporary fixes, to have an idea of the way it looks That's what mine looks like right now, like 2 giant buttocks!

 

Getting dangerously close to the two cheeks becoming one - you'll want to sort it before then! I'll get you a pic of mine...

 

It's obviously not the same as doing it properly, and not a great photo either, but you get the idea!

 

Here's the sewing pin method. I think I spent a whopping $4 and 15 minutes of my time, and I still have about 100 pins left over. I admit they could be a lot straighter. I just dove into it and didn't really plan it out. At some point I may line them up in a grid better and maybe do the part in the middle for show, but honestly i don't think anyone will really notice. The pins pull the headliner nice and tight, so you can still see the contours of the ceiling. I pinned all the way up the side, to and around the sun visors where it was also starting to sag. Mine looked a lot like your ceiling, but the butt cheeks had merged.

 

Those twist pins look good , Ziggy. I'm going to buy some today, and may not replace the headliner, or at least until I have finished with radiator hoses, etc.

 

Cheers guys! My wife approved it Guess I'll let her do it then, as she did a good job with sewing the seat back together